New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Study claims meal kits produce less emissions than grocery shopping, despite more packaging

Rich Haridy April 23, 2019

Do meal kits have a larger carbon footprint than regular grocery store shopping? A team of environmental researchers set out to crunch the numbers discovering that despite the extra plastic waste meal kits may produce less environmental emissions than conventional grocery shopping.

A new study contrasts the excessive packaging found in meal kits against increased transportation and food ...

Environment Audio available

Burger King introduces meat-free Impossible Whopper

Nick Lavars April 1, 2019

Global fast food giant Burger King has announced the introduction of the Impossible Whopper at selected stores, offering customers a decidedly greener version of its most iconic hamburger.

Impossible Foods produces its beef-free patties using plant-sourced replacements

Science Audio available

Lego contraption spins up starchy supports for lab-grown steaks

Michael Irving March 27, 2019

Growing meat in the lab from cultured cells is a promising technology, and now a team of food scientists has developed a new method for spinning starchy structures that could hold a steak together. Stranger still, this device is made of Lego.

Researchers have used Lego to build a device that spins starch fibers as supports for lab-grown ...

Robotics Audio available

Food-focused autonomous robot arm knows how to use the forks

Michael Irving March 13, 2019

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an autonomous robot arm that can figure out the best way to pick up food of any shape and bring it up to a user’s mouth, which should make mealtimes easier for people with limited mobility.

The Assistive Dexterous Arm (ADA) knows how much force to apply to pick up different types ...

Science

Strange link between food allergies and multiple sclerosis bolstered by new study

Rich Haridy February 20, 2019

An intriguing new study has described a clear association in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients between food allergies and disease activity. The correlation adds weight to the growing hypothesis suggesting the inflammatory activity behind MS is modulated, to a degree, by a mechanism in the gut.

Research has revealed only food allergies seemed to correlate with increased MS disease activity, and not ...

Science Audio available

The science of the perfect cheese fondue

David Szondy February 20, 2019

How does one mix up the perfect cheese fondue? After studying how the ingredients interact with one another, scientists have found the dish is really a complex multiphase system caused by the flow behavior or rheology of the cheese, wine, and starches.

Science

High-tech fixes for our food supply headline IBM's annual 5 in 5 list

Michael Irving February 11, 2019

IBM’s annual 5 in 5 list is here. This time, all five technologies in this year’s list are designed to fix problems in every step of the food supply chain, from seed to your plate.

IBM's 5 in 5 list for 2019 focuses on technology that will improve the food supply ...

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

New meta-study concludes breakfast is not the most important meal of the day

Rich Haridy January 30, 2019

Recent research has raised doubts over the veracity of the commonly held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and a new meta-analysis concludes there is no good evidence to suggest eating breakfast promotes weight loss or improves metabolic rates later in the day.

Collecting data from 13 different trials, a meta-analysis found skipping breakfast does not lead to weight ...

Science

Scientists safely reproduce the taste of toxic pufferfish – fugu tofu, anyone?

Ben Coxworth January 24, 2019

Some seafood aficionados swear that you just HAVE to try pufferfish sushi – unfortunately, though, if it isn't prepared correctly, it'll kill you. Scientists from China and the UK have developed a safer alternative, by replicating the flavor of the fish without any of the poison.

A Takifugu obscurus pufferfish ... prepare it with care

Science Audio available

New-and-improved protein-rich rice has higher yields

Ben Coxworth January 23, 2019

According to the ASA, it's an unfortunate fact that many people in developing nations don't get enough protein in their diets. What they often do get a lot of, however, is rice. So, scientists have improved upon a type of rice that has over 50 percent more protein than regular varieties.

Prof. Herry Utomo evaluates the growth of new generations of high-protein rice lines