APPLYING MATHEMATICS IN FOOD

Simi Felix
II year B.Ed. Mathematics
Mount Carmel College Of Teacher Education For Women, Kottayam

Abstract
Food has evolved into something that is closely related to pleasure
and pleasure comes with specific calculated amount of chemo
receptors being stimulated. This specific number can actually be
decided by measuring quantities, volumes, etc. Using mathematics
we can make food tastier for our craving receptors. The everyday
context of food serves as a vehicle to engage for exploring the
mathematical ideas of ratios, percentage, etc. This study aim to
engage the readers because of its connection to everyday life and
the mathematical ideas of measurement and ratio.

Key terms : Culinary, Key terms U.S. measurement system, metric

measurement system, ingredient ratio, as purchased quantity, edible
portion quantity, cooking time.

Introduction
Yearning for knowledge in the field of mathematics is shortened by
excavating for the aesthetic elements in the purest abstract
formulas. Mathematics provides an effective way of building mental
discipline and encourages logical reasoning and mental rigor. In
addition, mathematical knowledge plays a crucial role in
understanding the contents of other school subjects such as science,
social studies and even music and arts. Mathematical application
focuses on extending the mathematical skills and knowledge of
students in both familiar and new contexts. Some of these contexts
include financial modelling, matrices, network analysis, route and
project planning, decision making, and discrete growth and decay.
Cooks and chefs use mathematics constantly from measurements to
ratios to conversions. Ingredients must be measured and scaled
accurately. Food production quantities are calculated and recipes are
increased or decreased to scale based on demand. Math is used for
portion control to maintain consistency in production and to
compute food cost.

NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE

Mathematics is the science that deals with the logic of shape,
quantity, and arrangement. Mathematical tools are used for
statistical analysis to monitor and control the quality of food
products. Food scientists use mathematical concepts to scale recipes
up and down to meet production requirements. Mathematical
calculations are essential for determining ingredient proportions,
adjusting serving sizes, and ensuring consistent product quality.
Mathematics is used to design and optimize packaging materials,
taking into account factors like the permeability of materials to
gases, moisture, and light. Mathematical calculations are essential
for determining the nutritional content of food products. This
includes calculating nutrient composition, energy content, and
recommended daily allowances.

TITLE OF THE STUDY

The title of my study is “A STUDY ON APPLICATION OF
MATHEMATICS IN FOOD”.
OBJECTIVES
• To analyse the US measurement system and metric
measurement system.
• To analyse the application of mathematics behind the selection
and use of culinary.
• To find out the application of mathematics behind food recipes.
• To analyse the application of mathematics behind in-purchase
quantity and edible quantity of food.
• To find out the application of mathematics behind the cooking
time of a dish.
• To illustrate the mathematics behind the preparation of Avial.

METHODOLOGY
The method adopted for this study was descriptive analysis. This
project is conducted based on secondary data. After designing the
topic and objectives of the study, relevant data was collected from
various secondary sources like research articles, internet, e-
book, etc.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

The analysis and interpretation of the study based on the data
collected from different sources, which includes U.S.
measurement system and various metric measurement system,
standardized recipes, as purchased and edible portion
quantity, cooking time.

I) MATHEMATICS BEHIND SELECTION AND USE OF CULINARY.

Mathematics play a critical role in culinary arts. Obliging tools like
spoons, scales, and measuring cups assist in composing a lavish
recipe. The U.S. measurement system is based on ounces and
pounds for weight and cups, quarts and gallons for volume
measurement. While length is measured in inches, feet, and miles,
temperatures are scaled according to the Fahrenheit, using 32
degrees as the freezing point of water and 212 degrees as its boiling
point.
However most of the world uses the metric system that measures
quantities for weight, volume, and length in the multiples of 10, 100,
and 1000. Volume is based on litres and millilitres, weight is
measured in grams and kilograms, and length is measured in
millilitres and meters. Temperatures are calculated using Celsius,
which is based on 0-100 degrees, representing the freezing point and
boiling point of water, respectively.

a) Use of mathematics in culinary.

Through mathematics, we can learn the universal

abbreviation for measurement. We can familiarize with
the common conversion between cups, pints, quarts, and
gallons. Mathematics can enable us to know and
understand the difference of measuring a dry measure
and a liquid measure. Mathematics can help to memorize
how many ounces are in a pound, half pound, or quarter
pound. Mastering of basic conversion between weight
and volume for selecting ingredients can be done through
knowing mathematics.

b) Weight and volume measurement.

Professional kitchen commonly use weight as a measure

for dry ingredients and volume measurement for liquid.
Recipe geared towards home cooks use volume to
measure both.
Volume is not same as weight and can have widely
varying results. Volume works quite well for liquid like
 water or milk, but can be less predictable towards dry
ingredients.
Weight is absolute and for that reason, measuring by
weight is a more reliable method. Professional bakers and
pastry chefs use weight to measure almost everything
including flour, sugar, eggs, and liquids.
More and more chefs rely on weight for measurement
today than ever before. Many United States chefs now
use metrics because of better accuracy when measuring
small quantities of additives used in molecular cooking. In
a professional kitchen weight should be standard practice.

II) MATHEMATICS BEHIND FOOD RECIPES.

Most kitchens use recipes to a certain extent, some more than
others, standardized recipes are important to service operations
because they provide consistency and uniformity. These recipes are
usually developed and food costs are calculated by the chef or
culinary team to suit the needs of the operations and to determine
selling prices. Standard recipes include yield portion size, ingredients,
portion cost, and menu price.
Recipes often need to be increased or decreased in quantity for a
specific production requirement. These are ways to increase a recipe
by simple multiples, doubles, or triples. When a recipe needs to be
converted into odd size like an increase of 40% or decrease of 20%, it
is better to determine a Recipe Conversion Factor (RCF).

Measurement Conversion
Measurement often needs converting back and forth from larger
units to smaller ones when scaling recipes or when determining
purchase quantities based on edible portion size.
a) Converting to smaller units

➢ Multiply pound by 16 to get the total ounces.

For example : 3 Lb × 16 Oz = 48 Oz

➢ Multiply quarter by 32 to get the total fluid ounces.

For example : 2 Qt × 32 Oz = 64 Oz

➢ Multiply cups by 8 to get the total fluid ounces in a cup.

For example : 3 cups × 8 Oz = 24 fl.Oz

➢ Multiply cups by 16 to get the total tablespoon of day

weight.
For example : 2 cup × 16 Tb = 32 Tb

➢ Multiply Gallons by 4 quarts.

For example : 5 G × 4 Qt = 20 Qt

b) Converting to larger units

➢ Divide ounces by 16 to get the total pounds.

For example : 56 Oz/ 16 ounces = 3 Lb.8 Oz

➢ Divide fluid ounces by 32 to fluid quartz

For example : 16 Qt/ 4 = 4 quarts.

➢ Divide dry tablespoon by 16 to get the total cups.

For example : 20 Tb/16 = 1 ¼ C

III) AS PURCHASED QUANTITY AND EDIBLE PORTION

QUANTITY USING MATHEMATICS
Buying minimally processed, freshly produced meat, fish, and
seafood often requires trimming, fabricating, and portioning food.
Food purchased in this state are often called As Purchased (AP) or
As Purchased Quantity (APQ). In house yield tests should be done
because products will vary depending on their sizes, quality, type
of crop, the growing season, and regional differences. If you are
purchasing locally sourced food, uniformity is even less
predictable, so conducting edible portion yield tests is a good
idea. Once a product is cleaned, trimmed, or portioned, it is called
the Edible Portion (EP) or Edible Portion Quantity (EPQ). Edible
portions rely on mathematics because it reflects the true quantity
needed and true cost of the food.
The edible portion is the yield after the product is trimmed to use.
Being by weight the product before cleaning, trim, fabricate, and
portion of the product. Weigh the edible portion and divide it by
the As Purchased weight. This will give you percentage.
Formula : EP weight/AP weight = EP percentage (%)

Calculating the As Purchased Quantity based on Edible Portion

Percentage
The edible portion is the yield after the product is trimmed to use.
Being by weight the product before cleaning, trim, fabricate, and
portion of the product. Weigh the edible portion and divide it by
the As Purchased weight. This will give you percentage:/
EPQ/ Yield percentage = APQ
Portion size × Number of portions = Total EPQ needed

a) Mathematics in trimming

All food operations have waste and trim that must be factored
into the cost of doing business. Wasting resources, whether
they are food, labour, or utilities, wipes out profits and along
with the theft is a major reason why food operators fail. The
job of a good chef is to manage resources and minimize the
waste by monitoring usage and keeping detailed records.
 When we buy vegetables and prepare it, there is almost some
waste or trim. Some produce has very little trim and some have
a lot. Produce in general has a yield percentage, which can give
you a good idea of how much of what you buy is
going to be usable.

Usable Trim has values to a food service operations. A creative

chef finds ways to use trim and leftovers. Reducing waste and
repurposing leftovers also saved by lowering the cost
of waste removal.

b) Use of mathematics in ingredient ratio

While every professional kitchen uses recipes for specific

preparations most food production follows routine techniques
and procedures that cooks learn through practice and
repetition. Ratio aid in recipe analysis and formulation and
opens up a chef's creativity to modify and create new recipes
while helping achieve a better understanding of science of
cooking. Conventional recipes use specific ingredient
measurement, culinary ratios, and a fixed proportion of
ingredients in relation to one another. Instead of measuring by
cups or pounds, ingredients are defined in "parts" that are
related to each other in quantity. By using ratios, production
can easily scale to the desired quantity. Ratio can also be used
to develop recipes, which can be evaluated through ratio
analysis to test for accuracy.

IV) MATHEMATICS BEHIND COOKING TIME

Mathematics show up in many aspects of cooking and baking,
including converting temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit,
changing the quantities of ingredients provided by a recipe, and
working out cooking times based on weight. Sometimes a recipe
might provide cooking temperature in Celsius, both the dial of
your range displays Fahrenheit and vice versa. Weight, cooking
time, and temperature are interrelated.
The formula for calculating cooking time is :
Cooking time = Weight × Temperature

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

A chef's routine includes simple to complex mathematical
calculations. Examples include counting portions, increasing a
recipe yield, determining a ratio for preparing a stock, calculating
a plate cost of establishing a food for labour budget. Culinary
mathematics begins with the ratio, yields, and percentages.
Ingredients must be measured and scaled accurately. Food
production quantities are calculated and recipes are increased or
decreased to scale based on demand. Mathematics is used for
proportion and portion control to maintain consistency in
production and to compute food cost. Mastering mathematics
leads to better results in the kitchen through accuracy
and consistency.

REFERENCES
i) James A B, 1985, “Culinary Arts For You”
www.theculinarypro.com

ii) Ahmed Khaeril,2007, “Analysis of cooking terminology”

www.sciencing.com

iii) Abza Bharadwaj, 2021, Understanding food and culture”

www.academia.edu

iv) Leicha Bragg, 2011, “Food for thought: Mathematics of the

kitchen garden” www.math.ca