2025 9+10

Nasal odorant metabolism is essential for olfactory perception and detoxification, but its role in food aroma perception is not yet fully understood. …

Olfaction is a complex process where multiple nasal receptors interact to detect specific odorant molecules. Elucidating structure–activity-relationships for odorants and their receptors remains difficult since crystallization of the odor receptors is an extremely difficult process. Therefore, ligand-based approach

Study reveals ingredients of beans passed through civets’ digestive system that makes hot drink beloved by Hollywood

Dominique Roques ressuscite la route de la précieuse résine, qui s’étendait sur 2000 km et reliait le sud de la péninsule Arabique à la Méditerranée.

We researched the history of some iconic ice cream flavors like strawberry, Neapolitan, chocolate, and pistachio to see where they originated from.

Bel Group and Standing Ovation achieve industrial-scale production of casein proteins from whey using precision fermentation, cutting CO₂ emissions by 74% and land use by 99% in a closed-loop system. Regulatory and pricing hurdles remain before market launch.

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN): Keeping you up to date with the chemistry news that matters most. Published by the American Chemical Society.

Chinese social traditions have placed rules and rituals around the East Asian country's favorite spirit, baijiu -- one being that you never ever mix it.

A new study reveals how specific microbes, temperature, and acidity create complex chocolate flavors, paving the way for consistent quality.

The diverse flavors of over 7,500 apple cultivars arise from biochemical differences in compounds such as aldehydes, alcohols, and esters, which influence aroma and taste. Varieties exhibit varying…

Gut health is trending—and fast. From digital twins and poop therapy to AI-powered nutrition and next-gen probiotics, discover how science and innovation are reshaping the future of digestive wellness.

Drinking Florida orange juice used to be a big part of our breakfast. Find out why Florida orange production has fallen and what the state is doing to fix it.

Mountain Dew added orange juice concentrate to its traditional lemon-lime soda recipe -- giving it a flavor that can only be described as "Mountain Dew."

Artificial intelligence offers a powerful way to automate grocery shopping and predict what people might buy next, according to PwC.

Issue de la rencontre entre deux chercheuses au CNRS membres du GDR O3, Alexandra Veyrac et Nathalie Buonviso, et de la compagnie Le Centre imaginaire, cette expérience olfactive itinérante propose un « théâtre des sens », à la croisée des mondes scientifique et artistique.

Can we record what it's like to taste, smell, or touch something?

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning cooks up some examples of spices doing more than flavoring our food

CSHL Professor Alexei Koulakov talks synesthesia, shipwrecks, and the most underappreciated of our five senses.

In this puppet short, Chef Marinara is distressed to find that her breakfast just doesn't taste right.Although there’s nothing wrong with her tongue’s abilit...

Understanding the science behind flavor preferences and how they influence our health, cravings, and eating habits.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), valued for its health benefits and distinctive flavor, derives its characteristic aroma from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that vary significantly with geographical origin. In this study, VOCs in pomegranates from six Chinese geographical regions were characterized using an electronic nose (E-nose), an electronic tongue (E-tongue), headspace gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). To elucidate geographical variations in odor, taste, and volatile profiles, a comprehensive multivariate statistical analysis integrating principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis, orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and variable importance in projection (VIP) was employed. The results demonstrated that the E-nose and E-tongue effectively distinguished pomegranate by geographical origin, with aroma contributing more significantly than taste to regional differentiation. A total of 46 and 58 VOCs were identified using HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS, respectively, with different characteristic volatile compounds in pomegranate from various origins, and alkenes, esters, and alcohols were the primary contributors to regional variations. Notably, OPLS-DA revealed that HS-GC-IMS exhibited superior discriminatory power in separating pomegranates of different geographical origins, with HY and HL displaying closely related odor profiles while the other samples showed the most pronounced odor differences, but these findings contrasted with HS-SPME-GC-MS results. Additionally, the VIP method and the relative odor activity value (ROAV) further identified six and eight key aroma compounds based on HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS data; in particular, hexanal, nonanal, β-pinene, 3-hydroxybutan-2-one, and β-ocimene were identified as key aroma compounds in pomegranate as potential regional markers. These findings highlight VOC profiles as potential geographical origin markers, supporting origin traceability and quality control in the pomegranate industry.

In comparison to that of other animals, the human sense of smell is widely considered to be weak and underdeveloped. This is, however, an unproven hypothesis. In a Review, McGann traces the origins of this false belief back ...

The impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt across the world, but some consequences are more noticeable than others.

Clear, visual deep dives into flavor chemistry and real‑world formulation. Twice a month. No health advice, no label theater, just the technical information that make products better.

Researchers help us understand the sense of taste, sharing research on taste buds, including taste loss due to COVID-19 and taste bud “undertaker” cells.

Un estudio usa inteligencia artificial para trazar el mapa de las interacciones entre los receptores del gusto humano y otras proteínas. Los hallazgos podrían aplicarse a mejorar la nutrición, la salud y el diseño de alimentos.

Pizza, Omelett oder gebrannte Mandeln: Hinter jedem Gericht steckt ein chemisches Geheimnis. Feuer sorgt für mehr als nur Hitze. Es ist der Beginn der Kochkunst und ein Motor für Verwandlung.

Archeologists in movies have a reputation for being hands-on, like Indiana Jones unearthing hidden treasure, or Lara Croft running through a temple. Archeology in real life tends to b...

Several calls by residents worried about potential gas leakage caused the fire brigade to investigate before finding the smelly cause: a fruit sold at an Asian supermarket.