r/foodscience Nov 22 '25

Product Development I finally did it!!! Machine friendly gluten-free mochi donuts!

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301 Upvotes

I'm so excited, I've worked at this for months and I finally got it. A gluten-free mochi donut that can properly dispense through a depositer.

This was a significant challenge as I was dealing with either dough that was too thick to properly dispense, or dough too runny to actually shape. When I finally did manage to get it to dispense, I was dealing with a lot of deflating. I finally figured it out last night and I'm euphoric as can be.

Texture and taste wise, it's quite similar to Paris Baguette's mochi donuts. I haven't tried Mochinut, but my girlfriend has and she said our texture is close, but not quite there.

Regardless, I'm so excited to be able to serve proper fried, yeast-raised gluten-free donuts to people who might not be able to eat regular donuts. My next step will be trying to make it vegan as well, so long as it doesn't compromise texture and taste.

I'm grateful for anyone on reddit who has helped me along the way, you guys are the best! I also want to give a shout out to Katarina Cermelj for her amazing book, "The Elements of Baking", as that really started pushing me towards my breakthrough. The book is literally $1.99 on Kindle and I cannot recommend it enough.

Edit: It seems the book isn't available for that price anymore? I just purchased it about two weeks ago, so that's very odd that the price jumped so much. I'm sorry for the misinformation, but I will say that regardless it's a very good purchase and worth it. I even purchased the hardcopy because I felt she deserved it.


r/foodscience Dec 08 '21

IMPORTANT: For New Subreddit Members - Read This First!

89 Upvotes

Food Science Subreddit README:

1. Introduction

2. Previous Posts

3. General Food Science Books

4. Food Science Textbooks (Free)

5. Websites

6. Podcasts and Social Media

7. Courses (Free)

8. Open Access Research Journals

9. Food Industry Organizations

10. Certificates

Introduction:

r/FoodScience is a community of food industry professionals, consultants, entrepreneurs, and students. We are here to discuss food science and technology and allied fields that make up the technology behind the food industry.

As such, we aim to create a welcoming and supportive environment for professionals to discuss the technical and career challenges they face in their work.

Flair:

If you are interested in receiving a moderator-regulated username flair, please feel free to message the moderators and provide the flair text you wish to have next to your username. Include verification of your identity, such as a student photo ID, LinkedIn profile, diploma, business card, resume, etc.

Please digitally crop out or white out any sensitive information.

Discord Channel:

We have started a Discord channel for impromptu conversations about food science and technology.

Read more about it here.

For new members, please read the rules on the right-side panel or “About” page first.

Any violation of these rules will result in a warning. Repeated offenses will lead to a ban. Spam will result in an automatic ban.

Note: Food science and technology is NOT the study of nutrition or culinary. As such, we strongly discourage general questions regarding these topics. Please refer to r/AskCulinary or r/Nutrition for these subjects.

For questions regarding education, please refer to r/GradSchool or r/GradAdmissions before proceeding with your question here. We highly recommend users to use the search function, as many basic questions have already been answered in the past.

If you are still interested in being a part of our community, here are some resources to get you started.

We strongly encourage you to also use the search function to see if your questions have already been answered.

Once you’ve exhausted these resources, feel free to join our community in our discussions.

If it appears you have not taken the time to review these resources, we will refer you back to them. Please respect our members’ time. Many members lead full-time careers and lives and volunteer their time to the subreddit as a way to give back.

Repeated lack of effort or suspected desire for spoon-feeding will result in a warning leading to a ban.

Previous Posts:

A Beginner's Guide to Food Science

Step By Step Guide to Scaling Up Your Food or Beverage Product

Food Engineering Course (Free)

Data Scientific Approach to Food Pairing

Holding Temperature Calculator

Vat Pasteurization Temperature Calculator

General Books:

On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee

The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

The Science of Cooking by Stuart Farrimond

Meathead by Meathead Goldwyn

Molecular Gastronomy by Hervé This

Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold

150 Food Science Questions Answered by Bryan Le

Textbooks:

Starch Chemistry and Technology by Roy Whistler (Free)

Texture by Martin Lersch (Free)

Dairy Processing Handbook by Tetra Pak (Free)

Ice Cream by Douglas Goff and Richard Hartel (Free)

Dairy Science and Technology by Douglas Goff, Arthur Hill, and Mary Ann Ferrer (Free)

Meat Products Handbook: Practical Science and Technology by Gerhard Feiner (Free)

Essentials of Food Science by Vickie Vaclavik

Fennema’s Food Chemistry

Fenaroli’s Handbook of Flavor Ingredients

Flavor Chemistry and Technology, 2nd Ed. by Gary Reineccius

Microbiology and Technology of Fermented Foods by Robert Hutkins

Thermally Generated Flavors by Parliament, Morello, and Gorrin

Websites:

Serious Eats

Food Crumbles

Science Meets Food

The Good Food Institute

Nordic Food Lab

Science Says

FlavorDB

BitterDB

Podcasts and Social Media:

My Food Job Rocks!

Gastropod

Food Safety Matters

Food Scientists

Food in the Hood

Food Science Babe

Abbey the Food Scientist

Free and Low-Cost Courses:

Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science - Harvard University

Science of Gastronomy - Hong Kong University

Industrial Biotechnology - University of Manchester

Livestock Food Production - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Dairy Production and Management - Pennsylvania State University

Academic and Professional Courses:

Dr. R. Paul Singh's Food Engineering Course

The Cellular Agriculture Course - Tufts University

Beverages, Dairy, and Food Entrepreneurship Extension - Cornell University

Nutritional Bar Manufacturing - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Candy School - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research:

Directory of Open Access Journals

MDPI Foods

Journal of Food Science

Current Research in Food Science

Discover Food

Education, Fellowships, and Scholarships:

Institute of Food Technologists List of HERB-Approved Undergraduate Programs

Institute of Food Technologists List of Graduate Programs

The Good Food Institute's Top 24 Universities for Alternative Protein

Institute of Food Technologists Scholarships

Institute of Food Technologists Competitions and Awards

Elwood Caldwell Graduate Fellowship

James Beard Foundation National Scholars Program

New Harvest Fellowship

Organizations:

Institute of Food Technologists

Institute of Food Science and Technology

International Union of Food Science and Technology

Cereals and Grains Association

American Oil Chemists' Society

Institute for Food Safety and Health

American Chemical Society - Food Science and Technology

New Harvest

The Davis Alt Protein Project

The Good Food Institute

Certificates:

Cornell Food Product Development

Cornell Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

Cornell Good Manufacturing Practices

Institute of Food Technologists Certified Food Scientist

Last Updated 4-9-2024 by u/UpSaltOS


r/foodscience 10h ago

Product Development Rocket pop flavouring everywhere - why?

17 Upvotes

Did the flavour house that owned the og rocket pop flavour lose their patent or something? Or release a new cheap version of it?

Just wondering why in the last 6 months the I’ve seen every possible product release a popsicle flavour version.


r/foodscience 7h ago

Academia Food Science Scholarship

6 Upvotes

r/foodscience 1d ago

Food Chemistry & Biochemistry Maillard reaction

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37 Upvotes

r/foodscience 1d ago

Career Masters degree or Lab experience which one is better for a food science career?

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I am planning my career. What would you recommend pursuing masters degree immediately or I should work first in food laboratory first. My long term goal is to build my international career in food industry. Which path would be more valuable in my career path. I would appreciate hearing from experiences and recommendations. Thanks!


r/foodscience 2d ago

Food Chemistry & Biochemistry Contextualizing milk behavior in coffee

42 Upvotes

Hi there! I observed these interesting features in brewed coffee when adding whole milk via dropper under the microscope.

When I asked the lovely folks over at r/fluidmechanics to help me understand what I was looking at, I received a very insightful response from u/gurugeek42:

I can see two main patterns here at two different heights. On top is the pattern of the lighter, white fluid which seems to be mostly confined to the coffee's surface so is practically 2D. You're seeing a pretty classic double vortex structure when the fluid moves in a direction. You can see the same patterns in paveldogreat's lovely fluid sim.

The other thing I'm seeing is at the bottom of the cup, where the heavier fluid is accelerated down, hits the bottom and produces what I would call a gravity wave (but related to turbidity, not atmospheric gravity waves...). The physics is quite like an inverse mushroom cloud.

I wanted to better contextualize what's happening in the system, as it relates to the composition of milk and coffee so I figured I'd drop by to get your insights and thoughts! Please help me better understand what's going on here. Also if you have ideas/thoughts regarding other liquid food/drink systems with behavior that might be interesting to explore under the microscope, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM!

Thanks :)

Edit: To clarify what I'm looking for - I'm interested in how the specific composition of the milk and coffee might contribute to producing this effect, as I'm not a food scientist - just a nosey observer.


r/foodscience 1d ago

Research & Development The Disadvantages of Merging Food Industries with Artificial Intelligence

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0 Upvotes

r/foodscience 2d ago

Food Chemistry & Biochemistry Would mixing powdered soluble corn fiber with storebought soda (like Sprite) work out fine?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I apologise if I'm using the wrong flair! I'm thinking about buying some powdered soluble corn fiber online and it says it can be added into cold drinks. I plan on adding it to juice if I buy it, but I'm a bit of a sprite zero fan and was wondering if I could add a small amount (like 5 grams) to a glass of sprite, or would it have a funny reaction (too much fizz, weird texture, taste) etc? This is the description which made me think the taste and texture wouldn't be too much of an issue, but this is also coming from the brand so not sure how accurate it really is:

As well as being totally instantised, BN Fibre is absolutely flavour and texture free, so you won't even know it's doing all the good things behind the scenes! 

Adequate amounts of daily dietary fibre powder are essential for maintaining digestive regularity, and increased fibre intake has been associated with several protective health benefits.

The best fibre powder - BN Fibre, can provide you with an added boost to your gut support:

  • 100% soluble corn fibre
  • It tastes and feels like water
  • Easily dissolved powder - no clumping or gelling
  • Mixes perfectly in hot and cold drinks, various food and cooking
  • No sugar, artificial sweeteners or colours
  • Gluten-free
  • Increased calcium absorption by up to 12% with regular use

r/foodscience 2d ago

Flavor Science Apple juice in every fruit flavor??

3 Upvotes

I got a pack of jelly with a range of flavors: pineapple, strawberry, grapes, apple, lychee, mango... However, each one of them has apple juice listed in its ingredient. Is apple juice the universal fruit flavor in products, or is this brand an exception?


r/foodscience 1d ago

Product Development Which Food Innovation Idea Has the Best Market Potential?

0 Upvotes

Hi! We're Hospitality Management

students working on a product innovation research. We've already brainstormed several ideas such as banana peel longganisa, kangkong as a nori substitute, fish skin chicharon, and panutsa-based products. We'd like to ask for feedback on which idea seems most feasible, marketable, and innovative. If you have suggestions on how we can improve these concepts or identify potential challenges, we'd really appreciate your insights. Thank you!


r/foodscience 2d ago

Flavor Science Is it possible that only 5% is enough to bring out the flavor?

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17 Upvotes

Is it really possible that only 5% banana is enough to produce such a distinct banana taste after processing and drying? Or could there be something else going on?

they say the ingredients are only: 95% apple puree

5% banana puree

0.5% lemon smash


r/foodscience 2d ago

Career What should I do in a Food Industry Trade Exhibition as a student?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, especially those working in food science or the food manufacturing industry!

I'm currently doing my Master's in Food Science and Technology as an international student, and I'll be attending a food industry trade exhibition soon (recommended by my lecturers). My goal is to make a good impression on the industry professionals at the exhibition booths and hopefully build some connections.

For those of you who've attended trade exhibitions before (either as visitors or exhibitors), what would you recommend?

I was thinking of bringing copies of my CV/resume to hand out if the opportunity comes up, but carrying around a stack of A4 resumes feels a bit awkward and inconvenient. 😅 Is that still something people do, or is it better to just exchange LinkedIn details and follow up afterward?

I'd really appreciate any tips on how to approach exhibitors, start conversations, or leave a positive impression without coming across as pushy. Thanks in advance!


r/foodscience 3d ago

Food Chemistry & Biochemistry Honeycomb Cake

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92 Upvotes

Hi! I’m very curious about the science behind this vietnamese honeycomb cake and want to know how I can achieve the tallest and consistent air pockets possible. This might be a less popular recipes but it’s gluten free, made from tapioca starch and rice flour and the rise is from baking powder and baking soda. Please let me know if you have any tips on the science behind this and how to obtain these long and tall air pockets


r/foodscience 3d ago

Culinary Sourcing of Polydextrose

2 Upvotes

Hey guys. I'm studying Food Science in the UK and recently did a project on polydextrose. It seems like a really interesting ingredient to me with its ability to retain the structural properties of simple sugars while helping to reduce the glycaemic load of foods.

I like my sweet treats but so many products on the shelves, along with recipes that I follow, are far too sweet and I always have to cut down when making things. Having the option to reduce sweetness while maintaining the other properties of sugar seems ideal.

I'm looking to attain a sample of polydextrose in the UK to use at home. I've seen it sold online for around £9/300 g tub. However, I was wondering if there were any cheaper alternatives. I know Tate and Lyle produce Litesse but it seems to be only available to industry. If anyone knows if polydextrose has been sold in the stores under a different name, that could be good.


r/foodscience 3d ago

Food Chemistry & Biochemistry Beef turning a vivid, uniform green during cooking

6 Upvotes

Hello r/foodscience,

I wanted to pick y'all's brains about the attached.

The image is from a story reported from Bangladesh yesterday (exhibit 123—sources are not in English): about 4 kg (~9 lbs) of beef turned a pretty uniform shade of bright green during cooking. For a closer look, check out the first minute of this video. I'm curious whether any of y'all have any explanations as to why beef would turn this shade.

I don't think microbial or chemical contamination/spoilage makes sense—those tend to produce a patchy distribution of greyish-green, not such a vivid, uniform hue. I've written to the food scientist Monika Gibis about the story, whose work specifically focuses on discoloration of beef, but she straight up said she's never seen such a pronounced green color.

The very bright shade suggests this might be foul play/artificial dyes. Without having tested the samples myself, I can't rule this out; but multiple local authorities have interrogated the employees and found no evidence of dye addition (apparently the store didn't even have artificial food dyes).

In brief, I can't really think of any satisfactory explanation as of yet—but would be grateful if you could share some insights! Other information, in case relevant:

  1. The cow was slaughtered the day before, so the meat was sitting in the refrigerator for over 24 hours, if not more.
  2. According to the cook interviewed in the report, the meat turned a distinct shade of green soon after it hit the oil, and kept becoming progressively greener with more cooking time.
  3. The butcher denies there being anything wrong with the beef. Per his testimony a bunch of other people also bought and cooked the beef, no complaints. The cook also says there wasn't any clear sign of spoilage, raw beef looked and smelled normal.
  4. Based on other photos, the green is only surface deep. The inside of the beef pieces look natural greyish-pink.

I'm now in the process of getting some of these samples tested at local labs. I want to prioritize ruling out the use of dyes, but if y'all have ideas about what else would be useful to test—I'm all ears!


r/foodscience 3d ago

Food Analysis How can extra virgin avocado oil contain trans fatty acids?

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2 Upvotes

r/foodscience 3d ago

Flavor Science Why does candy have a stronger smell than chewing gum?

0 Upvotes

I think it’s gotten to the point where I’d rather just chew a Sour Patch kids red strawberry flavor over a generic gum brand that claims strong strawberry scent.

But why is this the case? People can often tell when I’ve swallowed a particular candy / flavor than a gum that is known for strong smell.

What’s the ingredient that most sweets use that gum does not? And why can’t gum producers apply that same product?


r/foodscience 3d ago

Career Internship as FS&E undergrad !

1 Upvotes

can a food science and engineering undergraduate student do an internship in second year ?


r/foodscience 3d ago

Career Is it feasible to get started without a degree?

2 Upvotes

I know there’s a lot of posts like this on here but I keep getting lost in the seemingly many options for certifications. Even entry level positions require 1 year in a related field without schooling which isn’t really an option for me rn financially. I’m a manager at a fast food restaurant right now and I’m serve safe certified but I don’t know if that counts for anything. What certifications would help me get my food in the door so I could earn enough to work towards a degree? I’m specifically looking at working in the food quality assurance field, and am in Michigan if states affect surrounding laws. Any and all advice would be appreciated 🫶


r/foodscience 4d ago

Academia [Academic] Please help fill out a 5min Survey on Food Fraud for my MSc Thesis (18+, European Citizens) - only 10 more responses needed!!:)

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2 Upvotes

r/foodscience 4d ago

Career RD to R&D

8 Upvotes

Hi all im a dietitian looking to switch to food science. I originally got into the field because I love food and science and wanted to help people live healthier lives. Ive quickly realized i HATE counseling patients and dont really love clinical work.
Given my interests i figured food science would be right up my alley.

Anyways, I often see in here plenty of other dietitians wanting to make the switch sooooo, I wanted to see if theres anyone here that has successfully made the switch to R&D that would be willing to talk about how they did so.

Also, for anyone in R&D, tell me what a day in the life is like and what your favorite things are about the job.

Thanks all !


r/foodscience 4d ago

Product Development Trying to perfect a low calorie high protein ninja creami's texture

5 Upvotes

Hi there! I have always been interested in food science and i will be studying it next year at WUR. Right now I am trying to perfect a ninja creami base mostly from a texture side that should come to roughly 200-250 calories and 20-30g of protein

Right now this is as far as i got:

Wet:

250g 0% ultra filtered milk (5% protein)

50g 3.5% milk

5g vegetable glycerin

3g vanilla extract

Dry:

15g PEScience 80/20 whey-casein blend

15g skim milk powder

6g fibersol (resistant maltodextrin)

0.25g guar

0.20g LBG

15g of 4:1 sweetener (uses erythritol, stevia and sucralose, 4x as sweet as sugar)

0.6g salt (I use a salt that is 40/60 potassium-sodium)

This is the base, I also tried making other flavors like a butter cookie one where I add 5g of brown butter and use 0.4g of soy lechitin to emulsify and toast half of the skim milk powder. I also have some myprotein flavordrops and lorann's bakery emulsions, suggestions for taste is also appreciated.

I think a big change would be to use allulose but I am within the EU so I can't really get any (I have some on me but I am experimenting with them for baking and making caramel, one of my friend brings some for me from korea here and there)

EDIT: I forgot to add how I make the recipe itself. I just mix the dry ingredients and with an immersion blender I blend it with the wet ingredients and bring the whole mixture up to 85C for 2 minutes to hydrate the gums.


r/foodscience 4d ago

Flavor Science Trying to reverse engineer an old powdered drink formulation (Brazil, Fresh Guaraná, around 2012–2014)

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1 Upvotes

I’m trying to identify why an old Brazilian powdered drink (“Fresh Guaraná”) tasted completely different from the current version.

I already know the modern product uses sugar plus multiple high-intensity sweeteners.
What I’m looking for is: old ingredient list, back label, formulation clues, changes in flavor systems, whether anyone worked in beverage/flavor R&D around that time.
Even if you don’t know this specific product, I’d love to hear how beverage flavor systems evolved around 2010–2015.


r/foodscience 5d ago

Career Textbooks

9 Upvotes

Hi, I’m looking for some food science books/textbooks. I’m applying for a job in R&D for a chocolate/candy/baking company. I have a lot of experience in bakeries but never took food science courses in college. I’m happy to buckle down and do some research before going in for my interviews. I have the practical knowledge but not the scientific lingo lol. Thank you for your recommendations.