{"id":23069,"date":"2022-08-03T18:56:17","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T18:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=23069&post_type=story"},"modified":"2026-01-30T18:21:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T18:21:01","slug":"the-evolution-of-food","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/the-evolution-of-food\/","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

While we haven\u2019t yet created\u00a0Charlie and the Chocolate\u00a0Factory<\/em>\u2019s chewing gum meal,\u00a0UCF scientists, researchers<\/a>,\u00a0and food and beverage service\u00a0aficionados are exploring\u00a0innovations related to what\u00a0and how we eat. From finding\u00a0solutions to current and future\u00a0problems to enhancing the\u00a0restaurant experience, here\u00a0are a few areas experts are\u00a0investigating.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Detecting Food Fraud<\/h2>\n

From meats to grains and\u00a0honey, fillers can cause\u00a0people to pay more for\u00a0lower quality food, violate\u00a0religious restrictions on\u00a0diet and pose problems for\u00a0those with allergies. Current\u00a0tests to detect adulterated\u00a0foods that are effective are\u00a0expensive and complicated,\u00a0while cheaper tests aren\u2019t as\u00a0accurate. Associate Professor\u00a0of Chemistry Xiaohu Xia is\u00a0leading a team to develop\u00a0a cost-effective strip test, similar to an\u00a0at home pregnancy test, that\u2019s more\u00a0sensitive than others.<\/p>\n

To do this, the researcher and his team\u00a0will update existing detection technology,\u00a0known as a colorimetric lateral flow\u00a0assay, which uses gold nanoparticles to\u00a0detect meat proteins. They will create a\u00a0new metallic coating, made of platinum,\u00a0palladium \u2014 which tests 100 times more\u00a0effective than current tests \u2014 or iridium,\u00a0that will go around the gold nanoparticles\u00a0to increase their sensitivity.\u00a0\u201cIt would be a test inspectors, as well\u00a0as consumers, could use,\u201d Xia says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Augmenting Food Service<\/h2>\n

As everyday life becomes increasingly\u00a0interwoven with technology, some\u00a0restaurants are >implementing robots and\u00a0artificial intelligence into food service.\u00a0Rosen College of Hospitality Management<\/a>\u00a0Assistant Professor Arthur Huang, who\u00a0has a background in engineering and\u00a0tourism research, teaches a section on\u00a0this topic. From chatbots and AI scanners\u00a0that can provide suggestions on what to\u00a0order to robots that can prepare food and\u00a0cocktails and serve dishes right to your\u00a0table, Huang\u2019s lessons cover the spectrum\u00a0that potential technology can play in the\u00a0dining experience. He also emphasizes\u00a0automating some restaurant positions to\u00a0evolve current responsibilities, such as a\u00a0chef who can spend more\u00a0time creating and testing\u00a0new dishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cRestaurant managers\u00a0should ensure service\u00a0robots have a nice image,\u00a0have a positive attitude,\u00a0and a sense of safety so\u00a0that customers can clearly\u00a0perceive their benefits and\u00a0value, which has a positive\u00a0influence on satisfaction\u00a0and future use intentions,\u201d\u00a0Huang says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Growing Food in Space<\/h2>\n

Chemistry alum Kathleen\u00a0Loftin \u201989 \u201900MS \u201909PhD<\/strong> loves to\u00a0grow produce, like papayas, in her home\u00a0garden, but the Kennedy Space Center\u00a0chief technologist is also focused\u00a0on another horticulture method \u2014\u00a0farming in space<\/a>. As NASA prepares for\u00a0sustainable life and work in deep space,\u00a0it must accelerate its research on in-situ\u00a0resource utilization, which involves\u00a0generating products in space with\u00a0local materials. Working with crops like\u00a0red lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes and snow\u00a0peas, Loftin leads a team investigating how\u00a0to overcome challenges such as high carbon\u00a0dioxide levels and radiation to grow plants\u00a0on lunar and Martian surfaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpaceflight research<\/a> challenges us to\u00a0learn to make optimal use of our resources\u00a0\u2014 power, water, food and air \u2014 and this is\u00a0completely applicable to our challenges on\u00a0Earth to maintain our precious resources,\u201d\u00a0Loftin says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Delivering Cost-effective Food<\/h2>\n

Apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash\u00a0have made delivery service even more\u00a0convenient, with delivery sales estimated\u00a0to rise an annual average of more than\u00a020% to $365 billion worldwide by 2030,\u00a0according to a Forbes report. Keeping\u00a0up with the demand for delivery, Rosen\u00a0College of Hospitality Management\u00a0Professor Kevin Murphy says ghost\u00a0kitchens are on the rise. The concept is\u00a0a physical space without a dining area,\u00a0where food is made for delivery or pickup.\u00a0With customer service and dining areas\u00a0accounting for about 75% of an average\u00a0restaurant\u2019s square footage, according to\u00a0Murphy, ghost kitchens can help business\u00a0owners cut a significant cost. Not only do\u00a0ghost kitchens require less space, they\u00a0also don\u2019t need to be located in expensive\u00a0retail areas, which can contribute to\u00a0savings on rent. This can\u00a0help restaurants gain back\u00a0some of the profit they\u00a0may lose using third-party\u00a0delivery services, but the\u00a0benefits don\u2019t just stop there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t have all that\u00a0retail space, you can build a\u00a0much larger kitchen that you\u00a0can share that with [other\u00a0restaurants to support]\u00a0multiple concepts, all while\u00a0using the same delivery\u00a0service,\u201d Murphy says.\u00a0\u201cGhost kitchens are also a\u00a0good way for restaurants to\u00a0expand their reputation by\u00a0running a second delivery-based\u00a0restaurant out of the\u00a0same space.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":23179,"template":"","categories":[1127],"tags":[1628,287,297],"class_list":["post-23069","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-infographic","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-rosen-college-of-hospitality-management","issues-1575","issues-fall-2022"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Food Preparation, Dining and Delivery is Changing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"UCF experts in varying fields are researching and teaching concepts 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