On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1244

majestic; her Face oblong, fair, but wrinkled; her Eyes small, yet black and pleasant; her Nose a little hooked; her Lips narrow, and her Teeth black; (a defect the English seem subject to, from their too great use of Sugar)… We now know that certain kinds of Streptococcus bacteria colonize the mouth and cling to undisturbed surfaces, where they live on food residues, converting sugars into sticky “plaque” carbohydrates that anchor and protect them, and into defensive acids that eat away at tooth enamel and so cause decay Clearly, the more food there is for the bacteria, the more active they will be, and hard sugar candies that slowly dissolve in the mouth provide a feast for them But pure sugar is not the only culprit in tooth decay Starchy foods like bread, cereals, pasta, and potato chips are also harmful because they stick to the teeth and then are broken down into sugars by enzymes in the saliva A few other foods, notably chocolate, cocoa, and licorice extract among candy ingredients, as well as coffee, tea, beer, and some cheeses, actually inhibit decay-causing bacteria There’s evidence that phenolic compounds interfere with the adhesion of bacteria to the teeth The sugar alcohols in low-calorie candies (p 662) are generally not metabolized by bacteria in the mouth and don’t contribute to tooth decay Caramel Food Colorings Cooks have been confecting caramel candies and syrups for many centuries, and have been making “burnt” sugar for its brown color since ancient times The commercial production of caramel syrups as food colorings began in Europe and the United States in the middle of the 19th century They’re now the most common food coloring, and provide the deep brown ... with the adhesion of bacteria to the teeth The sugar alcohols in low-calorie candies (p 662) are generally not metabolized by bacteria in the mouth and don’t contribute to tooth decay Caramel Food Colorings... syrups as food colorings began in Europe and the United States in the middle of the 19th century They’re now the most common food coloring, and provide the deep brown ... the saliva A few other foods, notably chocolate, cocoa, and licorice extract among candy ingredients, as well as coffee, tea, beer, and some cheeses, actually inhibit decay-causing bacteria There’s