Food Detectives
Encyclopedia
Food Detectives a food science
show hosted by Ted Allen
that airs in North America
on Food Network
. Ted Allen, backed by research conducted by Popular Science
magazine, investigates various food
-related beliefs, such as the validity of the five-second rule
or the effectiveness of ginger
as a means to relieve motion sickness
. In addition to support from scientists such as molecular biologist Dr. Adam Ruben and Popular Science staff members, Allen is assisted on-screen by a group of so-called "Food Techs," often-silent assistants who serve as the participants in simple experiment
s exploring a range of food-related myths, beliefs, practices, and folkways.
Food science
Food science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork"...
show hosted by Ted Allen
Ted Allen
Ted Allen is an American writer and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the American Bravo network's Emmy-winning television program Queer Eye. He now is the host of the prime-time series on Food Network Chopped, a culinary competition in which four chefs per episode...
that airs in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
. Ted Allen, backed by research conducted by Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
magazine, investigates various food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
-related beliefs, such as the validity of the five-second rule
Five-second rule
A common superstition, the five-second rule states that food dropped on the ground will not be contaminated with bacteria if it is picked up within five seconds of being dropped...
or the effectiveness of ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
as a means to relieve motion sickness
Motion sickness
Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
. In addition to support from scientists such as molecular biologist Dr. Adam Ruben and Popular Science staff members, Allen is assisted on-screen by a group of so-called "Food Techs," often-silent assistants who serve as the participants in simple experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
s exploring a range of food-related myths, beliefs, practices, and folkways.
Tests
- Can I eat something off the floor if I pick it up in 5 seconds?- Bacteria will cling to food immediately. High traffic areas will lead to even more bacteria on the food.
- How do I cool my mouth after eating spicy food?- Milk and other dairy products are most effective. Refrain from soda and any carbonated drinks.
- Does baking soda remove odor in my fridge?- Yes, but activated charcoal is even better. The purple cube shown in the show of activated charcoal for refrigerator odor is Fridge It activated charcoal odor absorber.
- How dirty is "double dipping"?- Having just one person double-dip will lead to a huge increase in bacteria.
- Can ginger really help with motion sickness?- Yes, take ginger tablets 20 minutes before.
- What is the best way to quell the tears while chopping onions?- Store onions in the refrigerator to prevent its enzymes from overreacting when chopped.
- Tastes like chicken- 7 out of 8 tasted 'chicken' when served guinea pig, alligator, frog, and rabbit.
- Does blotting pizza really reduce calories?- Yes, it reduces 35 Calories per slice on average (3.5 grams of oil).
- Does blowing out candles contaminate birthday cakes?- Yes, bacteria grew on the test cake greater than on the control, and even more with the greater # of candles on a cake. However, most micro-organisms in the human mouth are not harmful, as long as the candle-blower is healthy.
- Eating carrots improves eyesight- Untrue, other than eating copious amounts, and in very specific cases such as night blindness because of the Vitamin A.
- Does burning your tongue cause permanent damage- Unlikely, the tongue heals much faster than other organs.
- Is moldy cheese okay to eat?- Yes
- Are "dirty water hot dogs" as dirty as you think?- Some are but common sense indicated which vendor would be unsafe based on their general sanitation practices.
- What has the most caffeine-coffee, tea, soda, or energy drinks?- in descending order; Energy drinks, Soda, Coffee, Tea, Green Tea.
- We will also reveal the best way to keep ice cream from falling off the cone?- Wasn't answered instead they made Dondurma.
- Does MSG in food cause headaches, stomach pain, or other problems?- No, MSG's only effect on food is to make it more savory. Its bad rap has led to a placebo effect.
- Does drinking lots of water make your skin look better?- Not answered, One subject was intentionally dehydrated drinking only 32oz of water a day the second subject drank 64oz per day. The dehydrated subject had poorer skin than the properly hydrated subject.
- Can you taste the difference between liquid smoke flavored baked foods and grilled foods?- 1 subject guessed the liquid smoke, 1 guessed the grilled food when asked "which was grilled"
- Is throwing pasta against the wall is really the best way to see if it’s done cooking?- No, pasta will stick before it is fully cooked.
- Does drinking alcohol kill braincells?- No, it temporarily inhibits brain function though in large quantities.
- What causes the Mentos Diet soda reaction?- The surface of the Mentos have lots of small ridges and pocks which allows millions of mini bubbles to form which then merge into larger bubbles.
- What are some secret ingredients in natural food coloring?- Many food colorings include crushed beetle for red tint.
- Does turkey actually make you sleepy?- Yes, but only when coupled with a high-calorie meal like those generally served at Thanksgiving.
- Does swallowed gum stay in your stomach for seven years?- No, gum will be broken up by stomach acids and pass through the system within 24 hours.
- What is the best way to get gum out of your hair?- Oil placed in hair for 20 minutes will remove the gum.
- How unsanitary are public water fountains?- As long as spigots are not touched, public fountains have low levels of bacteria because the arc the water flows out prevents it from touching the spigot. Office water coolers can be riskier because the spigot is never cleaned and touched by many people.
- Will the size of your plates make you fat?- Larger plates tend to make you overeat because visually you want to fill up the plate. Smaller plates will make you think you're having a full meal.
- Can drinking too much water actually kill you?- Yes, but only an exorbitant amount in quick succession, because it will mess with your electrolytes.
- Can drinking ice water burn calories?- Yes, because it takes more energy to convert ice water to body temperature.
- How much of taste is influenced by decor or elaborate menu descriptions?- Fancy decor and menu give the perception of a better dining experience.
- What is the healthiest oil to fry with?- Vegetable oil with high smoking point that is changed regularly, i.e. peanut and canola oil.
- Do wood cutting boards harbor more bacteria than plastic boards?- Any board with deep groove marks will harbor bacteria. Best to change boards routinely, wash in soap and hot water, and use separate boards for meat and vegetable products.
- Do nightcaps like a warm glass of milk really work?- Yes, although chamomile tea can work even better.
- How do you enjoy buffets without going overboard?- Seat far from the buffet line so that its away from your line of vision. Scour the food before choosing, to see what you really want to eat.
- Will eating a poppy seed bagel cause someone to fail a drug test?- No, although there will be an increase in their level of opiates. You will test positive after eating 5 poppy seed bagels or more.
- Is it possible to eat six Saltine crackers in one minute?Saltine cracker challengeThe saltine cracker challenge or simply the "saltine challenge" is a competition in which a person has 60 seconds to eat 6 saltines , without drinking anything; all the crumbs must be eaten too. Although the challenge sounds easy, it is actually very difficult, because the crackers quickly exhaust...
- It is certainly difficult; the techs couldn't do it. - Remedies for the alcohol induced hangover?- There is no surefire way to cure a hangover, although eating a meal before and drinking water while consuming alcohol will better prevent dehydration and lessen the effects of a hangover.
- Can cola dissolve a penny, a nail, a tooth or a housefly?- None of the above, although a tooth will begin to decay within a few days. Technically, the same effect can occur with orange juice. In real life, your saliva washes down cola as you drink, although long-term drinking will lead to gradual decay.
- How clean are lemon wedges in restaurants?- 7 out of 10 lemons tested with huge amounts of bacteria.