The Engineer's Bite: International Agriculture by uoftcafe

2021

NO. 01

BEER TALK

TRUE MATCHA OF JAPAN

SORTEDFOOD

THE ENGINEER'S BITE INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE

PARMIGIANOREGGIANO: Accidental Invention and Modern-Day Italian Collateral

Fun Fact: Food Waste -

Have You Heard of an Anti-Food-Waste Restaurant?

Swiss chef Mirko Burki was shocked after watching the documentary "Taste the Waste" and drove out to the countryside to see for himself how farmers discarded massive amounts of their produce because it would not be deemed acceptable. In order to combat food waste, tackle the taboo issue, and aid local farmers, Burki started picking up the unwanted produce and taking it with him. Chef Burki's restaurant produces their food with 70% of the normally discarded crop while pricing his meals at normal cost since he states that "the crooked carrot required as much work to grow as the 'good one.'"

CONTENTS

05 06 07 09 10 15

Opening Message A Message from the President of CAFE

About CAFE A Brief Look at CAFE

Preface and Impressum

Highlights A Summary of CAFE'S Statistics

Executive Team An Introduction to Our Executive Team

Magazine Team An Introduction to Our Magazine Team

CONTENTS

18 23 31 34 41 45

Bless the Grains Down in Africa How Climate Change is Changing African Farming Life

The True Matcha of Japan A Look into Japan's Matchamaking Process

Parmigianino-Reggiano Accidental Invention and ModernDay Collateral

How Australian Agriculture Threated the Great Barrier Reef “Not Even the Outer Reefs are Spared the Impact of Land-Based Pollution”

Marquis Wheat The Crop Built for Canada

Casssava Production and Consumption in Brazil A Highly Versatile and Resilient Crop

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Muskan Malek CAFE’s 2020-2021 President Being President of CAFE has been a labour of love. While this year has brought with it uncertain times and unimaginable changes to our lives, working on CAFE has given me a new purpose, one that I am incredibly passionate about.

After one year as VP Marketing, I was selected to lead CAFE for the 2020-2021 academic year. We were a club of three individuals. Smaller than most families. We were eager to make a name for ourselves. Then COVID-19 threw a wrench in our plans.

Within the past year, completely online, our team has grown from three to twenty-seven enthusiastic students. I cannot describe how proud I am to have brought together a group of intelligent students who want to improve our club and themselves. It’s amazing to see their commitment despite the overwhelming amount of evaluations we have to complete each week.

We’ve been given the opportunity to work with students from universities across Ontario. Coming from different academic backgrounds and fields of study, we’ve all come together to create a brand-new initiative—The Engineer’s Bite! We have recruited a team of ten talented writers, editors, and graphic designers!

I want to thank our incredible team for putting together an inconceivable amount of events and initiatives this year. There have been 6 events put on in the last 6 months! Throw on top of that our magazine, Instagram food facts, new website, and mentorship program, and you have an absolute machine of students. We’ve managed to build something where there was nothing. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to lead my amazing peers, and it is one I will cherish for a lifetime.

Cheers!

CAFE Food engineering is the application of engineering principles to the storing, processing, and distributing food products in order to improve their quality, taste, texture, smell, and nutritional value.

Our mission is to foster the academic growth of students in the food engineering field through seminars and professional development activities. Events like PEY Mixer and Research Panel allows you to get your questions answered by professionals working in the food engineering industry.

The Canadian Association of Food Engineers (CAFE) dives deep into food industry innovations and promotes the food engineering profession among students at the University of Toronto. CAFE’s mission is to support all club members and participants by connecting them to research opportunities, industry professionals, and networking events about anything related to food engineering! We plan numerous events and competitions each year such as the PEY Mixer and Design Expo. The PEY Mixer invites past students to speak about their work experience at companies such as Labatt Brewing Company, Mondelez, and Upfield. Our showstopper event is the annual Design Expo, where students solve a problem in the food industry and compete for an internship opportunity! Students from any discipline will find something they connect with by being a part of CAFE and its events and initiatives.

PREFACE When choosing the topic of the first edition of The Engineer’s Bite, we wanted to pay homage to some of the themes that 2020 made us face as a collective society. More than ever, looking to other continents for their innovations and challenges is becoming increasingly important and valuable in our globalized world. COVID-19 has further illustrated how small and connected this world and its inhabitants are. We wanted to explore this through international agriculture, the science and art of raising livestock, growing crops, cultivating soil and preparing animal and plant products.1 This process connects us to our environment, and globally, has strong similarities and differences that we can learn from.

Our team hopes that you enjoy our first magazine. We discuss some of CAFE’s numerous efforts to connect us this year, through many events that left us laughing and learning. We investigate some of the largest topics like resilience, pollution and climate change and their impacts for both aquatic and desert environments. We explore commonplace foods, like cheese and bubble tea, illustrating their rich and spanning histories and futures.

To us, it becomes clearer and clearer that despite our vast and diverse world, food connects us with the environment, our cultures, and to each other, and that there is more history and depth to food than what meets the eye. Get a snack and maybe a warm drink. Settle in. We’re taking you around the world!

IMPRESSUM Created in 2020, The Engineer’s Bite is a magazine that delivers informative and insightful articles to its readers. A team of dedicated undergraduate students has worked in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Food Engineers, a student organization at the University of Toronto, to publish this magazine. Unless otherwise indicated, all written material in this magazine is the thoughts and research of these students. All writers’ opinions are their own and do not reflect the views of the University of Toronto or the Canadian Association of Food Engineers at large. While we have made the best effort to validate this information, The Engineer’s Bite does not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of the information or related graphics contained in the magazine. An assortment of websites, other research materials, and photos have been utilized in producing this document and have been cited accordingly. Any reliance you place on the material is strictly at your own risk.

invested 20 20 $1,190

here's how CAFE made its mark

into event prizes

17 winners

partnered with

MEMBERS

SUBSCRIBERS

EXECUTIVE TEAM

119 participants

MAGAZINE TEAM

GENERAL MEMBERS

PRESIDENTS & VICE PRESIDENTS

Harsimrat Singh Muskan Malek

VP Events

President

Sarah Birch

Zoey Chen VP Finance

VP External

PRESIDENTS & VICE PRESIDENTS

Protiti Das VP Outreach

Anna Sun VP Marketing

Martin Li VP Technology

Deputies

Anne Lan Deputy Events

Bibi Bundhoo Deputy Events

Ankita Kapoor Deputy Finance

Yam Wachiralappaitoon Deputy Marketing

Ruiling (Renee) Yang Deputy Marketing

Erin Lin Deputy External

Asad Raza Naqvi Deputy Outreach

Harleen Mehta Deputy Outreach

Floria Fang Zhang Deputy Technology

Meet the CAFE magazine team! The Engineer Bite has been put together through the hard work of our ten amazing staff. This is our team of talented writers, editors and designers.

Alexa Tumaneng Editor

Sana Randera Editor

Hetav Kirit Pandya Graphic Designer

Rafeena Santsaran Graphic Designer

Andrew Wuebbolt Staff Writer

Jaqueline Chang Staff Writer

Shukria Yusuf Staff Writer

Leah Smolkin Staff Writer

Michael Jing Staff Writer

Nafilah Khan Staff Writer

Bless the Grains Down in Africa How Climate Change is Changing African Farming Life Shukria Yusuf

"AFRICA'S CROPS ARE ONE OF THE CONTINENTS BIGGEST TRADE ITEMS."

Farming is an important trade in Africa, and the population relies heavily on the fruits of their labour. In Africa, roughly 65% of its population relies on subsistence farming [1]. Some of Africa’s common cash crops are cocoa, cotton, and coffee, which are in huge demand globally [1]. Many of us can agree that we enjoy our late night coffee to help us through our study sessions, and we most definitely enjoy binging on chocolate while watching Netflix. As you can see, Africa's crops are one of the continent's biggest trade items. With that said, the conversation about their society's agricultural sufferings due to climate change is more crucial now than ever.

Fun Fact: Women make up most of agriculture labour in Africa.

While Africa has been experiencing both floods (North Africa) and droughts (East Africa), both of these natural disasters have led to a reduction in crop yields and livestock productivity [3], and have caused the Sahara Desert to expand. This threatens farming life. The warmer climate and lack of water has proven difficult to grow crops and has caused food insecurity all over Africa. Southern Africa’s temperatures are rising by 2 degrees celsius, and precipitation has dropped by a total of 20% 4. These changes in climate are causing unfortunate drawbacks to Africa’s abundant agriculture. Some of the drawbacks include the killing of live crops and the drying up the land—which makes it harder to plant new crops.

The UN writes, “perhaps no region in the world has been affected as much as the Sahel, which is experiencing rapid population growth, estimated at 2.8% per year, in an environment of shrinking natural resources, including land and water resources”[4]. Imagine not only having to provide for your own country but also having to create resources to continue farming life in order to keep the economy from crashing and people dying from famine. There is even something that they refer to as “hunger season” where families must skip meals in order to rationalize until the next growing season where they hope they can grow enough to keep them going through the whole year [5]. There is a lot of pressure resting on the shoulders of people living in Africa, especially when climate change is steadily rising.

Some countries in Africa such as Tanzania are expected to go up to a month without any rain. In situations like this, it is difficult for farmers to know what to do or how to help their crops grow when they depend heavily on the rain. There is only so much in their control, but when their main resource is being threatened by nature itself, it is terrifying to imagine the repercussions that will inevitably follow. In order for crops and farming life to thrive, they need an equal amount of sun, rain, healthy dirt, and heat; however, climate change has thrown this off-balance. As the heat rises above normal, it can cause desertification making it nearly impossible to continue growing crops in the same land. According to One Acre Fund, climate changes are linked to the rise of pests and diseases in areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa [5].

Here is some food for thought the next time you stroll into your local coffee shop: by 2030, McKinsey and Company have predicted that coffee in Ethiopia will experience a 25%+ drop in annual yield [7]. We rely on each continent's resources to keep us alive and thriving as a society. Considering that our food supply comes from farming and agriculture, it is alarming how compromised the land and crops are becoming. As global warming continues, so does the uncertainty of agriculture in Africa.

Fun Fact: Coffee is the second most sought out commodity in the entire world

Bibliography 1. Thelwell, K. (2019, June 27). 10 Facts About Farming in Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://borgenproject.org/10-facts-about-farming-in-africa/ 2. Heritage, Stuart. (2020). Higher ground: the expert guide to making the perfect cup of coffee at home. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/sep/25/higher-ground-the-expert-guideto-making-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee-at-home 3. 350Africa. (n.d.). 8 ways climate change is already affecting Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://350africa.org/8-ways-climate-change-is-already-affectingafrica/ 4. Shepard, D. (2019, March). Global warming: Severe consequences for Africa | Africa Renewal. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2018-march-2019/globalwarming-severe-consequences-africa 5. OneAcreFund. (n.d.). What Climate Change Means for Agriculture in Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://oneacrefund.org/blog/what-climate-change-meansagriculture-africa/ 6. Watson, Kristina. (2016, June 23). How a 700-year-old farming technique could help end hunger and climate change. Global Citizen. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/africa-climate-change-farming/ 7. Woetzel, J., Pinner, D., Samandari, H., Engel, H., Krishnan, M., McCullough, R., . . . Boettiger, S. (2020, May 18). How will African farmers adjust to changing patterns of precipitation? Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/how-willafrican-farmers-adjust-to-changing-patterns-of-precipitation 8. Menke, A. (2018, April 19). The Global Coffee Industry. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/55607/the-global-coffee-industry 9. Bounoua, L. (2015, March 12). Climate change is hitting African farmers the hardest of all. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://theconversation.com/climatechange-is-hitting-african-farmers-the-hardest-of-all-40845

Fun Fact: Haber-Bosch Process A Feat of Chemical Engineering The Haber-Bosch Process was introduced by chemist Fritz Haber and chemical engineer Carl Bosch. The process takes nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia, the key ingredient in synthetic fertilizer. The Haber-Bosch process today produces 500 million tons of fertilizer each year. It helps to feed 40% of the world's population. It is one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, giving rise to the global population boom by increasing the global food supply.

True Matcha of

Japan Jacqueline Chang

08 23

If you are a tea enthusiast, then without a doubt, you are no stranger to green tea. But one particular type of green tea stands out more than the rest: the highlyacclaimed Japanese Matcha green tea. Matcha is produced by grinding young tea leaves until they become a bright green powder [1]. To serve Matcha, the powder is whisked with hot water until it becomes a froth-like substance, which differs greatly from preparing regular green tea where the leaves are infused in water. In Japan, there are several regional types of Matcha that are grown and processed in their own unique way. The most popular regional Matcha include Uji, Fukuoka, Nishio, and Shizuoka [1].

Uji Matcha Among the regional Matcha, Uji Matcha stands out above the rest. Uji Matcha is produced in the small city of Uji which lies a twenty-minute train ride from the city of Kyoto [2]. In order to perfect the green tea leaves, the tea trees in Uji are straw-shaded from the sun for ten to twenty days during the final growing weeks before harvest [2]. This is done to increase the leaves’ chlorophyll content, which gives it a nice, sweet umami taste when consumed. The tea leaves are then handpicked and steamed to prevent any loss of flavour or nutritional content [2]. What makes Uji Matcha so respectable is its proximity to Kyoto; in Kyoto, traditional Japanese tea ceremonies were conducted using the Uji Matcha, making it the primary Matcha used in tea ceremonies even today [1].

Fukuoka Matcha Yame, a city in the Fukuoka Prefecture, is famed for its high production of gyokuro [3]. Gyokuro is Japan’s prized whole leaf tea [4]. However, Yame’s Matcha is not some lowgrade tea either. The Matcha in Yame is grown in soil with a variety of loose pebbles that contribute many minerals to the tea leaves [5]. In addition, the only fertilizer used to grow Fukuoka Matcha is organic manure that is produced by the farmers to add nourishment to the tea bushes. The farms themselves are dispersed in the Yame region surrounded by mountains.

Nishio Matcha Nishio is known as the capital of Matcha in Japan. The city’s popularity is due to its history of Matcha production that has continued for over a thousand years [6]. Nishio is the ideal place to produce Matcha as its soil is carried and deposited by the Yahagiwa River [7]. As a result, 90% of all tea leaves in the Nishio region are Tencha, which is an ingredient in Matcha [7]. Nishio is able to farm its top-quality Matcha by growing the Matcha under a special cover to protect it from direct sunlight for a period of time [7]. By adopting this method, the Matcha becomes a more vibrant green and its bitterness is suppressed. The tea leaves are then ground by a Chause, an old-fashioned stone tea grinder [7].

Shizuoka Matcha The Shizuoka Matcha is not well regarded, but this city and prefecture produce the largest amount of green tea in Japan by volume [8]. The tea factories for Shizuoka Matcha can produce 5 tons of tea from 25 tons of leaves each day! The green tea in the Shizuoka region is grown on a steep slope in front of Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay [9]. Home to all sorts of regional Matcha, Japan is celebrated as the Matcha capital of the world. With all sorts of produce and growing methods, tea enthusiasts all around should step up their green tea game and take a Matcha tour around Japan!

Bibliography "Health Benefits of Matcha Tea | Time." 8 Mar. 2018, https://time.com/5188377/Matchatea-benefits/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2020. "How to Spot the Best - Why Uji Matcha Stands Out from the Rest." 19 Dec. 2017, http://www.artofjapanesetea.com/Matcha/uji-Matcha/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2020. "IKKYU Yame Green Tea Producer - UNOIKE." https://ikkyu-tea.com/en/green-tea-farmeryame-mizota. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020. "What is Gyokuro Tea? – Red Blossom Tea Company." 14 Mar. 2018, https://redblossomtea.com/blogs/red-blossom-blog/what-is-gyokuro-tea. Accessed 17 Oct. 2020. "Organic Yame Matcha - The Tea Crane - Traditional Japanese ...." https://www.the-teacrane.com/product/organic-yame-Matcha/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020. "Nishio Matcha." http://nishioMatcha.jp/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. "About Nishio Matcha | Nishio Matcha." http://nishioMatcha.jp/nishioMatcha/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. "A Definitive Matcha Taste Test - Eater." 2 Dec. 2015, https://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/12/2/9811566/best-Matcha-powder. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. "Japanese tea farmer HOUKOUEN in Shizuoka ." http://houkouen.org/english.html. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. "What is Matcha? Why Organic? - Encha Organic Matcha Farm." https://encha.com/pages/organic-Matcha-farm. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.

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豊好園

Fun Fact #26: Panera Bread An American Bakery-Cafe Panera Bread Company is an American chain store of causal restaurants with over 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada. Panera Bread employs over 6,000 bakers who make over 250 million bagels a year and 50 million baguettes each year!

Innovation brings customers to craft beer; quality keeps them – Anabel Fernandez

CAFE UofT and BrewOfT hosted an industry panel night on November 3rd from 7-8pm. It consisted of 3 guest speakers from Amsterdam Brewing, a local craft brewery based in Toronto. The presentation lasted approximately fifty minutes with time at the end for questions. BrewOfT was the perfect club for CAFE to collaborate with for this event. BrewOfT is a student club at the University of Toronto that aims to create a community of like-

-minded students interested in the brewing industry, and to offer opportunities for students to learn more about the industry. To date, they have hosted events where they have brewed cold-brew coffee, kombucha and, most recently, hard cider. Going forward, the club hopes that in-person meetings would allow a large batch of beer to be brewed as a group.

CAFExBrewOfT AMSTERDAM BREWING INDUSTRY PANEL

In the industry panel, the team from Amsterdam presented on three main areas that a brewer focuses on: brewing, packaging, and quality. Michael McDonald is part of the brewing team at Amsterdam and was able to discuss the unique challenges facing microbreweries in the industry today, and how they are constantly trying to improve the different beers Amsterdam brews on a daily basis. Ricardo Lovera walked the attendees through the attendees through

the bottling and packaging processes and how they need to be as efficient as possible to make sure the plant keeps production levels high to increase profit. Anabel Fernandez works in the quality division and presented on how quality assurance (QA) guarantees breweries keep customers by ensuring their product stays excellent. At the end of the presentation, the attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about the

brewing industry and the speakers' experience working in it. After the questions, CAFE and BrewOfT had quick presentations about their visions and upcoming events. Finally, there was even a draw for a $25 gift card, and Leah McLeod was able to go home a bit richer. Overall, the attendees seemed to leave more enlightened about the industry and excited about the opportunities it has to offer.

Parmigiano-Reggiano Nafilah Khan

Accidental Invention and Modern-Day Italian Collateral Parmigiano-Reggiano, an Italian cheese known globally for its distinct taste and smell, has a history just as rich and diverse, spanning continents. While most may be familiar with the name, what is lesser known is that there is sensitive science involved in the production of this precious cheese, which allows it to not only reach the dining table, but also the business world and Italian culture at large. One of the most surprising parts of its history is that cheese, the originator of ParmigianoReggiano, was created by accident. Legend has it that an Arabian merchant used a pouch created from a sheep’s stomach to store milk for his journey [1]. As he traveled across the desert, Rennet, an enzyme present in the pouch’s lining, along with heat provided by the sun, caused a separation of the milk into a liquid (whey) and solid (curd) [1]. At night, the merchant fulfilled his thirst with the whey and his hunger with the pleasantly-tasting curd [1].

It is thought that travelers brought cheesemaking to Europe from Asia [1]. Once brought to Europe, the Roman empire was thought to be the first empire to mass produce cheese [2]. Aged cheese and smoked cheese, a Roman invention, extended the shelf life of cheese, which proved beneficial as a portable protein carried by their armies [2]. From there, cheese (and therefore cheesemaking) spread throughout the European continent [2]. Today, Europe is known to house some of the finest and greatest of cheese in the world. Italy, known for its substantial use of cheese in its renowned and loved cuisine, is the birthplace of the “King of Cheese”, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese [3]. The creation of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese took place in the Middle Ages [4]. Benedictine and Cistercian monks utilized cow milk from farms owned by the monasteries and salt from salt mines in Salsomaggiore (a town in the province of Parma, located in northern Italy) to produce wheels of a dry paste cheese which could be preserved for long periods [4] [5].

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a Product Designation of Origin (PDO); only cheese that follows strict rules during production and which is produced in the Italian provinces of Bologna, Modena, Mantua, Parma, and Reggio Emilia can be named Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese [6]. While creating this specific cheese and earning its title is complicated and strict, ParmigianoReggiano is actually only made of three ingredients: milk, sea salt, and Rennet [3] [6]. Milk from cows that only consume grass from the provinces listed above is used [6]. The cheese uses two types of milk: fresh whole milk collected from the cows in the morning and naturally-skimmed milk collected from the previous evening [3]. To begin the cheesemaking process, pumping of the latter milk into copper-lined vats takes place [3]. Rennet is added when the temperature of the milk reaches 30℃, which causes the separation of the milk into whey and curd, similar to legend [3] [7]. After a couple of minutes have passed, a large whisk is used to break the curd up into grain-like pieces [3]. The curd mixture gradually reaches a temperature of roughly 54℃, after which it is then left to settle [3]. After 45 to 60 minutes of settling, a large cheesecloth is used to collect and further separate the curd after which the curd is then portioned, with each portion placed in a separate cloth [3]. The portioned curd is then placed into round, springform molds which are sealed shut, with a weight placed on top of each mold [3]. When a cheese wheel has undergone enough solidification for it to support itself, the cheese wheel is left in a salt-water brine mixture for 20 to 25 days [3]. From here, the wheel is stored and aged between one to three years [3]. Once the one-year aging mark has been reached, the cheese wheel is given a Parmigiano-Reggiano

DOP approval upon successful inspection by the appropriate governing body [3] [8]. This intricate and long process makes ParmigianoReggiano so valuable, that it is accepted as collateral for loans at the Credito Emiliano bank in Montecavolo, Italy since 1953 [9]. An average 80pound wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano can range from $900-$2500 [10]. Often, farmers experience a bad fiscal year due to decreased sales of other products, which is why out of financial necessity, they may liquidate their Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wheels before the wheels are fully mature [10]. Credito Emiliano loans 70-80% of the value of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheels in exchange for the cheese wheels, to farmers who choose to use their cheese wheels as collateral [10]. This allows farmers to gain immediate cash, rather than waiting for the cheese wheels to mature, which could take years [10]. Once the cheese wheels have been exchanged, they are stored in the Tagliate General Warehouse, which is home to around 300,000 cheese wheels [10]. The wheels of cheese stored in the warehouse are subject to regular inspection done by experts in a carefully controlled environment [10]. The ratio of degradation in this warehouse compared to cheese wheels not stored in the warehouse is 1 to 10, emphasizing how important it is to store these wheels carefully for ageing [10]. If loans are not repaid, the cheese wheels are sold by the bank, as a means of recovering its investment, with the difference being returned to the producer [9]. The next time you purchase a wheel of ParmigianoReggiano, you can enjoy it knowing that it has just as rich a history as it does flavour. Further, you can be satisfied knowing that it has undergone a long, intricate, and strict production process - one emblematic of Italian culture and at the heart of Italian cuisine - before reaching your dining table.

Bibliography 1. IDFA. (n.d.). History of Cheese. Retrieved October 2020, from https://www.idfa.org/history-of-cheese 2. Roberts, B. (2018, March 5).The Fascinating 7,500 Year History of Cheese. Retrieved October 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianroberts/2018/03/05/thehistory-of-cheese/ 3. Eataly. (n.d.). Discover Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Retrieved October 2020, from https://www.eataly.com/us_en/magazine/eataly-stories/discover-parmigiano-reggianodop/ 4. Parmigiano Reggiano. (n.d.). The History. Retrieved November 2020, from https://www.parmigianoreggiano.com/product-history 5. Mapcarta. (n.d.). Salsomaggiore Terme. Retrieved November 2020, from https://mapcarta.com/25419098 6. Linsell, S. (2017, November 10). I went to see how Parmigiano Reggiano is made in Italy. Retrieved October 2020, from https://drizzleanddip.com/2017/11/10/i-went-to-seehow-parmigiano-reggiano-is-made-in-italy/ 7. Silvano Romani. (n.d.). How Parmigiano Reggiano is made: the ingredients. Retrieved October 2020, from https://shop.silvanoromaniparma.com/parmigiano-reggianoingredients 8. The Extraordinary Italian Taste. (n.d.). Authentic Italian Quality is Identified by the DOP/PDO & IGP/PGI Seals. It’s an European Union Guarantee. Retrieved November 2020, from https://www.italianmade.com/dop-igpproducts/#:~:text=DOP%2C%20in%20English%20PDO%2C%20stands,to%20the%20ter ritory%20of%20origin.&text=IGP%2C%20PGI%20in%20English%2C%20stands,linked%2 0to%20the%20geographical%20area. 9. Migliaccio, A., Rotondi, F. (2019, August 13). In Italy, Parmesan as Collateral for Bank Loans. Retrieved October 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/business/global/14parma.html 10. Davis, M. (2018, December 21). This bank in Italy accepted cheese as collateral. Here’s why. Retrieved October 2020, from https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/bank-acceptscheese-as-collateral?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

How Australian Agriculture Threatened the Great Barrier Reef Michael Jing

When thinking about Australia, it is often remembered as the home of the Great Barrier Reef. Around the world, the Great Barrier Reef is recognized as an Australian National Park, as well as a World Heritage Area in recognition for its superb biodiversity [1] [2]. Despite being a jewel in Australia’s ecological crown, the Great Barrier Reef does face many threats. One of the many threats this coral reef system faces is the declining water quality due to agricultural pollution [1] [3]. Historically, Australia has an agricultural dominance in sheep and wheat, and this dominance continues well into the 21st century with the assistance of new farming technologies [4]. These new technologies include the use of artificial intelligence to collect the ever-increasing amounts of data, drones to efficiently spray artificial fertilizers with reduced environmental impact than traditional spraying, and even gene editing to improve farming profit and the nutritional content of farm products [5]. While these new technologies could yield exciting results for the future of agriculture, they still need some time to mature before being put into the Australian farm fields in the present.

“NOT EVEN THE OUTER REEFS ARE SPARED THE IMPACT OF LAND-BASED POLLUTION” Due to the current environmental conditions of the land, only about 6% of the Australian land area is suitable for agriculture and pasture. The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland. Some of the most common agricultural products in the tropical environments of Queensland are sugarcane, vegetable, and cotton [4]. Naturally, pesticides and fertilizers are used by local farmers to increase the yield of their crops in the barren environment. Unfortunately, the fertilizers, pesticides, and nutrients that runoff from the farms in Queensland and are carried by river water or groundwater, have endangered the organisms dwelling in the Great Barrier Reef [6]. Figure 1 shows an image of the agricultural sediment runoff caused by agricultural pollution. Conventional thinking was that river plumes affected only the lagoon and the inner portions of the reef. But images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite verify a new theory that not even the outer reefs are spared the impact of land-based pollution, which includes excess sediment, fertilizers, and pesticides [6].

The water quality of the Great Barrier Reef is clearly at risk. To combat this threat to the world’s biggest coral reef, the government has taken action [1] [6]. In 2008, the Australian Government implemented the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) with $200 million in funding [1]. The Reef Plan offers incentives to all farmers who follow proper farm management practices [1] [6]. The legislation was passed in 2009 in Queensland to further improve the management of fertilizer and pesticide runoff. Over the years, models have revealed that the quality of river water being discharged into the Great Barrier Reef has improved [1]. Completely cleaning the rivers flowing into the Great Barrier Reef would be a long and hard process, but the governing bodies in Australia and Queensland have shown great initiative as they take their first steps forward. Green initiatives like the Reef Plan can be established globally if governing bodies around the world realize that our planet is in need of a sustainability boost.

Fig.1

The threats that the Great Barrier Reef faces have not been completely blown out of the water. Multiple challenges still remain such as dredging, improper management of dumping at sea [1], or even the fire that ravaged Australia in January of 2019. The amount of harmful chemicals from agriculture in the river water should continue to decrease in the following years as better farm management practices are developed and emerging technologies mature. It's safe to say that although agricultural pollution was a big threat to the Great Barrier Reef, the governing bodies have successfully reduced future agricultural damage to the reef. The Great Barrier Reef consists of an enormous web of organisms. Protecting its biodiversity is essential. Imagine if one of the Earth's most complex, natural systems lost its extraordinary biodiversity. Hopefully, the Great Barrier Reef will function as it is for centuries to come.

Bibliography 1. Brodie, J. (2020, October 14). Worried about Great Barrier Reef water pollution? Look at mining, not agriculture. Retrieved October 3, 2020, from https://theconversation.com/worried-about-great-barrier-reef-water-pollution-look-atmining-not-agriculture-11907 2. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (2020). Biodiversity. Retrieved October 3, 2020, from http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/the-reef/biodiversity 3. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (2020). Reef Health. Retrieved October 3, 2020, from http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/the-reef/reef-health 4. Nations Encyclopedia. (n.d). Australia Agriculture. Retrieved October 3, 2020, from https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/AustraliaAGRICULTURE.html 5. GHD. (2018, August). Emerging Technologies in Agriculture. Retrieved October 17, 2020, from https://www.agrifutures.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/18-048.pdf 6. eWater. (2012). Great Barrier Reef case study. Retrieved October 3, 2020, from https://ewater.org.au/casestudies/catchments-case-studies/great-barrier-reef-casestudy/

Fun Fact #27: Blue Raspberry Flavour Where Does it Come From?

The blue raspberry flavour became mainstream because other companies wanted their foods to have more contrasting looks rather than a monochromatic red palette, so they started to introduce blue raspberry, as opposed to just raspberry. Flavour does originate from real fruit: the Rubus Leucodermis, or whitebark raspberry. The berry isn't actually a bright blue, though more of a deep purple. The dye used is FD&C Blue No. 1.

CAFE X SORTEDfood Benjamin 'Ben' Ebbrell and Jamie Spafford of ‘SORTEDfood’ joined us for CAFE’s (Canadian Association of Food Engineering) kickoff meeting on Wednesday September 30th. The meeting kicked off at 3:00 with president Muskan Malek introducing the club as well as Jamie and Ben. Malek reached out to SORTEDfood because she has been a loyal subscriber since 2013 and when Ben and Jamie heard about CAFE, they felt as though the club and our event aligned with what they wanted to do with their channel. SORTEDfood started with food and friendship, which let’s be honest, always goes hand in hand with each other. As college students, all Jamie would eat would be ramen noodles and microwavable foods which in return did not fuel his body the way he needed it too. Ben who was studying to be a chef thought there has to be an easy and fun way for us to cook meals together whilst making it healthy. Next thing they knew, they were cooking with friends all over the world where they

exchanged different types of recipes and Benjamin 'Ben' Ebbrell and Jamie Spafford of ‘SORTEDfood’ joined us for CAFE’s (Canadian Association of Food Engineering) kickoff meeting on Wednesday, September 30th. The meeting kicked off at 3:00 with president Muskan Malek introducing the club as well as Jamie and Ben. Malek reached out to SORTEDfood because she has been a loyal subscriber since 2013 and when Ben and Jamie heard about CAFE, they felt as though the club and our event aligned with what they wanted to do with their channel. SORTEDfood started with food and friendship, which let’s be honest, always goes hand in hand with each other. As college students, all Jamie would eat would be ramen noodles and microwavable foods which in return did not fuel his body the way he needed it to. Ben who was studying to be a chef thought there has to be an easy and fun way for us to cook meals together whilst making them healthy. The next thing they knew, they were cooking with friends all over the world where they exchanged different types of recipes and spices. Their ultimate goal was to cook together as a group while also helping people everywhere to find joy in food. Their channel started cooking up a storm when they reviewed their first food gadget (with over 3 million views!) and you better believe that they took off. They decided since their viewers loved it, they would not only continue but make a whole segment on their channel. Thanks to our audience they said, we’re always trying to reinvent ourselves and come up with new and captivating ways to engage with food and our subscribers.

They didn’t always think they would end up this big, with over 2 million subscribers on their YouTube channel. “Any words of advice for your younger selves?” we asked. “You’ve got to set out doing something you believe in because it is never going to be easy. Set a dream and an ambition for sure but also do something you genuinely believe in and care about.” And it definitely shows in their videos that it is something that lights each and every single one of them up. They don’t see themselves as influencers but rather

“WE SEE OUR COMMUNITY AS OUR INFLUENCERS”. Their SORTEDfood community has inspired them to develop their channel further and to constantly improve which isn’t easy with social media platforms changing so frequently. “So, do you have any advice for university students who are trying to get out of the habit of eating Kraft Dinner and Mr.Noodles every night?” “Don’t be afraid to try something new! You should always have some staple ingredients that you can use in different meals as well as anything with a long shelf life so you can stock up.”

Not sure where to start? Check out their ‘Like A Chef’ playlist! Considering that their channel was built on reviewing kitchen gadgets, we figured who better to judge our gadget design contest? Each participant and group was instructed to choose a previously existing gadget such as a rocking knife, vegetable slicer, pull string chopper, or multipurpose mandolin and to improve it so that Micheal who suffers from Welander Distal Myopathy (WDM) - a form of muscular dystrophy characterized by weakness and degeneration of muscles in the hands and fingers - is able to use it mechanically. Second place winner, team 5 with Jacob Kennedy and Jack Overy have invented something called the Push Chop, which was their take on the vegetable chopper. For chopping vegetables, they thought that design was a little bit too much force for Micheal to have to apply and can bruise the food that's inside, which is something that they wanted. So they switched instead to a design that is a longer open-top box with padded handles Finally, in the first place was team 3, Olevia Pal, Alyssa Nodello, Mariel Stanco, and Emily Dawe with their new design for the multipurpose mandolin. Their design was to have a slicing handle made from silicone to prevent slipping, on the top with a plate where Micheal would place his vegetables to cut. This design also has a chopping attachment which allows for the handle to be extended, requiring less force. In order to keep it in place, it would have suction cups at the bottom to eliminate tipping hazards. Ultimately, this design was the winner. Thank you so much to Ben and Jamie for judging our Kickoff event and to all the participants for showing such great creativity and enthusiasm, we a’peach’iate it so much! Please be sure to follow us on our Instagram account to be in the know about all our future events @uoftcafe.

Marquis Wheat: The Crop Built for Canada Andrew Wuebbolt

The year is 1909. During even the best of winters, Canada’s climate is harsh. Agriculture is an important way of life for early settlers, just as it is in Europe. How can one be successful when the weather is against you? How can it be possible to get bread on the table when wheat harvests are minimal and produce low-quality wheat which back home would only be fit for livestock? Perhaps, there is hope: a new strand of wheat designed to be grown in Canada’s climate has just been announced. This wheat promises high yields, great quality, and the ability to harvest before the early frosts. What does this mean for the Dominion of Canada? With the influx of Europeans moving to Canada, there comes a market for the familiar, crops included. Many settlers would take seeds from their home country to the New World in hopes of having something to start from. Naturally, wheat is one of the most popular seeds and is known for being ground into flour to create breads, pastas, pastries, etc. Unfortunately, the climate is harsh and not inherently conducive to agriculture, mainly due to the growing season. The wheat species brought to Canada were varieties such as Golden Drop, which originates in Scotland where summers are long and winters are short [1]. This is in stark contrast to Canada, where the grain has less time to grow and ripen. A whole crop of wheat could be devastated by an early frost. This situation led to slow adoption of growing wheat by Canadian farmers from the 1600s to mid-1800s [2].

In 1842, Red Fife, a strand of wheat likely originating in Ukraine, was introduced [3] [4]. Compared to most varieties available at the time, this wheat produced a larger yield and had a higher gluten content, making it ideal for baking. The introduction of this higher quality wheat allowed for further development of wheat farms in Canada and even helped spur the development of the railway system [3]. Despite all these benefits, Red Fife took a long to mature and did not fare well in the late fall, when frost is common [5]. In 1886, the government-appointed Dr. William Saunders as head of the Experimental Farms Service. To determine which varieties of wheat were best suited to the Canadian climate, he maintained various experimental farms across Canada where he would plant different strands of wheat [3]. Crossbreeding was new at the time, but Dr. William Saunders’ son, Dr. Charles Saunders, decided to crossbreed wheat varieties to determine if better strands could be designed. During this time, Red Fife successfully represented wheat grown in Canada globally, and he hoped further improvement would allow farmers the security of harvesting before the frosts hit. He took Red Fife with its large yield and great gluten content and crossed it with Hard Red Calcutta, a strand from India. Hard Red Calcutta matured about 21 days before Red Fife, and Saunders intended to exploit that [3] [6].

This crossbreed became the 2 varieties: Markham A and Markham B (later renamed Marquis A and Marquis B). When harvesting these crossbreeds, Charles Saunders wanted to ensure he kept only the highest quality grains. To do this, he would chew a dough ball from a few wheat kernels off a head of wheat. He surmised that the most elastic of these dough balls would be the ones with the highest gluten content. Eventually, after further generations and testing, he had narrowed it down to the highest quality Marquis B seeds, which ultimately became Marquis wheat [3] [6]. This superb variety retained the good baking qualities of Red Fife but was able to mature 7-10 days before. This may not seem like a large difference, but it could have been the difference between a mature harvest and the first frost. Marquis also had an incredible yield, about 20% greater than that of Red Fife, which was the gold standard at the time [3] [4].

Unsurprisingly, these qualities made Marquis wheat an amazing crop. By 1918, it dominated over 80% of the total acreage from Northern Saskatchewan to Southern Nebraska [3] [4]. This consistent, high-quality wheat variety allowed Canada to become the dominant wheat exporter in the world [3]. Even today, Canada is in the top 3 wheat exporters [7]. To further solidify Marquis’s status, it is the ancestor of innumerable wheat varieties as seen in Figure 1. From wellknown and well-harvested varieties to ones only used in experiments, almost every wheat strand produced in Canada over the last century can be traced back to Marquis [3]. Marquis wheat was even instrumental in the war effort, feeding not only Canadians and their soldiers but also the soldiers of allied countries during the food shortage of 1917-18 [4]. It is easy to see that Marquis wheat has had a lasting impact on Canada, but it has also left its mark on the world. Marquis (and its parent, Red Fife) made the Canadian Hard Red Spring (CHRS) class of wheat famous for its high quality and gluten content. This legacy lasts even today; this class of wheat is the highest priced class on the world market [3]. Throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century, Canada has been at the forefront of wheat production and exportation. Canada increased its export of wheat from 8 to 75 million bushels of wheat from the years 1896-1911, just 15 years [8]!

Fig. 1: Different Cultivars of Wheat Originating from Marquis Wheat. Image courtesy of Dr. R. Graf11.

More recently, Canada produced 32.3 million tons of wheat (about 1.19 billion bushels of wheat9) and exported approximately $5.4 billion USD worth of wheat in 2019 alone [7] [10]. All these Canadian feats would not have been possible if not for Marquis wheat. Looking back to 1907, newly immigrated Canadians would likely have been daunted looking at their new lives, but there were many reasons to be excited. There was difficulty moving and adjusting to the New World with short growing seasons and harsh climates. However, Canada was at the forefront of an agricultural phenomenon that would place it on the world stage. A simple seed brought over from Europe mixed with some Canadian ingenuity created a plant incredible enough to share with the world yet unique enough to stay our own.

Bibliography 1. Wheat-gateway.org.uk. 2020. Goldendrop (Golden Drop) - Wheat Database Gateway Portal - Brockwell Bake. [online] Available at: <http://www.wheat-gateway.org.uk/hub.php? ID=43> 2. Cambell, A. and James-abra, E., 2013. Wheat | The Canadian Encyclopedia. [online] Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Available at: <https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/wheat> 3. Fedak, G., 2013. Marquis Wheat | The Canadian Encyclopedia. [online] Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Available at: <https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marquis-wheat> 4. Symko, S., 1999. From A Single Seed Tracing The Marquis Wheat Success Story In Canada To Its Roots In The Ukraine. [online] Iceagefarmer.com. Available at: <http://www.iceagefarmer.com/docs/StephanSymko-FromaSingleSeed.pdf> 5. Kohler, N., 2020. Marquis Wheat. [online] gristandtoll.com. Available at: <https://www.gristandtoll.com/marquis-wheat/\> 6. A Bread Affair. 2016. Marquis Wheat: A History Of Wheat Developed To Grow In Canada | A Bread Affair. [online] Available at: <https://abreadaffair.com/bakery-vancouver/marquiswheat-a-history-of-wheat-developed-to-grow-in-canada/> 7. Workman, D., 2020. Wheat Exports By Country. [online] World's Top Exports. Available at: <http://www.worldstopexports.com/wheat-exports-country/> 8. Cbc.ca. 2001. Age Of Prosperity. [online] Available at: <https://www.cbc.ca/history/SECTIONSE1EP11CH1LE.html> 9. Agric.gov.ab.ca. n.d. Agriculture And Forestry : Decision Making Tools. [online] Available at: <https://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app19/calc/crop/bushel2tonne.jsp> 10. Www150.statcan.gc.ca. 2020. Thank You To Canadian Farmers: Insights On Their Vital Role In Canada's Food Chain. [online] Available at: <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11627-m/11-627-m2020037-eng.htm> 11. McCallum, B., & DePauw, R. (2008). A review of wheat cultivars grown in the Canadian prairies. Cdnsciencepub.com. Retrieved 16 November 2020, from https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4141/CJPS07159.

Cassava Production and Consumption in Brazil Leah Smolkin

Cassava is an edible plant native to South America, with Brazil currently being the thirdlargest producer in the world [1]. In Brazil, it is mainly consumed after boiling, but is also commonly used to make tapioca, cassava flour, breads, and starch, and can be brewed to be an alcoholic beverage [2]. The northeast region of Brazil produces the most cassava, with 45% of Brazil’s cassava production coming from this region [3]. Cassava is a plant fairly resilient to climate change; it is able to grow in infertile and acid soil (pH<4.4) and is also able to tolerate droughts [4].

Cassava growth is on the rise globally, especially in developing countries, due to its resilience and high protein and carbohydrate levels [5]. Overall, the cultivation of cassava takes anywhere from 6-12 months, depending on soil quality, irrigation, and the type of crop. Cassava is a root, so it is mainly hand-harvested by cutting the stem, leaving the lower part stem as a handle to pull the root out of the ground. The upper parts of the plants are often propagated and a high yield is considered to be 30-40 tonnes per hectare [6]. Often, when the cassava is harvested, it is quickly sold, typically within 24 hours, to a processing factory, to be turned into cassava starch. This is due to the crop quickly oxidizing, turning brown and black within 3 days [4]. This quick oxidation process, called physiological deterioration (PPD), is one of the largest issues that cassava producers face when dealing with the crop, and it limits them from exporting the root itself abroad [4]. When the crop reaches the factory, its starch content is tested. The cassava is then cleaned, peeled, and chopped into a slurry [4]. The slurry is filtered using a variety of meshes and separators to attain starch [4]. Overall, this process is heavily waterdependent due to the filtration process [4]. The starch factories are conscious of their water usage and try to optimize this process. Cassava is familiar to many countries in different forms and dishes. The cassava starch is a staple in many Brazilian dishes; such as feijoada, which uses toasted cassava starch, rice, and beans to make a meal [7]; and beiju, which is a crepe-like dish. Cassava starch is also used to make tapioca. Within South America, a popular dessert called sagu is made of tapioca pearls, red wine, and sugar [8].

Tapioca was eventually spread globally and reached Taiwan in the early 1900s [9]. Taiwan is where bubble tea originated, otherwise known as boba, which utilized the tapioca to make the pearls in the tea-based drink [9]. Since bubble tea is popular worldwide, tapioca has become synonymous with the drink. Tapioca also appears in other dishes around the world, such as tapioca pudding in North America and tapioca chips in Southeast Asia. Cassava production will likely grow globally over the coming years, as it is starting to be viewed as a multipurpose crop [5]. It is also believed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that cassava will likely be a helpful crop in developing countries and in the face of increased climate change [5]. Cassava byproducts, such as cassava flour and starch, can also begin to diminish and replace the need for imported goods in developing countries, like wheat flour. Due to its resilience and high yields, it is believed that cassava production will both develop the economy in rural areas and provide food security [5]. Its flexibility also allows for it to be prepared and consumed in many ways, and is a high source of carbohydrates.

It is also predicted to be one of the crops least affected by climate change in 2030 [5] due to its resilience while being grown. Despite that, it is still being negatively affected by certain pests and diseases that accompany climate change, like the mealybug and cassava brown streak disease [10]. It is likely that cassava will become more widespread, especially in regions that become more affected by climate change and begin to see inconsistent weather patterns. One surprising use of cassava is within the biofuel field. Cassava is starting to be used to produce bioethanol, which is ethanol produced from plants and can be used to substitute gasoline [5]. This bioethanol can be produced using cassava chips, starch, or the root [11]. Cassava chips are an efficient way to prolong the short life of the cassava root. Moreover, these chips are often a good option when producing bioethanol because they are cheap to transport, and because of their lightweight, especially for energy plants that are not close to cassava farms [11]. Starch also has a low transportation cost, but there is a large demand for starch in other industries [11]. Roots are overall cheaper to purchase than chips or starch, but their short shelf life and high travel costs often limit their usage [11]. Overall, cassava is a highly versatile crop that has a history in Brazil’s culinary culture, while also acting as an innovative crop that is helping to tackle the modern-day issues of climate change and food insecurity. It will be interesting to see how cassava will be applied in the future in relation to climate change and how agricultural practices change due to a possible growing demand for cassava.

Bibliography 1. Production of Cassava: Top 10 producers. (2018). Retrieved October 18, 2020, from http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/ 2. Cassava. (2019). Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/cassava 3. Chuzel, G. (2001). The Cassava Processing Industry in Brazil: Traditional Techniques, Technological Developments, Innovations and New Markets. African Journal of Food and Nutritional Security, 1(1). doi:10.4314/fns.v1i1.19233 4. Breuninger, W. F., Piyachomkwan, K., & Sriroth, K. (2009). Tapioca/Cassava Starch. Starch, 541-568. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-746275-2.00012-4 5. A 21st century crop. (2016). Retrieved October 18, 2020, from http://www.fao.org/ag/save-and-grow/cassava/en/1/index.html 6. Reddy, J. (2015). Cassava Cultivation. Cassava Cultivation Information Guide. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.agrifarming.in/cassava-cultivation-informationguide 7. Esposito, S. (2014, June 13). How to Make Feijoada, Brazil's National Dish, Including a Recipe From Emeril Lagasse. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Celebrate-Brazil-with-Emerils-Feijoada180951699/ 8. TasteAtlas. (2016, May 22). Sagu: Traditional Dessert From South Region: TasteAtlas. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.tasteatlas.com/sagu 9. Nguyen-Okwu, L. (2019, March 06). Boba Explained: A Taxonomy of Taipei's Bubble Tea. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.eater.com/2019/3/6/18240387/bobamilk-bubble-tea-explained-how-to-order 10. Food Climate Research Network (FCRN): Knowledge for better food systems. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.fcrn.org.uk/research-library/cassava-keyfood-security-because-its-climate-change-resilience 11. Sriroth, K., Wanlapatit, S., & Piyachomkwan, K. (2012). Cassava Bioethanol. Bioethanol. doi:10.5772/23112

CAFE PEY Mixer

OCTOBER 15 2020

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOOD INDUSTRY FROM UOFT ALUMNI On the evening of Oct 15, 2020, CAFE held its first virtual PEY Mixer event. A panel of seven professionals was invited to talk about their experiences in the food industry. This provided a great opportunity for students searching for PEY placements or lower year students learning more about the works of food manufacturing companies. The speakers include Rohit Zachariah from Labatt Brewing Company, Patrick Polvorosa from Mar-Kov Computer Systems, Jonathan Almeida from Upfield, Mariel Albarico, a former president of CAFE, from Nestle, Praneet Bagga and Twinkle Choubey from Mondelez, and Walter Kraus from PLZ Aeroscience Corporation and Weston Foods. Each panelist had the chance to talk about their careers, describe what roles they fulfill at their respective companies, and shared tips on resume building and interview skills. The career path of a food engineer can be very broad.

Their responsibilities can range from improving processes, developing new products, examining the sustainability of different packaging materials, improving brand name, and many more. Aside from each speaker taking the time to talk about themselves, the attendees also got the chance to speak with the speakers in smaller groups. During the breakout groups that are placed between the speaker presentations, each speaker was put in a breakout room with three or four attendees.

The attendees had the chance to ask more specific questions that they had in mind. Throughout the event, the speakers gave useful advice to the attendees, both for the workforce and in general. Advice like balancing school and personal life, keeping one page of condensed information on your resume, trying out new career fields to find which one suits you best, leveraging your personal networks, and applying to companies that share your values are to just name a few. All in all, be sure to do your research on the company before applying to their positions. It is also recommended to tailor-make your resume for positions that require different skills.

The seven speakers from the PEY Mixer event educated the attendees about the food industry and gave them valuable tips for job hunting in the field of food engineering. For more useful events like this, consider signing up as a CAFE general member.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ADD A DOZEN PARTICIPANTS, A BUNCH OF FUN TRIVIA QUESTIONS, AND A $25 CHARITY DONATION PRIZE? CAFE'S JEOPARDY NIGHT! On December 2nd, 7-8PM, CAFE's incredible magazine team hosted their very first event - an online Jeopardy Night! Although CAFE was not able to host this event inperson, it went off without a hitch! The organization and planning by the magazine team allowed this event to run smoothly even though it was virtual! The event focused on the magazine’s first edition theme: International Agriculture. The question categories were based on continents: Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, South America and North America. Difficulty level of the questions was "GPA" themed, ranging from 2.7 to 4.0 points. As participants joined the Zoom call, they were organized into three teams - Team Apple,

Orange and Banana. The order in which teams played was decided by random draw. Teams then got to go in order choosing a category and difficulty level. They were presented with their chosen question, and had one minute on the clock to answer! If the team got the correct answer, they were awarded the number of points associated with the question's difficulty level. If incorrect, the question was then given to the next team for a chance to steal points! After 7 rounds, the competition was close, with all three teams merely a couple points apart! To end the game off with an exciting twist, the last round was a lightning round! A question was given to the participants and whoever was able to correctly answer the question the fastest got the points for their team!

Ultimately after 8 exciting rounds, Team Apple took home the win as well as a $25 charity donation prize! Team Apple chose to put the donation towards Nisa Homes, a charity that provides shelter for women who are muslim, refugees, and more, who are at risk of homelessness. Thanks to the efforts of the magazine team as well as all the wonderful participants, CAFE's Jeopardy Night was a fun night for everyone!

CAFE RESEARCH PANEL On November 26, CAFE’s first official online Research Panel took place, and it delivered on the anticipation that it had developed. How can a research panel take place without a podium, stage, or mic, you may ask? Well, given the circumstances, CAFE had to get creative! With some planning and an incredible group of panelists, CAFE managed to pull off a virtual research panel! The incredible panelists included ChemE Undergraduate Advisor, Vanessa Andres, Professor Don Mercer, and Professor Levente Diosady, as well as research students Diana Teichman, Kiki Chan, and Willa Wei. Vanessa spoke about research funding offered by the ChemE Department at UofT for those who have secured a research position. A sentence that had giggles across the zoom call was when Professor Mercer was speaking about his work experience prior to becoming a Professor and said, “One of the continuing stories of my life is everywhere I work decides to close down.” Professor Mercer also emphasized the flexibility that comes with being a Chemical Engineer throughout his presentation, including “Chemical Engineering may seem like it’s taking you in an ever-converging path but when you get to the end of it you are going to realize just how divergent and how many things are open to you as a graduate engineer in training or someone going into a, a further graduate level.”

Professor Diosady also spoke about the diversity that comes with being a Chemical Engineer: “A colleague of mine described Chemical Engineering as universal engineering which is a very good way of saying it because we do have a chance of doing everything.” He also spoke about the development and production of double fortified salt (DFS). Something that was particularly surprising was the statistics associated with using double fortified salt on children in a pilot study in India: “three and a half million kids who were given one lunch cooked with double fortified salt per day and in one year the number of anemia cases decreased by 34%, which means more or less we cured a million kids with anemia under the cost of maybe 20 cents per person.” Diana, Kiki, and Willa spoke about their research in Food Engineering under the supervision of Professor Diosady. What made these student presentations particularly unique was that Diana, Kiki, and Willa are pursuing different levels of degrees at the moment – Diana is a MASC candidate, Kiki is a Ph.D. candidate, and Willa is a third-year BASc student in Chemical Engineering. CAFE’s first online research panel provided a fantastic foundation to anyone interested in doing research in food engineering, whether there are undergraduate or graduate students, as well as the flexibility of being a Chemical Engineer. What a great educational event!

Fun Fact: Popcorn The Process Behind Making Popcorn Pop!

Many varieties of maize are grown. However, only one of these varieties actually pops - it's known as the Zea Mays Everta. Once the maize plants have been become fully mature, the cobs of corn are then picked and put through a combine. The combine's purpose is to remove the individual kernels from each cob. Kernels require a specific condition in order to pop - they need to maintain a moisture level of around 14%. In order to achieve this, the kernels dry in a special container. Once dry, these kernels are ready to pop! When a popcorn kernel is heated (at around 400 to 600 degrees F), the internal moisture of the kernel transforms into steam. This creates sufficient pressure for the starch present in the kernel to burst. The amount of this pressure is so massive that the kernels turn inside out as they pop!

THANK YOU! On behalf of CAFE, thank you for taking the time to check out The Engineer's Bite! This project has been a labour of love, and we could not be more proud to present you with the first edition of our magazine! Special thanks to CAFE's incredibly dedicated magazine team, who put together The Engineer's Bite in a matter of months. Your hard work and passion are truly appreciated. Want to keep up with CAFE? Check us out at @uoftcafe on Instagram or https://uoftcafe.skule.ca/