We don't need no education!

Tuesday nine eleven 2018.

My first lecture to our year 1 Food Science and Health (LM068) students had some music...

Can we all together break the wall?

BSc Food Science and Health in UL : graduation August 2018

my view during the official photograph shooting :)

47 graduates of our BSc in Food Science and Health in UL received their degrees yesterday in a beautiful ceremony!

My best wishes to all of them for Success and Happiness!

Ioannis Zabetakis
 

to gluten free or not to gluten free?

this article is interesting...not only for the gluten free mania that it describes but also for the info on glyphosate (a true killer!) and our shortsighted criteria when choosing foods.

worth checking, at next University term, what my students think about the issues mentioned in this article...



 

who needs books?

Back in the 1990s when I was studying for my BSc in Chemistry, I remember a great Teacher of mine encouraging us to start asap buying Chemistry textbooks...he suggested that by the time we get our BSc degree, we should have 5-6 reference textbooks in our library...back then, textbooks were dear, very dear (about 100 euros on today's money but 100 euros then was a massive amount of money!) but I managed... somehow to buy a Stryer (Biochem), an Atkins (Phys Chem), a Morrison Boyd (Org. Chem) and a Skoog West (Anal Chem).

I still have those books; they keep me company but also they are useful tools!

Today- googling might be easier but so so superficial!

When you need some reliable info - nothing is better that a good science textbook!

I remembered all that when I asked my semester 8 students yesterday how many food science books they have; most of the class have 0 food science books...


Shocking? Disappointing?
Hmmm...
or just the (cruel) reality ?

I still believe though that a good BSc graduate should have a small library of fine textbooks.

Here is my proposal:

1. Food Chem (Coultate or Fennema)
2. HACCP (Mortimore and Wallace)
3. Food Processing Tech (Fellows)
4. Food Science, Nutrition & Health (Lean)

(each one costs about 40 euros... about 4 cinema tickets or 7 pints...I trust though that getting these books is a much better investment 🎯 )

Yannis

(Food) Science Week : We are the World - We are the Children

Tuesday 14th November was an exceptional day; a day to remember!
I was invited to go to the secondary school of one of my boys where I had (the honour and) the chance to talk and interact with year 1 boys on diet, nutrition, Science and " How to Live Well? ".

This activity was part of the Science Week where thousands of unique workshops, talks, tutorials etc take place all around Ireland.

At St Munchins College, boys were interactive, inquisitive and happy! Talking to them, teaching them about Diet and Food Pyramids (and some endemic mistakes there...) was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my teaching career so far.

We compared Med diet and Irish food pyramids, we talked about Science, Health and Diet and so many other things that affect our Lives in a positive or a negative way. We discussed about exercise, happiness, love, addictions.
But above all, we had FUN! 

Boys were buzzing non-stop and though this collaborative experience, we all learned some useful things.
From now on, it is up to us to start implementing them.
By making small changes in the way we eat and live, we can improve our Lives.
By thinking (Food) Science when we choose and prepare our food, our life quality can be improved and then we can more easily reach further out like the song suggests...

A special "Thank you" to all the Teachers and the Boys in St Munchins for this beautiful day!

(from a Dad)




We Are The World

Michael Jackson

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We are all a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know
Love is all we need

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart so they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

We are the world, we are the children
We…