Media Mentions

You may have seen some scary headlines about the hidden dangers of scented candles — including those claiming that certain types (particularly candles made of paraffin wax) are “toxic” and can release harmful, cancer-causing chemicals into the air. But while scented candles do produce various vapors...

09 November, 2021

Salt is a flavor enhancer; this is without question. Since time immemorial it has been used to render nutritious but unappetizing foods delicious, to make sustenance pleasurable. Even the Bible refers to it, and uses it as a metaphor for life’s challenges: “Can that which...

31 October, 2021

Growing up in Chicago, Julie Mennella recalls trick-or-treating with her younger brother Joey, and how he always managed to bring home a huge candy haul. “I remember my brother would get more candy than the whole neighborhood,” said Dr. Mennella, who is now a developmental psycho-biologist...

28 October, 2021

Trick-or-treaters may not be so easily be tricked into loving sugar-free treats, thanks to taste buds hard-wired to seek calorie-containing sweets, a new study suggests. Taste isn’t all about choosing peanut butter cups over jellybeans. Since earliest humanity, our sense of taste has helped us detect...

27 October, 2021

A toddler may pull a face of pure disgust upon tasting spinach for the first time, but eventually, that same child can grow to tolerate the vegetable and eventually — gasp! — even like it. And even after childhood, a person's flavor preferences can continue...

16 October, 2021

At some point last year, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, people began Googling a curious question: Why does hand sanitizer smell bad? What those poor souls learned was that an initial shortage of ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer gave way to a glut of foul-smelling goo. As brands...

16 October, 2021

The now-famous plant protein patty known as the Impossible Burger is designed to mimic the taste, texture, and even bloodiness of real meat. Raw, it looks just like red ground beef. Grilled medium rare, the soy-based burger firms up but keeps its soft, pink center....

07 October, 2021