Science Is on the Menu

Lindsey Salek, Class of 2026, is hunched over her chemistry experiment, dipping pH strips into tiny tubes filled with different solutions to measure their alkaline and acidity levels.

But Salek isn’t working in one of Suffolk’s science labs. Instead, she’s in her off-campus apartment, and the solutions she’s testing are familiar foods such as milk, coffee, and orange juice.

“The instant the strips touched the substance, they dramatically changed color. It was so cool!” says Salek enthusiastically. The milk strip turned a bright yellowish-green, while the juice turned yellowish-orange and the coffee a dull orange, indicating the varying acidities of each liquid. “The pH strips were way more accurate than I thought,” observes Salek.

Bringing the scientific method into the kitchen was the brainchild of Suffolk Chemistry Professor Kelsey Stocker and Chemistry Instructor Margaret Pavlac. Two years ago they set out to design a course in Food Chemistry that would appeal to non-science majors, while providing those students with a solid foundation in the role that science plays in their everyday lives.

“We want students to have a positive experience where they understand chemistry through food in a fun and creative way,” says Stocker, a self-described foodie who teaches the course. “The most rewarding part is watching students overcome their initial anxiety and realize they can do this type of work. It makes them more well-rounded to learn something beyond the subjects that they’re majoring in.”

Students study various food components, including salts, sugars, fats, and additives, as well as the chemical and physical processes involved in food preparation. Along the way, says Stocker, they also learn about quantitative reasoning and scientific literacy. “I want them to be able to convert different units and evaluate claims about food,” she says, “as well as develop an understanding of how structures of molecules and chemical reactions affect the properties of food.”

Salek, a political science major, appreciates how the course challenges her problem-solving skills. “I need to know why things work the way they do,” she says.

“I’m not only learning about the step-by-step process of practical applications of chemistry and food, but how each step connects and builds to the next one. Being able to break down each subject this way helps you to better understand how everything works.”

Students conduct their experiments—including exploring how microwave popcorn works and testing the gluten levels of different flours and the melting points of different fats—from the comfort of their own homes using everyday kitchen ingredients and equipment. Professor Stocker provides them with instructions and materials in—naturally—brown paper lunch bags. After each experiment, students are required to pass in a written report along with photos of their work.

Zach Elfman, Class of 2026, hasn’t taken a science class since high school. He admits that he initially enrolled in the Food Chemistry course for personal reasons.

“I love food and I love to eat,” he says. “I’m taking this class for my own enjoyment.”

Now, as he nears the course’s conclusion, Elfman says understanding how food and chemistry work together has been a valuable experience.

“You learn about everything from conversion factors, like cups to ounces and ounces to grams, to why some food spoils,” he says. And as a finance major, he appreciates the course’s interactive components.

“Most of my classes deal with essays and spreadsheets,” he says. “This course allows me to go from one learning discipline to another, and physically work with my hands during all of the experiments to come up with the right answers.”