Monday, 22 May, 2017 - 09:00 - 16:30
De Vere Jubilee Conference Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2TU
A one-day interactive conference organised by IFSTs Sensory Science Group (SSG)
View the programme and book your place today!
Kelly Fourtouni, Associate Principal Scientist, Research & Nutrition Science, Mondelēz International
Kelly is an Associate Principal Scientist leading the global cross-category Texture & Mouthfeel Research Platform in Mondelēz International. Her work is aimed at delivering scientific understanding in ingredients’ functionality, food physicochemical properties & structure and in-mouth interactions (oral processing) with regards to sensorial properties & consumer response. Kelly’s role involves leading projects across Chocolate, Biscuits & Gum and shaping technical programs which align with each category’s strategic well-being and growth objectives. She reports to the R&D Director of Well-Being in the Research & Nutrition team in a role focused on driving the Mondelēz ‘Call for Wellbeing’ strategy forwards by enabling innovation in the field of Well-Being & Preference , e.g. in the areas of Enhanced Nutrition (reduced fat, sugar) & Increased Satiety.
Kelly received a 1st class Degree in Chemical Engineering from NTUA, the top Engineering University in Athens, Greece and her research thesis was in field of Diffusion of Contaminants in Polymers as part of a European research project on recycled plastics for food packaging. She also fulfilled her long lasting dream of working in Astrophysics by doing her internship in the Institute of Deep Sea Research, Technology & Neutrino Astroparticle Physics; a neutrino telescope set 4km deep in the sea, one of only four of its kind in the world.
Kelly went on to get a 1st class Masters of Science in Advanced Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London, receiving again a distinction for her research project. She continued working in the theme of environmental research, this time on the development of a new biochemical waste water treatment process to remove heavy metals from water using algae and bacteria, an industry funded project in collaboration with Shell.
Kelly’s passion for fundamental science linked with tangible business applications & consumer benefits led her to join Unilever in their central R&D team. She worked on a range of systems, including fabric conditioners and ice cream, on new process development and fundamental understanding of system microstructure and links to functional and sensorial properties. She was excited to work on new to the world research (novel protein stabilized emulsions / foams) and her work was published in one of the most cited papers in its field (soft tribology). She also led open innovation projects on novel energy saving technologies and she became immersed in cross functional research and the value of long term disruptive innovations. It was from there that she joined Kraft and now Mondelēz International.
Kelly grew up in Greece and came to the UK with a view of staying only for a couple of years – little did she know that 14 years later this would be home. She is happily married and has two lovely daughters, a four year old and one year old. Her favourites hobbies include pilates and spinning when in the UK whereas back home it’s swimming and snorkelling in the Mediterranean Sea.
Abstract - Unravelling the missing link(s) between food & sensory texture perception
Historically when food texture was considered the focus had been on the properties of the food matrix before consumption, however these do not fully explain the resulting sensory experience with regards to the perception of texture and mouthfeel. This is because during consumption the food undergoes significant changes, which had been traditionally overlooked when trying to link food structure & properties with its sensory impact. This presentation provides insights of how different approaches, e.g. oral processing aim to provide the missing link(s) between food structure and its sensory perception.
In Mondelēz International we have established a cross category Texture & Mouthfeel Research Platform so as to enhance our understanding of the physical mechanisms influencing sensory perception. By using a multi-scale approach our vision is to generate insights on the fundamental mechanisms and identify factors impacting food texture & mouthfeel sensory perception, thus develop enabling technologies to:
- Support our Wellbeing strategy (e.g. reducing fat / sugar or increasing nutritional benefits / satiety)
- Negate the textural impact associated with more cost effective processes / ingredients
- Design more preferred products by flexing key textural attributes
Saskia Hofmann, Post Graduate Student, The University of Nottingham
Saskia Hofmann is a final year PhD researcher at the University of Nottingham. She received a Bachelor and Master degree in Food Chemistry from the Technical University Dresden (Germany), and has good knowledge and experience of analytical and sensory methods for food applications. After completing her bachelor degree in Germany, she joined the University of Nottingham to work on a research project investigating flavour release in ice cream. She then stayed on in Nottingham to complete her Master project – focusing on the impact of ingredients on the flavour release and texture of biscuits.
As part of her PhD, Saskia is currently exploring the use of sensory and several analytical methods to further improve our understanding of the mouthfeel perception of black tea beverages. She is a passionate Sensory Scientist looking forward to continuing work in this area after completing her PhD.
Abstract: Texture: The forgotten sensory modality. Challenges in mouthfeel and texture evaluation
Texture describes the qualities of food that are perceived through the senses of touch, sight and hearing. The physical properties of solid food are grouped under the term “texture”, whereas “mouthfeel” refers to the properties of liquid and semi-solid food. In the last decade, the importance of texture and mouthfeel on consumer liking has clearly been recognised but gaps remain in our understanding of texture perception and how ingredients influence it. Saskia has been studying mouthfeel perception for her PhD at the University of Nottingham and will discuss the challenges experienced when evaluating texture and mouthfeel, using examples from her own research, such as:
- understanding the dynamic changes from first bite/sip to swallowing,
- investigating how individual differences, such as saliva flow rate and taster status might influence sensitivity and how to screen for these
- the limitations of instrumental methods.
Sam Heenan, Global Flavour and Sensory Senior Scientist at Mars Food Global (Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands)
Sam has both an academic and industry background in sensory, flavour science and consumer perception. He has a PhD in sensory science. From his current role in Mars Food Sam is responsible for implementing and managing global research projects on behalf of the MARS Food Leadership Team Previously Sam was worked as a Senior Lecture in consumer behaviour and sensory science at University of Otago in New Zealand where his research focus was on teaching consumer sensory perception, sensory science, and flavour chemistry to undergraduate and postgraduate / PhD students.
Veronika Jones, Sensory and Consumer Science Manager at Mars Petcare (Verden, Germany)
Veronika has an extensive range of experience in the food industry - from fundamental sensory research to consumer research supporting top brands in global markets. She has worked with many different product categories such as dairy, fruit & vegetables, bread and now petfood. She enjoys the liaison role that sensory and consumer research plays linking product development, marketing and production together and learning about new methodologies that can be used to support business decisions.
Abstract: Looking Good! A Workshop on the Fundamentals and Business Relevance of Product Appearance
Join Veronika and Sam as they present a workshop discussing the fundamental theory and business relevance of considering the appearance of consumer goods.
Appearance is fundamental to product recognition, quality and ultimately food choice. Properties of appearance can be evaluated by the human senses or instrumentation. Appearance can be defined by the human senses as product attributes that consumers or a trained descriptive panel visually assess, such as colour and visual texture. In this workshop We’ll cover in theory the fundamentals of appearance in relation to visual perception and phycology factors such as halo effects.
We’ll also review a range of appearance attributes that can be used to support the products you work with and the scales that can be used to measure them. We will also demonstrate how visual sensory data can be correlated to instrumental assessments to provide a more objective measurement.
Mixed in with the theory, will also be some practical business case studies showing how measuring appearance can be beneficial to your projects. In addition we will demonstrate the multimodal behaviour of appearance and how it can influence product perception.
Andrew Meacham, Senior Consultant, Odournet UK Ltd
Andrew is a Senior Consultant at Odournet UK Ltd. Initially from a Chemistry background, he now specialises in the assessment of odours both from a sensory and chemical perspective. He undertook a Bsc and PhD in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Following graduation Andrew was awarded a Royal Society Fellowship for research at an overseas institution, which was undertaken at the University of Queensland in Australia. Upon returning to the UK Andrew commenced work for Odournet UK as a consultant in 2006, initially focussing on Environmental Odour Assessments. Since 2012 Andrew has been involved in the product testing activities of the Odournet Group, working closely with branch companies in Spain and France on a wide range of studies, from certifying ‘low odour’ building materials, testing the efficacy of air fresheners to investigating causes of off-notes in cosmetic products.
Abdallah Belhares, Sensory Consultant, Odournet UK Ltd
Abdallah is a sensory scientist with a background in both neurosciences and sensory science, passionate about behaviours and sensory perception Abdallah undertake an MSc in Physiology and Neurosciences at Claude Bernard university, and another one in sensory evaluation at Agrosup Dijon, France. Last year Abdallah worked on the new sensory techniques in collaboration with Firmenish SA and on the sweetness perception at Nottingham University. This year he commenced to work as sensory consultant for the Odournet group and is responsible of project leading and business development of sensory and consumer studies at Odournet UK.
Abstract: An Odour Story
Andrew and Abdallah will take you through the Odournet world to illustrate you how an off note could be identified by mixing sensory science and analytical chemistry.
Consumers pay more and more attention to odours and the presence of malodours can be perceived as an indicator of compromised quality, hygiene or even as a significant health threat! In this workshop, we will discuss some techniques that can be used to identify and characterise off notes by combining both sensory and analytical measurements. We will tell you the story of a malodour from the perception of an issue, to the identification of odorants responsible by using sensory discriminative testing and olfactometry.
Torben Holm Pedersen, Senior Technology Specialist, DELTA SenseLab
DELTA SenseLab is an independent test laboratory specialized in performing listening tests in a variety of domains, such as telecommunications (devices, accessories, components etc.), consumer audio (headphones, loudspeakers etc.) hearing aids, audio/speech coding, consumer products (product sound quality), and noise annoyance (wind turbines, traffic, etc.).
Torben Holm Pedersen has more than 35 years of experience within acoustics and psychoacoustics and have been working within acoustic calibration, noise and electro-acoustic measurements, annoyance from e.g. wind turbines and road traffic, perception of sound signals, listening tests etc. Torben has developed perception related metrics for tonal and impulsive noise and for low frequency noise. He is co-founder of DELTA SenseLab.
Abstract: Sensory assessment of sound
The methods for assessing sound may be similar to methods for other sensory modalities, but the short acoustic memory and the possibility of recording, storing, reproducing and sending the sound over the Internet gives other challenges and possibilities.
In this session, we will consider:
- How do we work with sound and listening tests?
- Selection and training of panelists
- Sample selection, recordings, real products
- Equipment for listening tests
- Reproduction of sound for listening tests
- Attributes for sound
- Product sound evaluation (i.e. products where the sound is not the primary purpose of the product)
Examples of applications will be given.
Carolyn Ross, Professor, School of Food Science, Washington State University
Carolyn Ross is a professor in the School of Food Science at Washington State University and the director of the WSU Sensory Evaluation Facility. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in foods and nutrition from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, her M.Sc. from the University of Guelph in food science, and her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in food science/environmental toxicology. The overall objective of Dr. Ross’ research and graduate education program is to understand the theoretical basis underpinning the sensory perception of foods and wines and to correlate these psychophysical attributes with quantifiable characteristics. Past research has included the study of wine finish and aftertaste attributes of other food products. Dr. Ross has published over 75 scientific research articles, with over 90 presentations at national and international scientific meetings. She is active in the Sensory and Consumer Science Division of the Institute of Food Technologist in the United States.
Abstract: Linger longer: The sensory science of aftertaste
An important aspect to many food and beverages is aftertaste, the lingering sensory sensations perceived after the product is swallowed or expectorated. Over the past several years, this important area of sensory science has received more attention in the scientific literature, as well as by those in product development as professionals are appreciating its relevance and influence on consumer acceptance and product usage. Together with the introduction of new temporal methods by which to measure this sensation, the contribution of aftertaste/feel is becoming increasingly recognized as an important component of the overall sensory experience and relationship to perception of product “complexity.” The overall objective of this session is to educate attendees on the importance of aftertaste and the sensory considerations associated with measuring this perception. Dr. Carolyn Ross will introduce the fundamentals surrounding aftertaste, including its perception and importance in consumer product choice and acceptance. She will also describe methodological considerations when measuring aftertaste. The application of research methods for the study of aftertaste in various foods and beverages will be presented. Using a variety of specific studies including wine and seafood, different methodologies used to measure aftertaste in various systems will be presented, as well as the influence of aftertaste in the acceptance of these different products. She will also present how changing the composition of the food can influence aftertaste perception.
Barry Smith, Director of Institute of Philosophy, The University of London
Professor Barry C Smith is director of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. He is also the founding director of its Centre for the Study of the Senses, which pioneers collaborative research links between philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists. He works on the multisensory nature of perceptual experience, taste, smell and flavour, and has published theoretical and experimental papers, writing in Nature, Food Quality and Preference and Flavour . In 2007, he edited Questions of Taste: the philosophy of wine, Oxford University Press 2007), He collaborates with chefs and artists, and consults for the food and drinks industry. A frequent broadcaster, he recently wrote and presented a 10-part series for BBC Radio 4, The Uncommon Senses. He has also written for The World of Fine Wine and is the wine columnist for Prospect Magazine.
Abstract: Predicting and Liking: before and after effects on the multisensory perception of flavour
We eat first with our eyes, but second or third with our ears and our fingers. With so much of our experience of a food's flavour predicted and conditioned by prior sensory experiences and memory, a large part of liking depends on whether our predictions and expectations are met. The brain's ability to arrive at verdicts about the flavour and likeability of food depends on the the disparity or lack of it between what we expect to perceive and the inputs our senses provide. Where they match the food may be unsurprising; too great a mismatch and the hedonic rating may be low. What is the optimum relationship and what can be done to achieve it?
Andy Taylor, Emeritus Professor, University of Nottingham & Director, Flavometrix Limited
Andy's deep interest in science began at King Edwards School, Birmingham and was followed by BSc and PhD degrees in Biochemistry at Aberystwyth and Cardiff respectively. He then spent two years studying the metabolism of some novel drugs at the Free University, Berlin, after which he joined the Food Science Division at University of Nottingham, UK. After spells developing the teaching programme and acting as Warden of the Hall of Residence, Andy turned his attention to research and developed new analytical methods to correlate sensory analysis with the flavour signals reaching the receptors. Sponsorship from Firmenich and a range of other food and flavour companies allowed him to build a well-founded research team and around 300 publications resulted. The MS-Nose technique led to a spin out company, Flavometrix, which provided contract research services for companies in the period 2002 to 2014 and employed two of his previous PhD students. Flavometrix now collaborates with a Japanese company (Nichirei), which has continued to develop the MS-Nose technique, and offers world-wide contract research. Andy's contribution to flavour research was recognised in 2015 when he was presented with the American Chemical Society “Distinguished achievement” award in Boston. After leaving the University in 2010, he joined Mars Petcare to lead a research team at the Waltham R&D centre, where they developed several novel techniques to understand the chemistry of flavour generation as well as the perception of flavour by cats and dogs. Andy's retirement from Mars in 2016, allowed him to rekindle the Flavometrix activities and he currently work with three major companies as a consultant as well as developing one of his new interests, the visualisation of complex data to allow interpretation of systems that are highly interconnected, such as the Maillard reaction.
Abstract: Flavour Perception - The Goldilocks Principle
Over the last decade or so, it has become accepted that the perception of food quality involves several sensory modalities (appearance, colour, taste, smell etc.) as well as significant interaction between the modalities. Therefore getting a product "just right" for the consumer requires ways to measure the different modalities. Examples of the analyses available, their relationship to sensory methods, and their application in studying real-life products, will be presented.