Expansions and developments could be seen anywhere and everywhere, in almost every field today right from automobiles to science. Not to forget, there have been some great advances when it comes to food. The modern day technology and the vast knowledge which man has gained throughout these years have been very successfully applied to various kinds of food. Food has seen new phases and new dimensions since the primitive, to the historic to the modern age. Even today, food has become a wide scope for people who love eating and love cooking, as there is no way the sector of food could not be harness and enhanced. With just these developments, man has been able to create and do wonders with various kinds of food and dishes. Probably with the years to come, man would be able to give another upper hand dimension and direction to this vast world of food and cooking. Technology has enabled man to push the boundaries in almost every respect, and in such a case, something exciting and surprising as food could not be left out. Here is a list of the top 10 bizarre food developments that we might get to see in the future, and which might actually change the shape of food culture from how it is in the current scenario.
1. Three Course meal Chewing Gum
Scientist Dave Hart of the UK’s Institute of Food Research has been trying to develop the fantasy of many people, the chewing gum. He has designed a method in the legendary chewing gum which would give out different flavours without the flavours actually mixing with each other. When the person would start chewing the gum, he will experience a mild flavor for the starters, and then a flavor which is little stronger indicating the main course, and finally a flavor which would be the dessert. This type of a chewing gum would take no time to become a hit among people as it is something very unique and distinct to be experiencing three different flavours from the same chewing gum.
2. Bug dishes
In 2013, a report by the UN put to light a surprising fact that eating insects would actually help curb and combat world hunger. Many people in Asia and Africa are already known to have and eat various types of insects, with beetles topping the list, followed by caterpillars and bees. An insect farming industry is considered to be a profitable and lucrative business opportunity, and therefore officials have been trying to encourage people to consume bugs as insects are rich in proteins and minerals, and do less harm to the environment compared to livestock.
3. Edible plastics and wrappers
In 2012, a Brazilian burger joint named Bob’s introduced a burger with edible wrapper, where the people did not have to remove the wrapper off the burger; they could just eat the whole thing. Later, Professor David Edwards introduced his invention known as Wikicells, where the wrappers are made of natural skins and are insoluble to prevent bacteria and other dust particles. They can be used to wrap any kind of food, and the best part is that these wrappers could also be consumed along with the food.
4. Peanut Butter and Jellyfish Sandwiches
The fish populations, especially the jellyfish numbers have been increasing rapidly in the world, and therefore a solution has been proposed for the same. Apart from the use of bio-control agents to curb the number of jellyfish, the jellyfish could also be used in food and medical products. Reports have pointed out that some jellyfish species have been a part of the Chinese diet, and that such species of jellyfish have a high scope for biological and industrial potential.
5. Space Bred Seeds
China has been trying to send seeds into the outer space, and they have indeed come out with some exceptional findings. The seeds exposed to space bred faster and produced crops larger than the size of crops produced on the earth soil. The same seeds have been observed to grow and bred faster, and thus have the capability to increase yield and also better yield at that.
6. Food that can be inhaled
When Harvard professor David Edwards invented the Le Whif, which sprayed dark chocolate which could be inhaled, it became a sure hit with the European dieters, as they believed that their appetites reduced by eating or rather inhaling in such manners. Canadian chef Norman Aitken improved this invention by implanting an ultrasound underneath a vase. Usually a soap taken as the sample food is placed inside the vase and is shaken by ultrasound until the soup becomes a cloud, and then it is inhaled by the customer and making him plainly inhale food.
7. Music to enhance flavour
A study conducted by the Oxford University has revealed that the type of music also influences the way we taste food. High pitched sounds add sweetness to the food whereas low sounds make the food taste bitter. This discovery could have some wide ranging applications and it is definitely something bizarre as to how music could affect our perceptions and taste of food.
8. Human waste to be edible
Sounds disgusting, but NASA has developed a system in the International Space Station which could turn human waste into drinking water, in order to help astronauts and other people who would be living in space and other planets in future. The European Space Agency’s program called MELiSSA is designed to recycle every bit of human waste into oxygen, food and water.
9. Food delivered through skin patches
Scientists of the Department of Defense’ Combat Feeding Program are taking the process of medication through transdermal patches to the next level. This patch would have a microchip processor which detects a person’s nutritional requirements and releases the required nutrients and vitamins. This patch system to increase the nutrition of the body is supposed to be of great help to soldiers, though they wouldn’t be directly taking in food. This technology which is awaited its release by 2025, is a way of helping soldiers and other people with high pressure occupations such as miners and astronauts.
10. Headless chicken farms
Andre Ford, an architecture student at the UK Royal College of Art had proposed some methods to solve the problems faced in the broiler chicken industry today. In order to meet the demand for chicken meat and at the same time make sure that these animals get proper humane treatment, he had suggested that their cerebral cortex be removed so that they do not feel the pain anymore. Their feet are to be removed too so that more chickens could be accommodated in an area. Also, the chicken blood could be used as a feed for plants, thus ensuring that nothing goes waste in the process. If their cerebral cortex is removed, then the day wouldn’t be far when we would observe headless chicken at poultry farms.
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