From Food Insight TV, this video reviews the basics of caffeine: Natural sources; Caffeine consumption breakdown (how much of the US population consumes caffeine, and from what sources); Why moderation is so important; and the maximum dosage recognized as safe for adults.

Additional Resources:

• Caffeine: Facts, Usage, and Side Effects

Caffeine Informer reviews the sources and chemical structure of caffeine, in addition to a review of caffeine's positive and negative effects

• Caffeine Consumption in the USA

How many Americans consume caffeine on a daily basis, and where do they get this caffeine from? This study involving over 40,000 people breaks down consumption patterns by source and age.

• Open Letter to Time Regarding Energy Drink Article in the "Answer Issue"

The Time "Answer Issue" article on energy drinks is missing three crucial statistics. Green-Eyed Guide discusses these missing statistics in a plea to Time magazine to reconsider the perspective.

• Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks -- How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely

Discover the key factors that make energy drinks safe or unsafe. Meet the 20 most common ingredients found in energy drinks and learn the basic science to how they work. With this guide and the "Levels of Fatigue" outlined within, anyone can learn the tools for determining which energy drink (IF ANY!) are right for his or her lifestyle and diet goals.

Energy Drink of the Month -- July 2015: Hiball Energy Coffee

Succeeding in the energy drink market can be both challenging and liberating: while it's challenging for a brand to overcome negative perceptions associated with energy drinks, there's freedom and possibility in developing a novel energy blend with a unique flavor and sweetness profile. However, in developing an energy drink that more closely resembles coffee than soda, there are a whole new set of challenges. People can be rather particular about how their coffee tastes, and a quick glance at a coffee flavor wheel demonstrates the multitude of different flavor characteristics available. How do you develop a product that pleases both energy drink consumers and coffee drinkers alike?

The Energy Drink of the Month for July 2015 is Hiball Energy coffee
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Open letter to Time regarding energy drink article in "The Answer Issue"

Greetings Ms Nancy Gibbs and Time Staff,
Normally, I find Time Magazine articles engaging and insightful but the article "Energy drinks have doctors worried—but business is booming" by Ms. Alexandra Sifferlin was severely disappointing.

As a food scientist who's studied energy drinks for over 10 years, Ms Sifferlin's article came across as yet another "all energy drinks are lethal" story. While the article was missing many crucial facts, there were three points in particular that should be part of the conversation.
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Panera Know-No List — Part IV: Meet the Preservatives

From medieval salt preservation, to witch trials induced by ergot in moldy bread, to Twinkies that would reportedly survive a nuclear blast, food preservation has come a very long way.
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In May 2015, Panera published a list of ingredients that would be removed from their food. In the same month, other companies like General Mills and Nestle made similar announcements, and more will surely follow suit. The food industry is amidst a curious and wonderful revolution, but the saddest part about these announcements is the missed opportunity to celebrate the food science.

Announcing the removal ingredients from a product can attach an stigma to those ingredients, especially if the justification isn’t fully explored. James Cameron reportedly waited for cinema technology to advance before making Avatar, so why can’t food companies talk about how the swaps they’re promising weren’t technically feasible until now?

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In this post, we continue deconstructing Panera’s No No list. [For Part I, Overall Response, Part II, Sweeteners, and Part III, Color/Flavor Enhancers, see previous posts]. For each ingredient, you’ll find a brief explanation of its purpose, safety concerns if any, and whether a natural counterpart can perform as well or better. 

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San Andreas and the Food Science of Earthquake Kits

As a So Cal native, I've been preparing earthquake kits since 2nd grade. After watching the movie San Andreas, I was inspired to discuss the food science behind the best earthquake kit food.


Thank you for watching/liking/sharing!
What would YOU put in your earthquake kit? Feel free to share your comments below.