Whiskey webs—the web-like pattern that forms when drops of whiskey dry up—might be used to identify counterfeit American whiskey, according to a study published in ACS Nano.
The researchers explained that when droplets of a complex mixture evaporate, the nonvolatile components that remain may form various patterns. This phenomenon is referred to as the “coffee ring effect,” and it is something that scientists have studied for quite some time. The pattern depends on what the liquid is and what its components are. Previous research has shown that when diluted drops of various brands of American whiskeys dried on a glass surface, they formed web patterns, according to an American Chemical Society press release.
The current study went further into the characteristics of the whiskey webs and, through digital image analysis, found that each of the whiskey webs from the various brands of American whiskeys was unique. “In summary, the results reported here show that whiskeys are chemically complex liquids whose chemical profiles not only distinguish each product but are also responsible for the uniqueness of each product-specific pattern of deposits from drying droplets,” wrote the researchers. They added that the method to analyze the distinct web patterns “could be used for sample analysis and counterfeit identification.”
The dangers of a high-sodium diet have been well documented, but a new technology devised by scientists from Washington State University could help reduce sodium in processed foods while retaining taste and texture.
A study found that people who drank beverages that contained the low-calorie sweetener sucralose did experience metabolic problems and issues with neural responses but only when the beverage was formulated with both sucralose and a tasteless sugar (maltodextrin).
British scientists have gained new insights into the compound in plants that plays a vital role in the natural process through which plants grow.
In the food industry, botulinum toxin is associated with a severe form of food poisoning caused by improperly preserved food. Researchers have developed a technology that addresses the role of botulinum toxin in both food and cosmetic applications.
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Following a long-term diet that’s low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein from vegetables may reduce the risk of the most common subtype of glaucoma, according to a study published in Eye-Nature.
The U.S. FDA has announced in a letter of enforcement discretion that it does not intend to object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming certain cranberry products and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection in healthy women.
According to a group of research, policy, and government experts, the United States needs to strengthen and increase funding for federal nutrition research and improve cross-governmental coordination in order to accelerate discoveries, grow the economy, and—most importantly—improve public health, food/nutrition security, and population resilience.
The 2020 DGAC revisited the topic of added sugars and concluded that a more appropriate target to help mitigate cardiovascular disease and obesity is to lower the number to 6% of energy from added sugars for the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report, an objective review of the latest available science on specific nutrition topics.
