Saturday, September 11, 2010

What is This Blog About?

Choosing a Major

Before I started college I had my future career figured out. I was to be some sort of engineer who would build and design big buildings or airplanes. Sounds like fun right? Well upon further inspection I decided engineering wasn't for me. This was mainly because of a physics class I took. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way as it does for many people. After serving a mission for my church in Southern Mexico for two years I decided I needed to find a major. On the Brigham Young University website I stumbled across a major called Food Science. I thought this was the perfect major for two reasons: 1. I like food 2. I like science.

About Food Science

It seems like every time I tell someone I am studying food science the next question that follows is: "So are you like a chef?" or sometimes "That's like nutrition right?" Because of these common misconceptions I thought I'd explain what food science really is as a part of my blog inauguration. Food Science deals with what food is made of, how it is produced and how it is perceived by the consumer. I like to think of it in terms of potatoes.
Food Science deals with everything that happens to a potato after it is picked until you digest that potato chip you just ate. This would've included storage, processing, packaging and taste of the potato chip. It also deals with all the laws regarding food production and food safety. There is much to study about your food. Because of this I am going to be posting information I learn about food so that you can be better informed. I feel like there is a lot of information out there that has no scientific basis behind it. So let's learn together and feel free to post questions you would like answered such as, "Why do my cakes keep sinking?" or "How do they make Cheetos?". If I don't know the answer I'll research it and share where I got the information. So let's dive into our food and explore!