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When it comes to food, technology is changing everything. We are in the middle of a food evolution where the things we buy at the supermarket usually undergo factory processes. Whether or not these revolutionary technologies that will change the way people eat in the future are safe, we won’t know yet because today, the safest and healthiest food to eat is organic. While these food technologies may not convince organic eaters that they’re safe to be integrated with food, even with the FDA’s seal of approval, it’s interesting to learn what scientists are trying to come up with when it comes to making food “safer” and “healthier.” Here’s a glimpse of some of the food technologies that are currently under development.    

Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles aren’t something new as researchers have been trying to create small particles for use in food for a long time. The reason why scientists are researching this is because they want to use molecular particles that can make diet-friendly food items taste great (without putting any added sugar and fat). Right now, researchers aren’t sure yet whether these nanoparticles are completely safe to eat because they’re so small they could easily pass through veins and end up in sensitive areas of the body like the heart and brain. 

Stem-cell beef patties

Dutch scientist Mark Post is trying to grow meat from a cow’s stem cells to make burger. Right now, the time, procedures, and money it takes to create a single patty from a stem cell costs about 300 million Euros, meaning it’s entirely possible now but not economical. However, technology is improving fast and the scientist estimates that it will become economical and ready for mass production in at least 10 to 15 more years. 

Anti-Salmonella Spray

In Netherlands, a company is now developing a simple spray that contains “bacteriophages,” which are things that bind with and kill bacteria. If proven safe by the FDA, some restaurants may soon spray it on fish meat before cooking. There are E. coli and salmonella poisoning risks when eating raw fish and this technology may change the way food safety standards work. 

As previously said, technology is advancing at a fast rate and these food technologies may get implemented sooner than we think. About a decade ago, mobiles were used only for telecommunication purposes but now, technology has advanced so much that people use them for almost anything, from finding the nearest restaurant to transferring funds across the globe. According to the parent company of the recreational slingo hub Spin Genie, mobile is one of the most powerful movers in the Internet landscape today so we can probably expect these devices to play a huge role in developing the aforementioned technologies for food. Perhaps when the salmonella spray gets released for public use, it can also identify what type of virus was successfully or unsuccessfully removed from the fish by connecting to the Internet and delivering results straight to a user’s mobile. That being said, nothing beats organic food and the anti-salmonella spray, beef patties from stem cells, and nanoparticles may raise a few eyebrows because they seem to be quite invasive to food but they are aiming to ease our curiosities somewhat at least.

*We decided to resurface the following article in view of the current haze condition in Singapore.

• Vitamin A - which helps protect eyes, lungs and oxygen-carrying capabilities of bloodstream. The haze destroys the Vitamin A stores in lung tissues hence reducing body's defense. We recommend including carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach in your diet.

• Vitamin C &E - these two vitamins work cohesively to keep lung tissue healthy by building a protective protein that prevents enzymes released during inflammation from damaging the lung. Papaya, oranges, kiwi and broccoli will give you a Vit-C boost while some almond and pine nuts would settle the Vit-E.

• Selenium - This is a vital nutrient to the immune system as it works with Vit C, E and B3 as an antioxidant to prevent free radical damage to the body. The primary benefit is to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Good food sources of selenium include grains (wheat germ, barley, oats, brown rice), nuts and fish (tuna, halibut, sardines, salmon).

• Reduce alcohol and caffeine intake - These help promote water loss and leach of important nutrients from the body. In place, drink plenty of water and keep body hydrated.

• Reduce intake of dairy products, sugars and refined white flours - As our body produces mucus in reaction to infections such as flu and cough, excess mucus is produced when allergic reaction causes inflammation to the linings of the airway. In place, consume more greens, especially leaf vegetables such as spinach and kale - they contribute to your 5-a-day anyway!

Coffee has been our pet interest which never fails to fascinate with its depth of knowledge behind each cup, from its beans, place of origin, brewing method to the multi-faceted taste in each mouthful. We were honored to be invited to a coffee cupping session, understanding more about what goes on behind each cup of coffee and the depth of flavours in it; followed by a tasting of their ever-popular brunch menu!


This is typically done for the Master Tasters to assess the flavour profile of the beans, as well as to evaluate defective coffee or create new coffee blends.

To determine these, coffee cupping consists of deeply sniffing for a hint of the different flavours first. Andy is the person in-charge of their beans and mentioned that the sniffing process was where most of the flavours can be identified. As first-timers, almost all 6 of them smelled the same to us, with only a few of them having very distinct fruitier/nuttier flavours that we could differentiate :/.









The filter and aeropress are used for different types of beans with different characteristics, and while technicals were being explained, we thought it might be easier to leave it to the baristas to decide on the best brew to serve for us.

1. After roasting coffee, it cannot be brewed immediately - it is recommended to let espresso coffee degas before brewing. If the coffee is brewed too fresh, it can be very challenging to extract the right flavours and can often lead to an astringent cup.

2. Sourness can be an indicator of specific acidities. Often when tasting specialty coffee, the sourness can highlight good acidity such as citrus acid - lemon, limes, grapefruit; malic acid - apples, pears; ascorbic acid - young grapes etc.

It takes training and more conversations to accurately decipher what it is. We were quite surprised how this can actually mean different tastes when we were more conscious of our senses, and even tasted savoriness in a cup subsequently!

3. Amongst cappuccino, latte and flat white, the strength of coffee decreases in that order. More or less foam changes the milk to coffee ratio, causing it to be stronger or weaker accordingly. Hence with more foam in cappuccino to absorb the flavour, it is the strongest amongst the trio.

Also, each drink has a specific cup size, i.e. cappuccino 170ml, flat white/latte 180-210ml, piccolo 90ml.

4. Coffee tastes bitter when it's hot, while acidity rises as it starts to cool down. Hence it's typical for us to taste sour-ness when it's left for a while, though a good cup of coffee should not be too overwhelmingly sour. In fact, the fruity notes are supposed to come through stronger when it cools down slightly.

5. While everyone has a different preference of coffee, a good cup of coffee should always be balanced. And of course, while latte art makes for good instagrammable moments, it does not, in any way determine if the coffee is good or bad. We used to think that bubbling meant that the milk might not have been foamed properly, but had just realized that it was in fact normal, and could mean that the coffee was fresh. :)

Came across this article in the Life! section of Sunday Times today and thought it is some useful knowledge to have!

Swatow: About the same size as lukans and ponkans, and also from southern China as their name suggests, these mandarins have rougher, thicker skin which is harder to peel, chewier internal membranes and a less sweet taste. What they lack in finesse, they make up for in durability. They have a longer shelf life than many other mandarins and can last two to three weeks.

Kinno