Why Food Materials Science?

For centuries, mankind has hunted and farmed its food supply. For an equal amount of time, someone has had to convert these raw materials to an edible state, most of which required processing, since apart from fruits and nuts, most biological materials are not easily eaten and digested by Homo sapiens. In the hands of an expert, such as a the Cordon Bleu chef, this processing has been developed into an art form, using the intrinsic properties of the raw materials to create colours, textures and flavours for our delectation and nutrition. Furthermore, the methods and materials have been codified into millions of recipes, which are available to everyone.