Most of us like a good crunch and abhor a slimy feel in our food. And most of us think that food texture preference is simply a matter of personal taste, perhaps determined by culture or upbringing… “This is really about oral lubrication, based on the amount of water and proteins in saliva that serve as lubricants,” says Paul Breslin, a nutritional sciences professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. One of the things that he studies is “oral haptics,” the scientific name for the sensation of food or liquid coming into contact with your mouth. It’s what food-world people call “mouth feel.”
Archives for May 2016
Here’s What Actual Climate Scientists Think Of Trump’s New Energy Plan
If Donald Trump is elected president, America’s approach to energy and the environment will be drastically different than it is today… Jennifer Francis, a research professor at Rutgers University’s Institute of Marine and Coastal Science, also acknowledged that neither the Clean Power Plan nor the Paris climate agreement would slow climate change to a manageable pace on their own. But they are “absolutely critical steps in the right direction,” she said.
N.J. therapy program leaves ‘Hoof Prints on the Heart’
Those who have been around horses for years know that they leave hoof prints on the heart, but now individuals working through personal and emotional challenges will learn what horses can do for people therapeutically through the Hoof Prints on the Hea…
Rutgers 4-H and Environmental Resources Collaborate to Create Active Learners
Educating students in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has become a focus of schools across the country. This is mainly due to the need for a well-prepared future workforce, as the growth of STEM-related jobs from 2000 – 2010 rose at a rate three times faster than non-STEM-related employment. Many educators conduct […]
Insects that attack onions and garlic come to Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Local onion growers have something to cry about this summer. Tiny, yellow-headed flies called allium leafminers are infesting onion, garlic, shallot and other allium crops in Pennsylvania. Alliums are part of a family of bulbous plants that also include chives and leeks… Rick Van Vranken, Rutgers University agricultural agent for Atlantic County, said the suspicious infestation was found in Mercer County. He said he’s concerned about the parts of Atlantic, Cumberland and Salem counties surrounding the city of Vineland, where more than 25 farmers grow between 10 and 50 acres of leeks and scallions. “If this thing finds its way into these areas, we’re going to have some significant problems,” he said. “It’s worrisome.”
When eating can be a life-or-death decision
A 13-year-old Chicago, Ill., student died in 2010 from an allergic reaction to peanuts after a Chinese restaurant cooked meals for a school party and apparently used peanut oil, after saying they would not… “People sometimes aren’t aware of how serious food allergies can be,” said Dr. Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, a nutrition researcher at Rutgers. “To them, it may seem like an inconvenience to not put peanut butter sandwiches in their children’s lunch, but there are many other nutritious choices; and leaving the peanut butter at home may save a classmate’s life.”
Our Local Sharks Prefer Seafood
There are plenty of sharks living in the waters around Long Beach Island: in the bays, lagoons and even the surf. But except for the famous 1916 attacks off Beach Haven and in the Manasquan River, no other mortal shark attacks have been recorded in New…
The 10th Annual Run for the Woods Raised Over $1,000
The 10th annual Run for the Woods was held on May 14. The weather was beautiful, the runners were fast, and the volunteers and organizers did a great job. This 5k trail race was organized by the graduate students of the Ecology and Evolution Graduate Student Association (EcoGSA) to raise funds for restoration and care […]
Bed bugs have favorite colors
Do you have favorite colors? So does a bed bug. And a new study shows that, like many humans, bed bugs change their color preferences as they age… Changlu Wang did some of the earlier research showing adult bed bugs prefer red and black. Also an ento…
John and Anne Gerwig Directors Fund Presents First Awards
The first John and Anne Gerwig Director’s Fund awards for Rutgers Cooperative Extension were given out on May 4, 2016 at an event at the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health that celebrated the Gerwigs and their tireless devotion to extension and underserved populations in New Jersey. The Gerwigs were presented with the commemorative book, […]