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As a faculty member, I have always believed that education becomes meaningful when it builds connections. Knowledge should not remain confined within disciplinary boundaries; it should travel, interact and find expression in real life. One of the most frequent questions I hear while teaching physics to food science students is simple and sincere: where do we use this? It is a fair question, and answering it thoughtfully is part of responsible teaching. My response is always the same in spirit: physics is already at work in every stage of food science, whether we recognise it or not.
At first glance, physics and food science appear to belong to different worlds. Physics is often seen as abstract, mathematical and distant from daily life, while food science feels immediate, practical and rooted in everyday experience. Yet food itself is matter and energy in action. Every process involved in producing, processing, preserving, cooking and consuming food is governed by physical principles. Physics does not sit outside food science; it quietly shapes its foundations.
Take food texture, for example, one of the most decisive qualities determining whether food is enjoyed or rejected. The crunch of a biscuit, the softness of bread, the creaminess of yogurt, or the stretch of melted cheese are not accidents. They arise from physical properties such as elasticity, viscosity, density and phase behaviour. Physics explains how solids, liquids and gases coexist in food structures and how changes in temperature or pressure alter those structures. When a food scientist understands these principles, texture becomes something that can be designed and controlled rather than guessed.
Heat is another powerful bridge between physics and food science. Cooking, freezing, drying and pasteurisation are all processes based on heat transfer. Conduction, convection and radiation determine how evenly food cooks, how safely it is preserved, and how much nutritional value is retained. If heat is poorly managed, food may become unsafe or lose its quality. Modern food preservation methods such as refrigeration, freezing and thermal sterilisation rely entirely on physical understanding. Without physics, these technologies would be inefficient, unreliable and wasteful.
Physics also plays a central role in food safety and quality control. Many of the tools used in food industries today are rooted in physical principles. Spectroscopy helps analyse composition, imaging techniques reveal internal defects, ultrasound assists in monitoring processes, and X ray systems detect contaminants. These methods allow non-destructive testing, which is essential for large-scale food production. Although consumers rarely see this invisible layer of science, it protects them every day.
Beyond structure and safety, physics even shapes how food is perceived. Taste is not purely chemical. Texture influences satisfaction, aroma release affects flavor intensity, and colour shapes expectation. Warm food smells stronger because more aroma molecules evaporate. A glossy surface appears fresher because of how it reflects light. A crisp texture feels appealing because of how it breaks and vibrates in the mouth. These sensory experiences are deeply physical, linking food molecules with human perception.
Modern trends such as molecular gastronomy further highlight this connection. Emulsions, foams, gels and phase transitions are manipulated deliberately to create new textures and experiences. What appears as culinary creativity is often applied physics in action, demonstrating that physical laws operate not only in laboratories but also in kitchens and food industries.
For this reason, moving from physics to food science is not a departure from fundamental science. It is its application. Physics provides the language and tools that connect raw ingredients to safe, nutritious and enjoyable food. When students recognise this, physics stops being an obstacle and becomes an asset. Teaching then achieves its true purpose: not merely transferring concepts, but equipping learners with understanding that empowers their future practice.
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