Solutions obtained by heating carrot roots in water (stocks) are widely used in the food industry, but little information is available regarding the metabolites (intermediates and products of metabolism) found in the stock. The effect of treatment temperature and duration on the sugar composition of stocks was investigated directly by quantitative (1)H NMR spectroscopy, to understand the extraction mechanism when processing at 100 degrees C. Stocks prepared at three different temperatures (50, 75, and 100 degrees C) were investigated for up to 36 h. Three sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) were detected and quantified. The concentrations of these three sugars reached a maximum after 9 h when the temperature of treatment was 50 or 75 degrees C. At 100 degrees C, the sucrose concentration reached a maximum after 3 h, whereas the concentration of glucose and fructose was still increasing at that time. Comparison of the kinetic composition of these carrot stocks with that of model sugar solutions leads to the proposal that the changes in stock composition result from sugar diffusion, sucrose hydrolysis, and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation.

The scientific strategy of molecular gastronomy includes modelling 'culinary definitions' and experimental explorations of 'culinary precisions'. A formalism that describes complex dispersed systems leads to a physical classification of classical sauces, as well as to the invention of an infinite number of new dishes.

A simple method for the quantitative determination of photosynthetic pigments extracted from green beans using thin-layer chromatography is proposed. Various extraction methods are compared, and it is shown how a simple flatbed scanner and free software for image processing can give a quantitative determination of pigments.

A language is a system of communication, consisting of a set of sounds or written symbols that enable people to communicate. In chemistry, a particular language is required in order to represent the phenomenological world by means of symbols. Choosing the right words and knowing the precise definitions for chemical concepts is needed for avoiding misconceptions. Despite the creation of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), fundamental notions are still undergoing constant debate, in particular concerning the conceptual distinction between element, atom, molecule, compound, chemical species and substance. In this article, we propose to better distinguish categories of chemical objects and their element, and to define a molecule as a stable and electrically neutral chemical entity that exists with a finite number of chemical bonds (0 to n, with n finite number). This new definition implies that noble gases, i.e., reduced to one isolated atom, are made of molecules, that all bonded atoms are atoms, and enables distinguishing both of these from compounds. We insist that chemical education makes a clear difference between objects and categories, emphasizing the importance of understanding that elements and compounds represent categories of nuclei, whereas chemical entities and substances are a sample of matter. We also point out a number of nuances in chemical language, primarily in order to avoid misconceptions regarding the macroscopic physical properties relating to chemical substances and chemical objects.