FLAVOUR ANALYSIS STR · Novel flavour analysis strategies for development of consumer-preferred foods

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Project objective

Flavour is the major driver for consumers in the choice of their foods, and Unilever bas designated flavour research, situated in the corporate laboratory in Vlaardingen, as strategic focus to generate competitive advantage. Despite the importance of the parameters, taste and aroma optimisation still largely remains a matter of trial and error. There currently is a strong demand for a more conceptual approach for developing improved-taste products, a strategy preferably guided by a thorough knowledge of the relations between consumer liking, sensory characteristics and the actual molecular composition of the food, in particular of the compounds affecting taste and aroma.A major obstacle here is the analysis of the aroma compounds and especially the isolation of these volatiles. Simple methods allowing fast analyses usually deliver incomplete isolates and artefacts, whereas more sophisticated extraction and high-vacuum distillation techniques are rime- and effort consuming and do not allow high throughput. The fellowship proposal aims at developing and applying new flavour.Analysis techniques combining accuracy with speed, e.g. by miniaturising the isolation and hyphenation with the actual chromatographic analysis. Novel techniques as sorption-based enrichment, fast GC and comprehensive chromatography, with which the applicants have extensive experience, will be of key importance in the project. The research work will be carried out within an existing collaboration project of Unilever Research Vlaardingen, the Free University Amsterdam (Dr. Vreuls/Prof. Brinkman, sample preparation and separation) and the University of Amsterdam (Prof. Schoenmakers, comprehensive separations).

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNILEVER NEDERLAND BV · VLAARDINGENCoordinatorNetherlands

Links

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