When Gravity Gets a Bad Rap: A Doctor Dismantles a CEO's Wild Theory on Food Aging

You know, it all started with a simple enough thought, perhaps a fleeting one, from Deepinder Goyal, the man at the helm of Zomato. He took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and tossed out an idea: could food actually age faster because of gravity? Yes, really. He posited, and quite seriously too, that if food is picked up and delivered quickly, it somehow escapes the relentless pull of gravity, thereby extending its freshness. It's a concept that, on the surface, might sound vaguely scientific, a sort of 'gee-whiz' observation.

But then, inevitably, came the rebuttal. And honestly, it was swift and rather emphatic. Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, a liver specialist who’s become something of a vigilant guardian against medical misinformation online—you might know him as TheLiverDoc—stepped in. He didn't mince words, not one bit. Dr. Philips unequivocally labeled Goyal's 'gravity aging' theory as nothing short of "pure pseudo-science" and, frankly, "dangerous."

Now, why dangerous, you might ask? Well, in truth, the implications of such a theory, especially coming from a public figure like a CEO, are not trivial. Dr. Philips highlighted the fundamental lack of any scientific basis. There's no established physics, no chemistry, no biological principle, even a whisper of a hint, that supports the idea of gravity actively aging food in the way Goyal suggested. Food aging, as we understand it, is a complex dance of oxidation, enzymatic reactions, microbial growth, and temperature, among other things—not the steady, unchanging tug of gravity.

Dr. Philips went further, suggesting that such claims, however innocently intended, can be misleading. They can, dare I say, divert attention from the genuine, science-backed factors that truly impact food quality and safety. We're talking about proper storage, refrigeration, hygiene, and the actual time elapsed since preparation. Those are the variables that matter; those are the battles worth fighting for food safety.

In a series of posts that really drove the point home, Dr. Philips not only dismantled the theory but also urged a return to scientific literacy. He questioned the very notion of promoting such an idea, especially when it might subtly, perhaps even subconsciously, influence public perception about food science and, more critically, food safety standards. It’s a crucial reminder that not all observations, however intriguing, hold up to scientific rigor.

And so, what began as a curious musing on social media quickly transformed into a public lesson in critical thinking and the importance of evidence-based understanding. It underscores, yet again, the vital role of scientists and medical professionals in debunking misinformation, particularly when it touches on public health and consumer trust. Because for all the talk of speedy deliveries, it’s the tried-and-true principles of food science that truly dictate freshness, not the ever-present pull of gravity.