In the spotlight

Scientists have identified compounds that block bitter taste receptors activated by saccharin and acesulfame K. The most promising is (R)-(-)-carvone, which reduces bitterness without the cooling side effect of menthol, potentially making sugar-free products much more palatable.

Just how senses work together in the brain has been an area of fascination for scientists for decades. New research reveals some key insights.

More familiar smells and scents from complex molecules can often be more appealing

A new study introduces a safe, painless way to improve the sense of smell using radio waves.

Owing to their excellent and distinctive flavor characteristics, consumers worldwide are attracted to tea. Tea flavor is determined by both nonvolatile and volatile constituents, which together influence overall taste and aroma. Tea is generally classified into six categories: green, white, yellow, oolong, black, and dark teas. However, common questions often arise regarding which chemical compounds in these different types of tea contribute to their unique color and flavor profiles. This review outlines recent studies on the key flavor compounds and color substances of oolong, green, white, yellow, dark, and black teas. The aroma profile and color substances of the tea are significantly altered by modifying the withering, oxidation, and drying methods and durations during the tea manufacturing process. The key aroma compounds and their odor activity values vary significantly across these tea types. Among the six types, oolong, yellow, dark, and black teas have more complex aroma profiles and nonvolatile compounds than white and green teas do. Chlorophylls and their degradation products, along with polyphenolic compounds and their oxidation derivatives, collectively influence the color characteristics of each type of tea.

Results of studying cocoa bean fermentation in Colombia could pave way to manipulate flavour, say researchers

University of Florida biologists have discovered three new truffle species, including one that could cost hundreds of dollars per pound within culinary circles.

People have been getting drunk for millennia. Historical records show that alcohol was an integral part of many early civilizations, from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to ancient Greece, China, and the Mayan and Inca empires.

Would you like some garum with that?

A team of researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on a new graphene-based sensor design that, through machine learning, was able to develop a near-human sense of taste. This device is the first of its kind to operate in a moist environment, better approximating the conditions inside the human mouth.

Séverine Dallet, directrice de la cellule olfactive du groupe Coty, explique en quoi la chimie de synthèse a révolutionné la palette des parfumeurs.

Abstract. Attempts to map odor percepts to physical and chemical parameters have a long and challenging history. In contrast to color vision, where three c

In a Perspective published in PNAS Nexus, Julio M. Ottino describes different classes of creativity and proposes a benchmark for the highest level of creativity. Combinative creativity is the process of combining existing elements to create new solutions, while transformative creativity leads to entirely new frameworks.

GLP-1s haven't been around for long, but they're already everywhere. How is the food industry responding?