Laboratory on the Dining Table: The Little-Known Engineer Behind Delicacies
Even for Hongkongers who rarely travel, it should be common knowledge that organic grass-fed beef from Australia, strawberries from Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, and mangos from Pingtung in Taiwan are almost always tasty. It might be because Hong Kong imports about 90% of its food. Behind the scenes, a group of people strive to get us gourmet foods from around the world, many of them were trained up by Dr. Man Ka Mun, Carmen.
Dr. Man has enjoyed cooking as a child and has developed unique opinions on the processes from ingredient selection to food preservation. (Photo provided by interviewee)
Dr. Man, presenter of CIBS programme Laboratory on the Dining Table, is a lecturer at the Department of Food and Health Sciences at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi). She previously worked as a merchandiser who frequently travelled to Taiwan, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and many more places to scour for first-rate food ingredients at the best prices to be imported to Hong Kong.
“People in the food industry must be conscientious and down to earth, because their every decision should be made in accordance with the law and consumer preferences. They must look into what raw ingredients are used in a product, and its production and packing processes. They must also ensure it contains no prohibited preservatives or heavy metals, and no excessive residual pesticides or bacteria. We must not callously take just any imported goods from unknown origins to our consumers. I think most of those who work in the food industry have these in mind, especially in Hong Kong,” Dr. Man said firmly.
Dr. Man says that, though food science does not make one rich, it should not become a secondary industry. After all, people have to eat. (Photo provided by interviewee)
Consumers have different shopping habits. Some pay more attention to prices. Others worry about expiry dates. Still more focus on places of origin. Dr. Man likened herself to a coroner, “Sometimes I also think I’ve gone over the top. Before making a purchase, I will examine the food package, ingredients, nutrition label to imagine its taste, then decide if it’s of good value, just like a coroner poring over a corpse.” She also believed that, when it comes to food, budget may not be a concern for some Hongkongers who are willing to pay thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars for delicacies. For them, gourmet savouring is a form of enjoyment in which quality of food reigns supreme, not prices.
Upon discovering Hongkongers’ urge for superb foods, Dr. Man pioneered various food science research. The aim was to satisfy their demand for information such as food origin, technology, and tastes, and at the same time, to improve local food processing and reduce food poisoning.
An electronic tongue imitates the human one for food tasting. The data it obtained can be used to formulate a taste label on the menu. (Photo provided by interviewee)
In the CIBS programme Laboratory on the Dining Table, she shared intriguing new developments in food safety technology such as the “electronic tongue” and “nano bubble”. She also teamed up with experts on food science and food technology to explore topics such as bread baking, soy sauce fermentation, rice growing, etc. Through the programme, she hoped to pass on the message – “There is a group of people who, by defending food safety, safeguards Hongkongers' health and quality of life, so that people can buy their foods with their minds at ease.”
