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April 17, 2013 The days of made-to-order ice cream are far from over in San Francisco. A small shop that operates out of an old shipping container uses liquid nitrogen to freeze ingredients together in about a minute for an ultra-fresh, ultra-smooth treat.

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March 21, 2013 With a high-tech gadget, scientists can measure how much flavor is released from foods while we're eating. One British chef uses the device to figure out why we love to dip biscuits into tea. A quick plunge really does make the cookie yummier.

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December 6, 2012 Although we can usually smell when food goes bad, humans just don't have the fruit fly's direct path from nose to brain that alerts it to food poison. But the detection of this pathway could someday lead to more research that could help us develop better bug repellants.

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August 30, 2012 Researchers have conducted the first scientific analysis of nutrients in trendy seedlings known as microgreens. They found that most microgreens have higher levels of nutrients than their mature counterparts.

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July 19, 2012 Greek yogurt sales are booming in the U.S., and some companies are turning to new technology to get in on it. But some Greek yogurt purists who compete with those companies for market share say the products are not the same.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

April 3, 2012 As recent food mislabeling scandals show, a food's true identity and origin often get lost along the supply chain. Enter the "optical stable isotope analyzer," a device that could provide a lot more certainty about a product near the end of its long journey to the consumer.

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March 21, 2012 Joe Palca told his sister, a baker in Brooklyn, N.Y., about a way to make sourdough bread using "wild" yeast starter. But she had a problem: It was sourer than she liked. Was there any way to wrestle it back from its acrid extremes?

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March 6, 2012 Do you buy that $100 Malbec, or will the $15 bottle fit the bill just as nicely? New research suggests your biology may help determine whether you can really taste a difference.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 23, 2012 Why do astronauts lose their sense of smell in space, and what's this got to do with their preference for fiery condiments? No one is sure, but NASA food scientists have some plausible ideas.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

January 28, 2012 Everything from the size of your plate to the color of your food may be telling you to eat more than you actually need. The good news is you can use psychology to your advantage, if you learn a few tricks of the trade.

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January 13, 2012 Over the years, dairy producers and food scientists have found a multitude of uses for whey, the byproduct of cheese-making. Now, German scientists have found a way to turn it into plastic.

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January 10, 2012 A Washington apple grower wants kids to eat apples, especially his grape-flavored apples. But why take a perfectly good fruit, with its very own complex flavor and aroma, and douse it with something associated with Dimetapp and lollypops?

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January 5, 2012 Scientists say Camembert rind is one of nature's more amazing living materials. Not only does the rind allow the cheese's deep flavor and aroma to mature, but it also defends the cheese against microorganisms that could spoil it.

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December 15, 2011 Army food scientists have figured out how to control pH, moisture, and oxygen inside the packaging of a pocket sandwich so that it can last for up to two years.

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November 3, 2011 Replacements for animal and vegetable fats that simulate their texture have become a $5.8 billion industry. Here, we give you a breakdown of some of the most important fat replacements in your food.

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