Tastier

Scientists have discovered a mechanism to prevent darkening and health risks in cold-stored potatoes, a breakthrough promising healthier, tastier snacks and addressing a billion-dollar market’s challenges. Their work, revealing a gene responsible for cold-induced sweetening (CIS), could lead to new potato varieties that avoid acrylamide formation, benefiting the snack food industry and potentially reducing food waste and costs.Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered a method to decrease the levels of a…

For Gastón Paladini, pork is a family affair. In 1923, his great-grandfather Don Juan Paladini moved from Italy to Santa Fe, Argentina, where he started putting a South American twist on classic Italian sausage recipes. Eventually, Don Juan’s company became one of Argentina’s largest meat producers. It still bears the family name: Paladini.But in 2020, Gastón started having the kind of heretical thoughts that would have made his ancestors blush. What if you could capture the essence of pork—that meaty, umami sweetness—and…

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to Luca Guadagnino’s new film, Bones and All. There is the obvious fact that this is the first film to reunite Guadagnino with Timothée Chalamet since Call Me By Your Name five years ago. And then there’s the fact that Bones and All is about cannibalism, and it comes relatively soon after Chalamet’s Call Me By Your Name co-star Armie Hammer was cancelled by Hollywood over accusations of, literally, being a cannibal. (Which he has denied.)Which all sounds like quite a bit to process,…

The photo on the left of a poke bowl doesn’t look as fresh and tasty to viewers as the one on the right. Credit: Ohio State UniversityHow does color impact how you perceive food?According to recent research, a restaurant may boost sales by using an appealing photo of a burger or other menu item, especially if the correct filter is used. According to the study, food seems fresher and tastier in photos with a high color saturation, which increases viewers’ willingness to buy menu items. Color saturation is a term used to…

The photo on the left of a poke bowl does not look as fresh and tasty to viewers as the one on the right. It all has to do with color saturation. Credit: The Ohio State University An appealing photo of a pizza or other menu item can help a restaurant increase sales—especially if the right filter is used, a new study suggests.…

A new study has discovered the reason mosquitoes are drawn to some people more than others. Some viruses can cause an infected person to smell “tastier” to a mosquito, according to researchers. Zika and dengue fever are viruses that infect humans and are spread through mosquito bites. The researchers discovered that these viruses manipulate the hosts' skin microbiome which creates a molecule that attracts the insects. As more mosquitoes are likely to bite the infected person, the chances of transmission of the virus also…

According to new research, Zika and dengue fever viruses make infected mice and humans smell more attractive to mosquitoes, causing increased spread of disease.Dengue and Zika viruses alter the microbiome in both humans and mice to attract mosquitoes and spread to new hosts.Zika and dengue fever viruses modify the scent of mice and humans they infect, scientists reveal in today’s (June 30) issue of the journal Cell. The altered scent attracts mosquitoes, which bite the host, drink their infected blood, and then spread the…

But this is only one part of the process—what’s the point in developing new crops if they taste worse than what’s already on the market? “We have a trained tasting panel in-house that tastes our products weekly,” says Sigal Meirovitch, senior director and head of R&D at Equinom, an Israeli company also focused on improving crops for use in plant-based alternatives to animal products. Unlike Benson Hill, Equinom has so far mainly focused on the yellow pea.“After we see the results, we send the more successful varieties…