If matter expands when heated, why does most food shrink when being cooked?

Question

If matter expands when heated, why does most food shrink when being cooked?

In: 2

Answer 1

Food does expand when it’s hot and retracts when it is cool. What you are seeing is because food looses mass when it is being cooked – mostly through steam or fat rendering out but there are some other reactions that can happen to make the food loose mass.