Food Quote by Mary Roach
““Moeller came to AFB from Frito-Lay, where his job was to design, well, powdered flavor coatings for edible extruded shapes. “There are,” he allows, “a lot of parallels.” A Cheeto without its powdered coating has almost no flavor.* Likewise, the sauces on processed convenience meals are basically palatants for humans.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach, 2003
The quote compares flavor coatings on snacks to sauces on processed foods, highlighting how additives act as palatants that make otherwise bland products appealing.
In simple terms: Additives act as flavor boosters for bland foods.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the role of additives in shaping taste preferences.
Themes
food science
marketing
consumer behavior
Mood
analytical
critical
informative
Type
observational
humorous
educational
When to use this quote
- snack production
- processed meal development
- consumer taste testing
- product formulation
Key Concepts
palatability
flavor engineering
food technology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do additives influence your food choices?
- Can you enjoy foods without flavor enhancers?
A Different Perspective
Relying heavily on additives may mask nutritional deficiencies and reduce appreciation for natural flavors.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
