There are many possibilities for college food science projects.
When you have the ability to choose a general topic for a project in a food science class, it can be a bit overwhelming with the many possibilities. It is extremely important to present on a subject that you are interested in. It is also important to create a project about something relatively new or recently discovered in the food science field. By keeping these factors in mind, you will be able to select the project that is right for you and that may even teach you something new about what you put into your own body.
Phytonutrients
Phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals, are nutrients found in foods like fruits and vegetables that may have benefits to human health. While they have not been categorized as vitamins and minerals, these potentially important compounds are direly missing in the diets of Americans who do not consume the recommended 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Conduct a project that researches the effects of certain phytonutrients on human beings. This can involve an experiment of how certain foods and their phytonutrients improve cardiovascular health or cholesterol levels of certain test subjects. Some phytonutrient-rich foods to concentrate on are raspberries (ellagic acid), papaya (beta-cryptoxanthin) and watercress (isothiocyanates). One example of an experiment is to obtain a group of participants with some common ailment like high blood pressure. Divide them into two groups, one receiving one to two servings of a fruit with a known phytonutrient and the other group with a less nutritionally dense one to two servings of fruit. Test their blood pressure levels over the course of several months and chart the results.
Biotechnology
The use of biotechnology in the food science industry has come a long way in the last few decades. Yeasts, bacteria and molds can be cultivated to create wine, cheese and bread in an extremely efficient manner. Create a project about this technology and the ways in which these organisms are altered in the food industry. You can even create small experiments on your own by adding yeasts to a bag of grapes, bacteria to a bag of milk and yeast to a microwave-safe bag of flour, sugar and salt. For example, you can seal a perforated bag of grapes in a large freezer bag with dry yeast and test how the mixture changes in pH and smell over the course of several days. These experiments can also be conducted on a larger scale by visiting a fermentation facility in your area.
Healthy Arteries
One of the major causes of heart disease is the hardening of the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. Recently, oats have been marketed as being a heart-healthy food for their ability to reduce incidents of atherosclerosis. Create a project to determine the various reasons behind this. A study was published in February, 2010 in the magazine Agricultural Research that hypothesizes that oats reduce chronic inflammation that can occur within arterial walls because of their avenathramide comounds which inhibit the proinflammatory cytokines in the body. Oats are also believed to lower blood cholesterol. Perform a study to determine if these benefits are true by finding test subjects who are overweight and have poor cholesterol; test to see if oats truly help their condition. Divide the participants into two groups, giving one group several servings a day of heart healthy oats and the other group another whole grain like wheat. Over the course of several months, test cholesterol levels to see if the oats have had any noticeable effect.
Probiotics
Probiotics are microorganisms that can be added to food or supplements that are thought to be healthy for the host who is taking them. A common example of probiotic consumption is yogurt. Probiotics have been used more and more frequently in foods to manage lactose intolerance, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and improve digestion. One potential food science project is to examine the effects of these probiotic foods on several test subjects to see if there is any measurable effect on their health. This experiment can be done by gathering many different individuals spanning different ages. Give them a general questionnaire about their health before the experiment, then have them take probiotics for a few weeks to a month and have them complete the same survey. The differences that occur may be a result of the probiotics.
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