Comedic series will use science to examine food myths

Culinary expert Ted Allen, who was one of the Fab Five on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and gets to sit on a panel of judges on "Top Chef," gets to take the lead this time around.

The Emmy winner will host Food Network's new series "Food Detectives," premiering Tuesday, July 29th at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

"I'm so excited to be working with Food Network on this new series," says Allen. "It's a fantastic opportunity for me to head up my own show and I know that viewers are going to be totally engaged with the information we are discovering on 'Food Detectives'!"

On the half-hour show that's a mix of "Good Eats," "Mr. Wizard" and "Mythbusters," Allen will call on the help of culinary techs and the brains at Popular Science magazine to conduct experiments behind food myths. Some of the ideas tested will be: the five-second rule, how long it takes the stomach to digest gum, an apple a day keeping the doctor away.

"We've wanted to work with Ted for years on a series of his own and we've found a great fit in 'Food Detectives,'" says Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. "Not only will this show provide a wealth of interesting information for our viewers, it also gives Ted an opportunity to show off his wit and culinary knowledge."

Viewers will also be encouraged to submit their own food conundrums to be tested on the show.