$20K Food Analysis Contest: Utilize New Data

The American Heart Association invites investigators to use the first set of data from the Periodic Table of Food Initiative to study the role of food in health and medicine

06-Aug-2024 - The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, announced the first data challenge inviting scientific researchers to use thefooddatabase from thePeriodic Table ...

Chocolate’s tasty flavors might pose a risk in other desserts

Genotoxic substances in baked sweets?

03-Jun-2024 - What makes chocolate taste and smell so delicious? Chemistry, of course! A variety of molecules work together to create that unmistakable aroma, but those same molecules might carry some unwanted health effects if there are too many around. According to research published in ACS’ Journal of ...

Chocolate can be fruity or flowery — if you skip the roasting step

29-Jun-2023 - “Natural”foodsare trendy, and proponents claim that little or no processing helps preserve thefood’s inherent flavor. Research now published in ACS’Journal of Agricultural andFoodChemistryshows that, at least for certain artisanal, bean-to-bar chocolates, this could indeed be the case. The ...

Uncovering the Sweet Secrets of Snacks

01-Feb-2023 - Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time to buy chocolates and candies for that someone special. Or perhaps, you prefer healthier treats, in the form of fresh or dried fruits. Below are some recent papers published in ACS journals that investigate the complex way chocolate ...

Recent advances in chocolate research

31-Oct-2022 - Chocolate has been appreciated as a delicacy for thousands of years, and it’s easy to see why. The luscious and luxurious treat can give you a little pick-me-up toward the end of a hard day, or provide a sweet ending to a fine meal. You might think we know everything about chocolate by now, but ...

New cocoa processing method produces fruitier, more ‘flowery’ dark chocolate

28-Apr-2022 - Producing chocolate, one of the world’s most beloved sweets, is a multistep process beginning with freshly harvested cocoa beans. People have been experimenting with chocolate-making for millennia, and even today, new methods are still being introduced. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal ...

Three ways to reduce the carbon footprint of food purchased by US households

05-Nov-2021 - Most consumers want to make food purchases that are smart for their wallets, their health and the environment. And while switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet can lower one’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions, it may not be realistic or healthful for everyone. Now, researchers in ACS’ ...

How the mold influences a chocolate bar's crystalline structure

02-Jun-2021 - When enjoying a chocolate bar, most people don't think about how the molecules within it are organized. But different arrangements of the fats in chocolate can influence its taste and texture. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Crystal Growth & Design have found that the side of a chocolate bar ...

Two compounds can make chocolate smell musty and moldy

29-Apr-2021 - Chocolate is a beloved treat, but sometimes the cocoa beans that go into bars and other sweets have unpleasant flavors or scents, making the final products taste bad. Surprisingly, only a few compounds associated with these stinky odors are known. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of ...

Edible holograms could someday decorate foods

22-Feb-2021 - Holograms are everywhere, from driver's licenses to credit cards to product packaging. And now, edible holograms could someday enhance foods. Researchers reporting in ACS Nano have developed a laser-based method to print nanostructured holograms on dried corn syrup films. The edible holograms ...