Science desk
< June 16	<< May \| June \| Jul >>	June 18 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Science Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

June 17

How does powdered cheese sauce work?

I don't understand how traditional macaroni and cheese calls for butter and flour to make a butter-and-flour mixture and then to mix this mixture with milk and cheese. Then, there is the boxed macaroni and cheese with cheese powder. When the macaroni pasta is boiled in water, the pasta softens and is drained. A little bit of moisture may remain and is mixed with the cheesy powder. Instant mac and cheese! What is the cheesy powder anyway? 50.4.236.254 (talk) 19:12, 17 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

These are often cheese analogues. Here is a bit more info [1]. Keep making it the way your Momma used to make macaroni. Aspro (talk) 20:24, 17 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The main ingredient in powdered cheese is usually cheese, but often other ingredients such as whey, milkfat, salt, maltodextrin or vegetable oil are added. AS for method of manufacture: "On an industrial level, cheese powder is made by spray drying. That means it is melted down into a liquid, combined with additives, and then sprayed through a nozzle to convert it into droplets. The droplets are then blasted with hot air and vaporized, resulting in a powder.". -Nunh-huh 20:27, 17 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Tanner stages and fertility

At which Tanner stage does the onset of fertility occur in a typical adolescent girl respectively boy? --Florian Blaschke (talk) 22:17, 17 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The Tanner scale is based on observation of external primary and secondary sex characteristics and is not an accurate predictor of human Fertility (see article) which depends on factors of nutrition, sexual behavior, consanguinity, culture, instinct, endocrinology, timing, economics, way of life, and emotions.. There are many possible causes of Infertility, some unexplained, and none predictable by Tanner scaling. Blooteuth (talk) 12:15, 18 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

With "typical" I exclude factors like inherent, lifelong infertility and deficient nutrition. No edge cases; I really mean average and typical, so your qualifications are besides the point. At which stage are they usually able to produce viable gametes? My guess is that girls typically become able to conceive at Stage III and boys at Stage IV, but I'm not sure. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 22:11, 18 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]