Smoother Ultrasounded Cakes for Half a Million Pounds

[philaustin]

I'm always interested in hearing about developments in science and technology, so when a colleague showed me an article in The Engineer with the word 'gluten' in it, I just had to read it.

Our government has given Herriot Watt University £500,000 to experiment with a new secret process where they use ultrasound somehow to improve the texture of gluten free bread and cakes. It evens out the size of the bubbles apparently.

At the risk of sounding like a stick in the mud I would prefer money went towards the development of a patch that allows coeliacs to eat 'real' bread, or an 'after-gluten' pill to reduce the effects of getting accidentally glutened.

Or maybe some genetic research into how to avoid passing the coeliac gene on, or GM wheat that doesn't effect coeliacs.

There will of course be coeliacs who would just be happy to have a cake with even sized bubbles in it.

And the great misunderstanding tax paying public will believe that since £500,000 has been spent on 'something to do with coeliac' the whole problem will have been fixed.

hw.ac.uk/news-events/2011/b...

[Hidden]

Hi Phil, please have see this blog by Roscoe:

glutenfreeguerrillas.health...

So you'd like a morning after pill for coeliac? and why not.

What would you eat first if there was a cure? Being from west country I'd have a real pasty.

With a bit of luck Roscoe will keep us informed of any further developmnets with this research.

Jerry

[philaustin in reply to Hidden]

I'm not from the West Country but your pasties were amongst the best things I ever ate when down that way, in Looe.

Second to that, a genuine Pukka steak and onion pie. Plus a pint or few of the best guest real ale on offer at Wetherspoons at the time.

I read Roscoes blog. I've had my kids so won't be passing on any more genetic material; so that's that one out of the way.

As for affecting the brain. I think I would live with that one.

[Adriana]

HI Phil, well that's an interesting question. I am not sure I agree with spending 1/2 million pounds on ultrasound when you could be spending a bit of that money to assist companies in getting rid of unneccessary gluten in their products. Most large companies also have their own R&D teams, where millions are spent, so really these companies should be funding the research themselves. Also, I would say that going back to basics, understanding the prinicples of different flours and how they work and applying conventional and sometimes not conventional methods, will probably yield better tasting bread. For me, the main problem is manufacturing. More innovation, more out of the box thinking and better research and development, should mean better quality free from gluten products.

[philaustin]

While we're waiting for Roscoes Australian Pill Adriana I guess we have to make the most / best of a bad situation and I like the idea of going back to basics and taking a fresh look at food production.

[Jacks]

A pill and it's almost here (lol)! And it looks as though there is a race on ....

I heard about the USA government rushing through the trials for larazotide acetate by Alba Therapeutics. They still want participants if you are in the area!

albatherapeutics.com/Produc...

alvinepharma.com/

smh.com.au/technology/s...

Still think I'd rather just have pure, unadultarated foods.

[philaustin]

Not sure I would want to take part in a US drug trial.

They seem to have a bad reputation for accidentally killing people with 'friendly fire'.