The exhibition, which focuses on the relationship between human beings and food, has been adapted by the Ciudad Ciencia project.

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From today, the CSIC is offering interested organisations the exhibition The molecules we eat, a proposal by the Spanish Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM) adapted for touring by the Science City project. The exhibition focuses on the fundamental role that food plays in people’s lives, explains the intervention of senses such as smell and taste in this process and details the biological mechanisms that our body uses to digest what we eat. For Isabel Varela, a researcher at the CSIC and president of the SEBBM, the exhibition “provides the keys to being aware of what we eat and observing how our organism reacts”.

The molecules we eat also reflect how humans have introduced different products and ingredients into their diet and how this has given them an evolutionary advantage. In fact, we are the only species that cooks its food. Another point where the exhibition stops is in our kitchens, authentic flavour laboratories where chemical reactions such as caramelisation and fermentation take place, and where avant-garde techniques such as gelling and spherification are used.

CSIC research into food and food safety also forms part of the content, with examples such as the development of ‘hydrolysed’ egg whites or biodegradable packaging that extends the life of foodstuffs. The texts also debunk some false food myths related to chocolate, honey or gluten, clarify why we are so attracted to ultra-processed foods and how the absorption of nutrients and a balanced diet are key to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or obesity.

The exhibition, aimed at the general public and students, consists of 20 panels and is part of the CSIC’s travelling exhibitions.