Food technology

How much would you pay for a hamburger? How about US$345,000? No, it's not wrapped in edible gold leaf and held together with a skewer made out of a diamond stick pin that you get to keep. It's an ordinary burger that doesn't include the bun, lettuce, pickles or onions. It isn't even super-sized. This may seem like price gouging on a monumental scale, but it's actually the cost price for this particular burger. That's because even though it is a real hamburger made from real meat, it doesn't come from a cow at all. So where is all this heading? David Szondy investigates the past, present and future of lab-grown meat. Read More

As a meat lover, it's been hard not to notice the rise in the price of meat at my local supermarket over the last few years. But it’s not just the cost to consumers that is a major concern; it’s the major role that livestock production plays on climate change. While cultured meat, also known as in vitro meat, lab-grown meat and even Frankenmeat, might not sound that appetizing to many meat lovers, a new study carried out by scientists from Oxford University and the University of Amsterdam says that cultured meat would provide substantial environmental benefits. Read More

According to a recent report on Sky News, Chinese scientists have created a herd of 300 transgenic dairy cattle, all of which have been genetically modified to produce human breast milk. While the milk is still undergoing government testing, the researchers reportedly hope to be selling it in supermarkets within three years. Read More

Workers in meat-processing plants may soon be able to assess the qualities of cuts of meat, just by subjecting them to light. Canadian researchers have developed a spectroscopic tool that evaluates the color, texture and exudation (water release) of pork cuts. It's hoped that the technology will improve quality control, optimize production and allow for exports that are better sorted for their target markets. Read More

The International Food Machinery and Technology Exhibition (or Fooma for short) took place last week at Tokyo Big Sight, where a number of companies were demonstrating more efficient ways of producing food. Regrettably, not all of them allowed for photography or video. But for anyone involved in food production, Fooma is definitely a worthwhile exhibition to visit if you can make the trip to Tokyo. Here are just a couple of the food production devices from Fooma 2010 that we found particularly eye-catching... Read More

We certainly like our chicken. According to USDA statistics, Americans ate around 84 pounds of chicken each during 2008, triple the amount eaten in 1960. Poultry production is clearly a huge industry, and one that's set to benefit from a new technology being developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which detects minute traces of chemical compounds that indicate spoilage. The goal is to give industry a fast, cost effective method of identifying foul fowl without damaging the product itself... and ultimately keeping consumers safe. Read More

In 2005 Gizmag reported on an innovative way to warn caffeine-addicts when their coffee too hot to drink, by changing the color of the takeaway cup lid. The Smart Lid has now been awarded ‘Best of Show’ at the AmeriStar Award hosted by the Institute of Packaging Professionals. Read More

March 1, 2008 There’s nothing worse than finding a jar in the back of the fridge and testing the contents with your nose only to discover the contents have turned rancid or pouring milk into your morning coffee and seeing it curdle before your eyes. DaysAgo, the digital day counter which attaches to opened food containers and tells you when the contents need to go straight to the trash can, has a new accessory. “The band” is designed to be used on non-metal or odd-shaped containers, allowing you to use the timer on many more items. Read More

February 12, 2008, Electrolux have announced the opening of their annual design competition for 2008. Aimed at industrial design students from all over the world, this year's theme is “Designs for the Internet Generation” and the brief is to design an innovative, cutting-edge product that addresses food storage, cooking, and/or washing with a view 2 to 3 years into the future. Read More