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How are instant noodles made? What is so seductive about chocolate? Are food additives really harmful? Answers to these questions and more can be found at the latest exhibition of the Hong Kong Science Museum, "It's a Tasty World - Food Science Now!".
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and with exhibits produced and supplied by the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Japan, the exhibition will be open to the public from tomorrow (October 14) until February 1, 2012, at the Hong Kong Science Museum.
Featuring more than 60 interactive exhibits, the exhibition will explain, from a scientific perspective, why we find some foods delicious. It also describes the production process for packaged foods, explains various methods of food preservation, demonstrates the recycling of food waste, and tells us why we should think seriously about the food crisis and food in the future. Visitors will gain a better understanding of food science, including its myths and facts.
Officiating at today's (October 13) opening ceremony were the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui; the Director of Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Division, Consulate-General of Japan, Mr Hitoshi Kikuchi; the Chief Executive Director of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Japan, Dr Mamoru Mohri, and the Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Science Museum, Mr Michael Wong.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms Hui noted that Japanese food is so popular in Hong Kong that Japanese restaurants can be found in almost every corner in the city. She said that the exhibition, which was developed in Japan with a focus on Japanese food, would enable visitors to learn more about Japan's food culture.
Divided into six sections, the exhibition looks at food in the light of cutting-edge science and technology, including its tastes and smells, food production efficiency, food quality and safety, health, the finite nature of our planet's resources, and the importance of regionality and cultural background.
Section one focuses on taste, showing visitors how our body tastes food and detects new flavours from different food combinations. Visitors can even wear a specially designed costume which will give a hint of how our tongue recognises taste. Visitors will also be able to learn about the food cultures of China, the United Kingdom, Japan, Thailand, Korea, France and India through attractive dining table settings featured in the exhibition.
The second section takes a look at the mass production of food and explains why factory farming is necessary for food production. Visitors will learn about growing crops without using soil, understand the advantages of factory farming and discover how to increase crop yield accordingly. The exhibition also features specially designed equipment that allows the cook to deliver the food to customers in the fastest and most convenient way.
Section three focuses on preservation technology. Various methods of preserving food and associated scientific principles, including canning technology, "space food" and frozen-food technology will be introduced. Visitors will be shown how "freezing" technology keeps tuna fresh by not damaging the cells. They will also find out how cup noodles are connected to the development of space food technology.
Section four looks at the food of the future. It illustrates the nutrients that are essential to our bodies and how different food combinations affect our absorption of nutrients.
Section five looks into the problems of food disposal. The exhibition shows visitors how Japan deals with food waste, including the establishment of a food bank, generation of electricity and ecofeed for pigs as well as reduction of food waste. "Ecofeed" demonstrates how food waste can be used to feed pigs after processing - and how then when these pigs mature, they will become our food again.
The final section focuses on the issues of health and the food crisis. Related issues, such as mad cow disease, food additives, nutritional labelling, use-by-dates and food safety are covered.
In addition to the exhibits provided by the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Japan, the Hong Kong Science Museum has also specially developed some exhibits to show visitors how to make good use of food waste, explain more about food labelling and describe the food production process in Hong Kong. A touch-screen computer game will allow visitors to move around every corner of the kitchen and search for any recyclable food waste, while an air-sealed recycling bin shows visitors a simple method for domestic food waste recycling.
The Hong Kong Science Museum is located at 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East. It is open from 1pm to 9pm from Monday to Wednesday and on Fridays, and from 10am to 9pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It is closed on Thursdays (except public holidays). Admission is $30 with half-price concession for full-time students, people with disabilities and senior citizens aged 60 or above. Free admission on Wednesdays is not applicable to this exhibition.
For details of the exhibition, visit the Hong Kong Science Museum's website at hk.science.museum, or call 2732 3232.
Ends/Thursday, October 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:26
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