BSF’s News Digest March - April 2025
In the spotlight
What does a galaxy taste like? ǀ Gastro Obscura
Exploring how flavor chemists, or “flavorists,” create imaginative – and imaginary – flavors.
Advances in food aroma analysis: extraction, separation, and quantification techniques ǀ Foods
This review aims to systematically introduce the latest trends in food aroma analysis methods, including aroma extraction, separation, identification, and quantification methods, as well as big data analysis (flavoromics) and artificial intelligence algorithms.
How we could achieve dog-level sense of smell – and what it would mean ǀ New Scientist
This Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions yet to come – this time how, by the mid-21st century, many people were opting for a "nose job" that would supercharge their sense of smell.
New device could let you taste food in virtual reality ǀ Ohio State University
The new technology e-Taste expands virtual reality by introducing taste as a sensory experience. It uses sensors and wireless chemical dispensers to detect molecules linked to the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami), which are then transmitted and recreated remotely via electrical signals. Scientists tested a device that helped volunteers taste flavors meant to represent distant samples of coffee, lemonade, fried eggs, cake and fish soup.
The long and complicated history of irish whiskey, abridged ǀ Tasting Table
Irish whiskey is often cited as being the best for those just getting into the whiskey world, and it makes sense. Ireland has been distilling whiskey for a long, long time, and distillers there have had centuries of knowledge and experience to build on. Although there are variations within Irish whiskey, they all have a reputation as being very approachable, very drinkable, and very complex. That's true whether you're talking about some of the biggest names in the industry or some of the small upstarts, but how did we get here in the first place?
Here's what a professional chocolate taster does every day ǀ Tasting Table
Chocolate tasting is a skilled job involving expert feedback, industry knowledge, and daily practice. Cherrie Lo shares how she balances judging, teaching, and tasting.
The secrets of lab-grown chocolate ǀ The Week Digital
The world's insatiable love of chocolate is facing a challenge as climate change threatens the rainforests where cocoa beans grow, but don't panic yet because scientists may have found a sweet solution.
A flavor imitation method for Osmanthus aroma based on molecular docking screening and odor activity value analysis ǀ LWT
In this study, a flavor imitation method for Osmanthus fragrans aroma was developed using molecular docking screening and odor activity value (OAV) analysis.
‘Fragrance dictionary’ documents all the ways people experience smells ǀ StudyFinds
German researchers collected smell perceptions from 1,227 everyday people for 74 different chemical odors, creating the most comprehensive dataset of how ordinary people experience and describe smells. The study found that while humans share consistent patterns in how we rank smells (for pleasantness, intensity, etc.), there’s also substantial individual variation in how we perceive identical odors.
Nose, olfaction and fragrance: giving a sense to smell ǀ Université Paris – Saclay
Long misunderstood, then unfairly ignored, the sense of smell generated renewed public interest during the Covid-19 pandemic. And yet, scientists from a wide range of fields have been studying this very subject for many years now. Researchers from Université Paris-Saclay reveal their approaches and recent discoveries in this area.
Is metallic perception a taste, an aroma, or a flavor? ǀ Journal of Sensory Studies
The study investigates whether the perception of metallic taste (MT) is an aroma or a taste. The conclusion is that metallic perception involves both retro-olfactory and gustatory components, suggesting it is a metallic flavor.
Atomevo-odor: A database for understanding olfactory receptor-odorant pairs with multi-artificial intelligence methods ǀ Food Chemistry
Database includes the physicochemical properties and olfactory characteristics of odorants, and bioinformatics of olfactory receptors (ORs). Integrating experimental and predictive data, a comprehensive OR-odorant response database was developed. The OR-odorant response database process engages in a research cycle of prediction-plaining-performing-training, culminating in a comprehensive understanding of the OR-odorant response mechanism.
In the heart of vanilla country, farmers on the front lines of climate change struggle to adapt ǀ Phys.org
As erratic weather upends the seasonal rhythms that crops depend on, farmers in the island nation of Madagascar are feeling the effects but struggle to adapt to the new normal. That's one of the key takeaways of a recent survey of nearly 500 small-scale farmers in the country's northern Sava region, which produces about two thirds of the world's vanilla beans.
Is plant-based performing? What consumers make of meat substitutes ǀ FoodNavigator
A new report finds out which plant-based products consumers like as much as meat
A systematic review of the structure and function of human olfactory receptors and key technologies involved ǀ Trends in Food Science & Technology
Anatomy and physiology of the human olfactory system are described in detail. 391 functional human ORs were classified and 402 OR-ligand pairs were summarized. Experimental structures of OR51E2/OR51cs/OR52cs/OR1cs/OR2cs/OR4cs are presented. Human ectopic OR expression and physiological functions are summarized. Key molecular/computational/structural biology techniques in OR study is unveiled.
A guide to the peppers of the world ǀ Gastro Obscura
White, black, long, cubeb, grains of paradise, pepperberry, red Sichuan, and green Sichuan peppers are briefly covered.
Roses, oil and beaver secretion: why French museums are appealing to visitors’ sense of smell ǀ The Art Newspapaer
In an attempt to create a more immersive exhibition experience, art institutions in France have been employing some unusual scents.
Orange juice price fall explained ǀ Food Navigator
The price of orange juice has fallen dramatically since the start of 2024. Why?
Molecular odor prediction using olfactory receptor information ǀ Molecular Informatics
The authors developed models to predict the odors of structurally similar molecules by focusing on human olfaction mechanisms. These models differentiated odors between similar molecules, including optical isomers.
Sucralose: The sweetener that confuses our brain ǀ Study Finds
Sucralose, a popular artificial sweetener, may stimulate appetite rather than satisfy it by activating the brain’s hunger center (hypothalamus) more than regular sugar. Its calorie-free sweetness creates a mismatch that disrupts brain circuits tied to hunger, motivation, and reward—particularly in individuals with obesity and in women.
TastePeptides-Meta: A one-stop platform for taste peptides and their structural derivatives, including taste properties, interactions, and prediction models ǀ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
TastePeptides-Meta is an online interactive platform comprising 2,926 peptides entries, 975 peptide structural derivatives, and 954 synergistic (enhancing) data from 282, 109, and 103 peer-reviewed studies, respectively. The TastePeptides-Meta platform can be accessed online at http://www.tastepeptides-meta.com/.
Aromatic profile of navel oranges of different qualities during the commercial season in Valencian Community ǀ Food Chemistry
Among 44 identified VOCs, d-limonene, a terpene comprising 76 %–92 % of the total, remained unaffected by fruit quality or marketing period during the first 13 weeks. Then, it decreased in lower qualities. Terpenes were linked to juice yield and vitamin C, esters to juice content and juice color index, alcohols showed time-dependent changes, and aldehydes were related to juice color index.
What was the first candy in history? The ancient origins unraveled ǀ Tasting Table
Honey was the earliest form of sweetness used by ancient civilizations, with Egyptians around 5,500 B.C. pioneering candy-making by combining honey with seeds, fruits, and nuts. Candy’s sweet history began with this golden nectar.
Innovative approaches in sensory food science: From digital tools to virtual reality ǀ Applied Sciences
Cutting-edge technologies like VR, AR, AI, eye tracking, and FaceReader are revolutionizing consumer behavior research by decoding emotional and sensory reactions to food. Tools such as electronic nose, tongue, and eye replicate human senses to evaluate aroma, taste, and color with high precision. These digital methods offer fast, reproducible sensory analysis, driving innovation in food quality, branding, and product development.
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