Can I get corn sugar with that?

I'm no expert on high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) but I have read plenty of peer-reviewed articles that study its effects on a number of issues important to all of us, mainly will we be better with or without HFCS in our diet?

The Corn Refiners Association has its opinion about the matter, that HFCS is the same as table sugar, that there are no differences in the amount of fructose and glucose (two simple sugars) between the two. Because it's getting a negative view in the media, consumers aren't consuming it. They even have a website displaying their views, even so much to say that a name change is needed. They would like to call it "corn sugar" (which they do use in their ads) and need the FDA's approval to put the new name on labels.

Important figures in the world of food safety and politics are speaking up on the topic, those like Marion Nestle. Others' opinions can be read here and here. But rather than focus on opinions, I'm going the more scientific route with this rant on the subject. Here are seven peer-reviewed articles on the topic, some that are meant to argue for one side of the argument, but hopefully all are objective about the research that is out there for us, the public, to read and learn.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/139/6/1253S

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/139/6/1257S

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/139/6/1219S

http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/cgi/content/full/234/6/651

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/88/6/1738S

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/88/6/1716S

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/139/6/1242S

I went with articles that are free to the public, so please don't be afraid to step out and look for articles that try to objectively explain the debate. My favorite place to look is PubMed, which is one of the best scientific sources for peer-reviewed papers.

My personal opinion, there are differences between HFCS and table sugar. First off, table sugar is a solid, while HFCS is manipulated and ultimately is in the form of a liquid. That is a huge difference! And with a manufacturer of HFCS near my residence, the smell that emanates from the factory is disgusting, something between rotting potatoes left in sweaty socks and human excrement shoved in my nose, but what I really think...

Moral of the story: become educated on the subject and make the decision for yourself.

Food for thought: September 7, 2010

Hey everyone. Hope your Labor Day Weekend went smoothly. I had a good time trying out some new concoctions and not so good time with melting chocolate. But that's for another time. Let's check out some food chem in the news.

Modernist Cuisine may be the evolution of food chemistry in the everyday kitchen, and now we get a chance to peek into what it takes to be a modernist cuisine cook. I love the panoramic shot!

With the FDA's report on egg safety not too appealing, some are trying to find out if there truly are better eggs out there for us to eat.

Speaking of FDA, soon you might find out just how much fat and calories you're consuming in your meal... or not.

The SO loves chili cheese dog, so I'm really hoping that this can be the best tasting chili to top my frankfurter.

It is rough out there for consumers. First it was eggs, now we have to worry about food security. And to top it all off, trying to read a label these days can sometimes take a degree in chemistry.

Well, I knew it. Eating too much meat off the bone can kill you... sooner. But eating arugula? I hope there's an endless supply of buffalo sauce out there...

And on a lighter note: Wendy's may be taking the advice of eating less meat by taking the hamburger off the menu.

Science in the Kitchen: AB's Blueberry Buckle

So you're probably wondering why you can use AP flour in place of cake flour and why that would involve a longer baking time at a lower temperature. Well, let's break it down.

1. AP flour substituted for cake flour

As you can tell from your local megamart, there is more than one kind of flour, meaning that there are different functions for each of them. Cake flour for cake, bread flour for bread, and so on. Many of the differences are determined by the protein content of the flour. Bread flour has a lot of protein, which is why you can knead the hell out of it when making your dough. Cake flour, on the other hand, has very little protein and AP flour is somewhere in the middle. Cake flour will provide a much lighter product that won't brown as much (we'll get into that at some later date). So when using AP flour, it's going to provide a slightly "heavier" product with the capacity to brown quicker at higher temps, which leads to

2. Lower temperature from 375 to 350F

The more protein in the product, the easier to brown and if you have a high temperature, that browning could occur before the inner part of the buckle cooks completely. It's like nuking a burrito in the microwave. You know, where the outside is burnt to a crisp with the inside as cold as ice. Well, if the temperature is lowered, that browning will take a little bit longer, which leads to

3. Extending baking time from 25 to 45 minutes

To account for proper browning and a consistent product texture, the time will have to be extended since we lowered the temperature. But you still want it cooked all the way, so at the lower temp, you can cook it longer to get that nice browning on the outside with a fluffy texture on the inside that gives you an oh-so-delicious blueberry buckle.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of science in the kitchen. Enjoy!

Altering Alton: Blueberry Buckle

I realize it's past season for blueberries, but for those of you lucky enough to freeze a supply for the upcoming months, I have something you can try without having to venture far from your kitchen.

Alton Brown (all praise the almighty AB!) has a Good Eats episode on blueberries that I recently caught on Food Network, and he had a recipe I just had to try for a blueberry buckle. Well, I didn't have any cake flour in the cupboard but I really wanted to try my luck with this delectable treat. Ultimately, I ended up replacing the cake flour with all-purpose (AP) flour, lowered the baking temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and placed it in the oven for 45 minutes near the top of the oven.

Needless to say, Dr. Food Chem's significant other (SO) thoroughly devoured a square of blueberry buckle in record time. So, there's hope for my cooking/baking skills. And as a treat, here is that episode: