Which earlier scientists helped lay the groundwork for molecular gastronomy?

While the scientific discipline of molecular gastronomy was formally established in 1988 by Hervé This and Nicholas Kurti, it draws upon a long history of scientific inquiry into food and culinary processes. Several earlier scientists are recognized as ancestors of this field for their contributions to chemistry, physics, and food safety:1

• Claude-Joseph Geoffroy: An 18th-century chemist who conducted studies on essential oils in plants.2
• Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier: An 18th-century French chemist and a founder of modern chemistry who studied the properties of meat stock.2
• Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count von Rumford: An American-born British physicist who developed modern theories regarding heat and applied them to the study of meat cooking.2
• Friedrich Christian Accum: A German chemist whose 1820 work, A Treatise on Adulterations of Food and Culinary Poisons, significantly advanced public awareness of food safety.2
• Michel-Eugène Chevreul: A 19th-century French chemist who performed foundational analyses on the chemical composition of animal fats.2
• Édouard de Pomiane: A 20th-century French microbiologist who wrote influential books on cooking, such as La Cuisine en dix minutes, bridging the gap between science and culinary practice.2