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The Science on Your Plate

Nearly everything we eat has been shaped by science in some way. Biotechnology began with beer, canning (eventually) conquered contamination, and plastics preserved fresh food in new ways. From the science of flavor to the color of margarine, you’re tasting science with every bite.

colorized image of students eating lunch

EXHIBITIONS

Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray

This exhibition offers a novel historical perspective on efforts to feed children in U.S. schools.
Color print advertisement for the Dow Chemical Company depicting a woman buying groceries at a checkout counter with a line of people behind her.

DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Food Science Collection

This digital collection features materials related to the production, packaging, and marketing of food.
George Washington Carver standing in a field, probably at Tuskegee, holding a piece of soil, 1906.

SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHIES

George Washington Carver

Known as the Peanut Man, the agricultural chemist worked to improve the lives of impoverished farmers in the post-war South.

DISTILLATIONS PODCAST

Butter vs. Margarine

Learn about one of America’s most bizarre food battles.

DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

The Rotten Science Behind the MSG Scare

How one doctor’s letter and a string of dodgy studies spurred a public health panic.
Three different kinds of corn on a red background.

DISTILLATIONS VIDEO

The Ancient Chemistry Inside Your Taco

Learn about the ancient chemical process called nixtamalization.
old photo of Harvey Wiley in a lab

SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHIES

Harvey Washington Wiley

An unceasing advocate of national pure food and drug legislation, Wiley dedicated his life to protecting public health.
illustration of Aji-No-Moto packaging

COLLECTIONS BLOG

Who Knew History Could Be So Delicious?

Discovering the history of umami in the Science History Institute’s archives.

DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

Processed: Food Science and the Modern Meal

The early 20th century was a rich time for creating new ways to process food.

THE DISAPPEARING SPOON PODCAST

Chewing It Over—and Over and Over and Over

How a weird “scientific” diet fad conquered America in the early 1900s.
scientific diagrams of percentage composition of foods

COLLECTIONS

Dig Deeper: Food Science

Want to learn more about food and nutrition? Explore our museum and library collections!

DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

Harvey Wiley’s Fierce Pursuit of Food Safety

Science writer Deborah Blum chronicles one chemist’s fight to bring order to a lawless food industry.

More Stories by Topic

group of women standing around a lab table with periodic table in background

Learning Science

From chemistry sets and comics, to educational board games and TV programs, we often turn to play when it’s time to learn.
tin of 12 bayer aspirin

The Science of Sickness & Health

From leeches to vaccines, germ theory to gene therapy, the ways we think about health and healing are shaped by how we observe the natural and material world.
Man in a labcoat

The Human Side of Science

Science is a human endeavor, and scientific and technological knowledge is created through the work of many people.

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