Fondant under the magnifying glass

New insights into the properties of sweet coating: The results could be used to optimize the industrial production process in the future

04-Sep-2023 - For many, the german sweet "Amerikaner" - a pastry with a sweet, whitish coating - is a childhood memory at the bakery. But there's a lot of physics and chemistry in the frosting. A team led by Thomas Vilgis at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, together with colleagues from the ...

Clean water from fog

A property known as photocatalytic memory ensures that this also functions when skies are overcast and at night

25-Aug-2023 - Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and ETH Zurich are using a specially coated metal mesh to extract water from fog while removing environmental pollutants. People in dry but foggy areas could benefit. It's already being done in Peru, Bolivia and Chile, but also in ...

It’s all about the sausage

Choosing the right proteins can improve the mouthfeel of vegetarian sausages

25-Jul-2022 - The right crack of the sausage is, not least, a matter of physics. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz has investigated how the properties of plant proteins influence the mouthfeel of vegetarian and vegan sausages. Using the findings this revealed, the first ...

More beer in the glass with physics

21-Jan-2022 - While foam is certainly desirable in the bathtub or on beer, preventing foam - for example in industrial processes - is a much-discussed topic. Often, oils or particles are added to liquids to prevent foaming. If these are harmful to health or the environment, they must be removed again using ...

Understanding the texture of food with microscopy and mechanics

06-Dec-2021 - Many delicacies are based on animal products. Artisan products – i.e. those with natural and identical ingredients - often have a different mouthfeel. This is among others also a big challenge in the production of alternative, vegan products. A team led by Thomas Vilgis, group leader at the Max ...

Molecular milk mayonnaise

How mouthfeel and microscopic properties are related in mayonnaise

12-Dec-2019 - Whether in potato salad or with chips: egg-based mayonnaise is used in a variety of dishes. Milk mayonnaise is unusual, but it can do much more. Scientists led by Prof. Thomas Vilgis of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Mainz have now investigated how their microscopic ...

Jellyfish: A delicacy

06-Mar-2019 - Jellyfish have been a delicacy in Asian cuisine for centuries. A team of researchers led by Prof. Thomas Vilgis (Department of Prof. Kurt Kremer) of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) has now investigated the precise processes of the traditional preparation method on a ...

Yogurt with dandelions? Stirred and shaken!

04-Sep-2018 - Inulin is a molecule present in various foods, which can be obtained for example from chicory, dandelion or sunflower roots. Due to its special structure, inulin has in-mouth melting and creamy properties and is suitable as a calorie-reduced fat substitute for a healthy diet. Scientists at the ...