2024 April

Outperforming humans is one thing, but its rapid rise has meant that AI has created some problems for itself – and we're nervous.

Instant coffee seems high-tech, but its origins stretch back centuries, with the main push for innovation being the dire demands of the U.S. army.

If consumers don't like a product, they won't buy it. Testing with sensory panels can help determine consumer liking, so what kind of sensory panel should manufacturers go for?

Gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC-O) has made significant advancements in recent years, with breakthroughs in its applications and the identification of its limitations. This technology is widely used for analyzing complex odor patterns. The review begins by explaining the principles of GC-O, including sample preparation, separation methods, and olfactory evaluation techniques. It then explores the diverse range of applications where GC-O has found success, such as food and beverage industries, environmental monitoring, perfume and aroma development, and forensic analysis. One of the major breakthroughs in GC-O analysis is the improvement in separation power and resolution of odorants. Techniques like rapid GC, comprehensive two-dimensional GC, and multidimensional GC have enhanced the identification and quantification of odor-active chemicals. However, GC-O also has limitations. These include the challenges in detecting and quantifying trace odorants, dealing with matrix effects, and ensuring the repeatability and consistency of results across laboratories. The review examines these limitations closely and discusses potential solutions and future directions for improvement in GC-O analysis. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in GC-O, covering breakthroughs, applications, and limitations. It aims to promote the wider usage of GC-O analysis in odor analysis and related industries. Researchers, practitioners, and anyone interested in leveraging the capabilities of GC-O in analyzing complex odor patterns will find this review a valuable resource. The article highlights the potential of GC-O and encourages further research and development in the field.

In this first work, commercial steak-like (n = 3) and cured meat (n = 3) analogues with different legume and cereal formulations were studied and compared to their animal-based (n = 3) counterparts. Plant-based products showed lower protein content than meat controls but a good amino acidic profile even though the sum of essential amino acids of plant-cured meats does not fulfill the requirements set by the Food and Agriculture Organization for children. A comparable release of soluble proteins and peptides in the digestates after in vitro digestion was observed in meat analogues as meat products, whereas the digestibility of proteins was lower in plant-based steaks and higher in plant-based cured meats than their counterparts. The overall protein quality and digestibility of products are related to both the use of good blending of protein sources and processes applied to produce them. An adequate substitution of meat with its analogues depends mostly on the quality of raw materials used, which should be communicated to consumers.

The US Environmental Protection Agency designated two widely used “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the United States’ Superfund law on Friday.

That coffee you slurped this morning? It's 600,000 years old.

Scientists say that our increase use of plastic will dump untold tons of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere.

As the US leapfrogged through industrialisation, many of its urban workers were fed on a modern delicacy: oysters. How did this shellfish go from fast food to luxury?

You might not have heard of it, but Chinese baijiu is one of the most widespread drinks in the world. Here's what you need to know about the four main types.

Cinnamon is known for its distinct flavor and warm aroma, but there are a lot of misconceptions out there, too. Here's what you need to know about the spice.

Pasteurisation has always used significant amounts of heat. A new technology, however, can fulfil the same function without this heat, thus keeping a key protein intact.

Stand back and take a look at the last two years of AI progress as a whole... AI is catching up with humans so quickly, in so many areas, that frankly, we need new tests.

Last time this happened, Earth got plants.

Archaeologists in Turkey have 'risen' to the occasion, discovering the world's oldest fermented bread at Çatalhöyük

Climate change does not stop at grapevines. Too much sun means that the bouquet of German Riesling wines becomes dominated by a petrol note (some) customers do not appreciate. A research team from the ...

If you've heard of retsina, it's likely that the piney Greek wine has a negative connotation. But it's time that we gave this traditional wine a second chance!

Author Victor Valle has researched the chile and the culinary traditions stretching back thousands of years in Mexico.

Nature Food - Mouthfeel occurs at macro, cellular and molecular scales. Biophysical approaches, including atomic force microscopy, offer tools to explore the mechanisms of oral mechanosensation for...

In recent years, the digital olfaction industry has experienced significant growth, spurred by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies that are applicable to the digitization of scent. Two distinct “branches” of digital olfaction have developed in this expansion: one related to the digital detection and analysis of odor and another focused on […]

Un texte de Stéphane Cariou, Jean-Michel Guillot, Elisabeth LordLes odeurs, quelques soient leurs provenances, peuvent avoir un impact sur la santé des populations exposées, tant au plan physiologique que psychologique. L’analyse des odeurs est toutefois complexe, car outre le fait que chaque individu possède des habiletés très personnelles à percevoir une odeur, agréable ou mauvaise, intense ou non, une odeur est perçue de manière instantanée et cette perception évolue dans le temps. Les object

Les bourgeons gustatifs, les structures qui nous permettent de sentir le goût, ne se trouvent pas que sur la langue. Les scientifiques en ont identifié dans d’autres parties du corps.

Degustar los alimentos es una compleja experiencia multisensorial en la que intervienen las emociones, nuestra historia personal o incluso el poso de la cultura heredada.

Promising solutions for enhancing taste of plant-based food products: industry consortium insights

The sense of smell is highly influenced by the cues from other senses, while the sense of sight and hearing are affected to a much lesser extent, shows a new study in Journal of Neuroscience. The authors of the scientific article include researchers from the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University.

Taste your way through the Sunshine State’s juiciest, most delicious flavors.

Innerer Taktgeber: Dieselbe kohlenhydratreiche Mahlzeit kann je nach Tageszeit unseren Blutzuckerspiegel unterschiedlich stark in die Höhe treiben. Doch

Study charts family history of Arabica, world’s most popular coffee species, through Earth’s heating and cooling periods over last millennia.

The ability of odors to bring to mind past experiences has intriguing scientific and therapeutic implications

Studying the human brain is difficult because of its vast and intricate network of neural connections. The fruit fly offers a simpler but similar model that researchers can more easily map.