Sensory and instrumental analysis

© INT LT

Human dietary behavior is significantly influenced by sensory perceptions during food consumption. Food sensory studies focus on the perception of these properties through the human senses. A wide range of experimental methods exists to capture, verbalize, and quantify these perceptions, with results often depending on the chosen method and the interpretation of the statistical analysis.

In the future, we aim to increasingly replace complex sensory analyses with instrumental analytics. This involves the use of material characterization techniques such as rheology, tribology, and texture analysis, which provide more objective, precise, and reproducible data. By employing these instrumental methods, we seek to improve the efficiency and accuracy of food analysis and enhance our ability to predict sensory perceptions.

Current projects

© Project Eaden

Project Eaden

As part of a project aimed at optimizing the texture of plant-based meat alternatives, we are collaborating with the Berlin-based start-up 'Project Eaden'. In order to improve the acceptance and authenticity of such products, we are using a multiscale model to investigate the structure, texture, and fracture behavior of various types of meat and meat analogues. Learn more

© Richard Bleisch

ENABLE

This project investigates the resource-efficient production and nutritional potential of the microalga Chlorella zofingiensis. Various cultivation methods are analyzed for their economic viability, a gentle extraction process is developed, and demonstration products are created to assess product perception. Learn more

© INT LT

FEI Oil migration in nougat

Fat-free milk components inhibit oil migration in chocolate products, delaying the formation of fat bloom. The goal is to develop fat-bloom-stable formulations for nougat-filled pralines to reduce quality defects and meet the requirements of the confectionery industry. Learn more

Recently finished projects:

• COSUS - Understanding barriers and facilitators for acceptance of visually suboptimal foods (2014 - 2017)

• DEDIPAC - Determinants Of Diet And Physical Activity (2013 - 2016)

• Healthy nutrition and food choice (2010 - 2013)

An overview of all current and completed projects can be found here.