In the spotlight

There are SO many myths associated with scent, so here we’re presenting you with some fragrant facts: How can you find your perfect perfume? What’s the best way to take care of it? Where should fragrance be applied, to get the most out of every spritz? Nobody’s born knowing these things, so we’ve collated answers...

Apple experts divide time into “before Honeycrisp” and “after Honeycrisp,” and apples have never tasted so good

Some participants were able to discriminate order of smells at intervals 10 times shorter than previously thought

Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to stop eating after just one slice of pizza or one potato chip? Scientists may have found the answer, and it lies in a surprising place: your throat.

Beer and wine are popular beverages with clearly different aroma characters, the molecular background of which has not yet been systematically investigated. A comprehensive literature survey returned 14 845 concentration values obtained from 160 beer and 904 wine samples, covering 42 basic beer and 42 basic wine odorants, among which 40 were common to both beverages. Based on mean concentrations and a comparison with threshold data, 29 beer and 32 wine odorants were finally selected to build aroma base models that reflected the basic olfactory difference between beer and wine. Orthonasal concentration leveling tests applied to groups of odorants with similar odor characteristics finally revealed the crucial role of fruity smelling compounds. When 11 fruity compounds, predominantly esters, in the beer aroma base model were adjusted to the respective concentration levels in the wine aroma base model, the sensory panel no longer described the sample as beer-like but as wine-like.

The hybrid Yelloway One could save one of our favorite fruits.

It’s clear that genes, receptors and neurons all play a role in detecting odors. But much of how we make sense of what we sniff remains mysterious. A neuroscientist explains.

Excessive sodium consumption is a major public health concern associated with chronic diseases. The food industry faces the challenge of developing lo…