Scientists look to end the curse of unpopped popcorn kernals

[-Cp]

If you took a survey of life’s small annoyances, surely those unpopped kernels at the bottom of the popcorn bag would rank high on the list. But perhaps not for long.

“We think the secret to maximizing ‘pop-ability’ is found in the special chemistry of the corn kernel,” says food chemist Bruce Hamaker, Ph.D., of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Hamaker is part of a team of scientists at the school who have identified a key crystalline structure in popcorn that appears to determine its popping quality. The finding could lead to a better microwave popcorn variety with fewer or no unpopped kernels, they say.

The study is scheduled to appear in the July 11 print version of the American Chemical Society’s BioMacromolecules, a peer-reviewed journal, and was published in the online version of the journal April 7. ACS is the world’s largest scientific society.

Besides being a nuisance, unpopped kernels, also called “old maids,” can break teeth, destroy fillings and cause choking. Manufacturers have tried to reduce the number of unpopped kernels through trial and error breeding of the better performing corn kernels, but the problem persists, especially in microwave popcorn. Now, science has come to the rescue.

Read the rest at:
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-43099.html

 

[Fmr jarhead]

This makes me so mad!!!!

I have thought about doing just the opposite, for years....starting a company that only sells "old maids." I love 'em, and I think this is discriminatory. How can they do this, and get away with it.

 

[Mr. P]

It is genetic engineering! STOP EM NOW! If GAWD wanted all them buggers to pop he'd a made em that way!

 

[-Cp]

This makes me so mad!!!!

I have thought about doing just the opposite, for years....starting a company that only sells "old maids." I love 'em, and I think this is discriminatory. How can they do this, and get away with it.

LOL - yeah, some of us DO like to crunch awhile on those unpopped kernals eh?

 

[dilloduck]

This makes me so mad!!!!

I have thought about doing just the opposite, for years....starting a company that only sells "old maids." I love 'em, and I think this is discriminatory. How can they do this, and get away with it.

old maids !!! ya buddy----specially after sitting in the bottom of the bowl all night in salt and congealed butter !! mmmmmmmmmmm

 

[fuzzykitten99]

If you took a survey of life’s small annoyances, surely those unpopped kernels at the bottom of the popcorn bag would rank high on the list. But perhaps not for long.

“We think the secret to maximizing ‘pop-ability’ is found in the special chemistry of the corn kernel,” says food chemist Bruce Hamaker, Ph.D., of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Hamaker is part of a team of scientists at the school who have identified a key crystalline structure in popcorn that appears to determine its popping quality. The finding could lead to a better microwave popcorn variety with fewer or no unpopped kernels, they say.

The study is scheduled to appear in the July 11 print version of the American Chemical Society’s BioMacromolecules, a peer-reviewed journal, and was published in the online version of the journal April 7. ACS is the world’s largest scientific society.

Besides being a nuisance, unpopped kernels, also called “old maids,” can break teeth, destroy fillings and cause choking. Manufacturers have tried to reduce the number of unpopped kernels through trial and error breeding of the better performing corn kernels, but the problem persists, especially in microwave popcorn. Now, science has come to the rescue.

Read the rest at:
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-43099.html

C'mon Garage Logicians, lets all say it together:

"Don't tell ME we don't have any money!"