Functional Food and Drink: What’s for Lunch in the Global Cafeteria?

If food is chemistry, how do our bodies get what is needed for lunch? How does that change when tables are being set in Afghanistan, the United States, or Chile? What do farmers, food companies, or consumers consider nutritionally packed food when food allergies, celiac disease, cultural preferences, obesity, or famine roam the aisles of the global supermarket? How does chemistry help deliver protein, carbohydrates, fat, and flavor? And what is functional food anyway?

About the Speakers

Emily Levitt Ruppert received her PhD in international nutrition and MS in community nutrition from Cornell University. Her undergraduate work, also at Cornell, was focused on an independent major in nutrition and international development. She has most recently served as an independent consultant and research advisor to the Afghanistan Institute of Nutrition and Home Economics.

Jesse Smith is the director of curatorial affairs and digital content at the Science History Institute, where he oversees collecting activities and interpretive projects in the public history of science and technology. He is the curator of Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray, which is on view through January 2026. He was the curator of Downstream, a temporary exhibition on the history of water analysis and protection, which received a 2022 Institutional Achievement Award from PA Museums, a 2022 Award of Excellence from the American Association of State and Local History, and the 2022 Dibner Award for Excellence in Museum Exhibits from the Society for the History of Technology.

Jesse is also the associate editor of the journal History and Technology. His writing has appeared in a variety of publications including the Washington Post and the exhibition catalog Pool: A Social History of Segregation. Jesse received his PhD in the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sam Tharpe is a master flavorist working and living in the New York City metropolitan area. With over 35 years of experience in the industry he has developed flavors for beverages, confections, pet food, and pharmaceuticals. He strives to make the world a better tasting place. Working with food companies, he is on the forefront of trends in the food industry.

Tharpe is a graduate of Bridgewater College holding a bachelor of science degree. He was trained as a flavorist in Owings Mills, Maryland, through Naarden International. He is a certified member of the Society of Flavor Chemists having passed his certification testing in 1999. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Science History Institute and chairs the Affiliate Council.

About the Series

The Joseph Priestley Society (JPS) promotes a deeper understanding of science, technology, and industry, with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. Speakers are leaders from a wide variety of large and small chemical companies and the financial, consulting, and academic communities. Watch past events at sciencehistory.org/jpsvideos.

For more information about this event, please contact jps@sciencehistory.org.

Featured image: Page from The Hercules Mixer, Volume 26, January–December 1944.