Dr. Michael Torres, PhD
Food Chemistry Columnist
PhD in Food Science from Cornell University. Researches Maillard reactions, nutrient bioavailability, and food processing effects on micronutrient content. Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Essays by Dr.
food-scienceSaturated Fat: What Sixty Years of Research Actually Shows
The saturated fat hypothesis dominated cardiovascular nutrition guidance for over half a century. The research base it was built on has been re-examined, replicated, partially reversed, and re-litigated multiple times. The honest version of the current evidence is more nuanced than either the original orthodoxy or the contemporary backlash suggests.
food-scienceProbiotics Are Not Interchangeable: Strain Specificity Is the Whole Story
The supplement industry sells probiotics by genus and species. The clinical research operates at the strain level. The difference between Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 is roughly the difference between two different drugs, and most consumers do not know it.
micronutrientsCholine: The Essential Nutrient Almost No One Tracks
Choline was formally classified as essential by the National Academies in 1998, yet it is absent from most nutrition labels and most dietary tracking apps. Roughly 90% of American adults consume below the Adequate Intake — a gap with measurable consequences for liver, brain, and pregnancy outcomes.
food-scienceArtificial Sweeteners in 2026: An Updated Risk Assessment
The safety debate around artificial sweeteners has shifted significantly since the WHO's 2023 advisory on aspartame. Here is where the science stands now — and where the uncertainty remains.
food-scienceHow to Read a Nutrition Label Without a Chemistry Degree
Nutrition labels were designed for regulatory compliance, not for clarity. Here is how to extract useful information from a panel that was never built with you in mind.
food-scienceUltra-Processed Food: What the NOVA Classification Actually Tells Us
NOVA has reshaped how researchers talk about food processing. It has also introduced ambiguities that make 'ultra-processed' a less precise category than most people assume.