Polymers in your food

摘要

Humans are omnivorous, apart from poisonous material someone somewhere will be eating everything that grows, swims or crawls. Whilst we have some genetic dispositions of taste preference (sweet and salt tastes) our texture preferences are learnt. Not surprising then that we all like different textures yet all of them and the food structures on which they are based derive from three classes of heteropolymers namely long chain glycerol polyesters (fats), poly α-amino acids (proteins) and polysaccharides. Many of these are the structural units of living tissue, but over the centuries, the culinary arts have developed foods from most edible polymers. The examples can be found in the menu in any reasonable restaurant.