BSF’s News Digest November - December 2025 ¦ Selector Ján Peťka
In the spotlight
Taste and smell: a unifying chemosensory theory | The Quarterly Review of Biology
Since ancient times, the sense of smell has been viewed as a distance sense, like sight and hearing, while taste is seen as a contact sense, akin to touch. However, advancements in natural sciences reveal inconsistencies in this strict differentiation, especially when considering non-human species. Despite conflicting evidence, traditional views persist due to confirmation bias in research on chemosensory systems, obstructing a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of chemical communication. This paper advocates for unifying all chemosensory modalities into a single sense, promoting a complex perspective on how various chemicals function as crucial communication signals across multiple biological contexts.
Osmo CEO Alex Wiltschko: "With AI, we can go from a brief to the first sketch of a fragrance formula in an instant" | Formes de Luxe
Armed with a background in neuroscience, former Google Brain researcher Alex Wiltschko founded Osmo in 2022 with the aim of digitizing scent and creating fragrance formulas in record time with the support of AI.
Forget plain vanilla: you'll never see the world's favorite flavor the same way again | Gastropod
In this episode, Gastropod explores the surprising history of vanilla, a highly prized spice that is often considered dull. Set in Veracruz, Mexico, the episode delves into themes of botanical piracy and unusual facts, including the spice's connection to various cultural elements. The episode reveals how vanilla's elite status once devolved into a commonplace flavour, driven by unique stories, including that of an ingenious enslaved child. Listeners will also learn about different types of vanilla and discover a recipe for a tasting party designed to reignite their passion for this beloved flavour. (Podcast).
Machine learning-driven integration of GC–MS and sensory panel data for aroma prediction in food systems | Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
The integration of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), sensory analysis, and machine learning (ML) offers a powerful framework to model aroma perception. This review synthesizes advances in ML-driven aroma prediction between 2020 and 2025, encompassing more than 60 peer-reviewed studies that link GC–MS fingerprints to sensory descriptors across diverse food systems.
Researchers develop way to make healthier sugar substitute | Tufts Now
Tufts engineers biosynthetically produce tagatose, a now-rare sugar that is low in calories and as sweet as table sugar
Machine olfaction and embedded AI are shaping the new global sensing industry | arXiv
This review discusses the emergence of a new industry focused on machine olfaction, highlighting its scientific foundations, technological advancements, and strategic applications. It covers various uses in industrial, military, and consumer sectors while addressing ethical and legal concerns. The findings suggest that machine olfaction may create a global chemosensory infrastructure, leading to new markets in health, security, and environmental sensing through scent.
Smell Talks : L’émergence des arts olfactifs, histoire et conceptions occidentales | Nez
An exploration of the complex and intertwined history of the olfactory arts, revisiting the various aesthetic trajectories of smell from the 19th century to the present day (Podcast).
The discovery of disulfides linked to “flint” aroma formation in wine | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
In this study, a novel class of compounds that contribute to ‘flint’ aroma postbottling was identified in Chardonnay wine.
Characterization of flavor compounds from hops (Humulus lupulus L.) variety Polaris contributing to the cooling sensation: Mechanistic insight involving three flavor compounds | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
A study on the hops variety Polaris (Humulus lupulus L.) revealed its unique minty flavor in beer, focusing on the cooling sensations experienced during initial and after tastes. Through gas chromatography–olfactometry/mass spectrometry analysis, compounds 1,8-cineole, 2-acetylpyrrole, and methyl trans-geranate were identified as contributors to this sensation. Sensory tests showed that their combined effect contributes to the cooling sensation, with methyl trans-geranate being particularly effective in producing an aftertaste. A new mechanism for the cooling sensation in Polaris beer involving these compounds is proposed, along with a discussion on their characteristics in various hop varieties.
How hops produce chiral α-bitter acids that give beer its signature taste | Phys.org
Hops are an essential ingredient in beer brewing and an important economic crop. The female flowers of hops are covered in tiny glandular trichomes that synthesize and store a variety of specialized metabolites, collectively defining the flavor and quality of beer. Terpenes provide the distinctive aroma, xanthohumol has potent antioxidant properties that benefit human health, and α-bitter acids give beer its characteristic bitterness.
Harold McGee - Science of food & drink, smell & aroma, foundations of flavour, growing tea, writing | Youtube
Harold McGee, a pivotal figure in culinary science, is renowned for his 1984 book "McGee On Food & Cooking," which made the science of cooking accessible to chefs and food enthusiasts. His 2004 second edition solidified his status as a leading authority in the field. McGee's recent work, "Nose Dive," delves into the importance of aroma and smell. The discussion covers a range of topics including the appeal of bitterness, the role of salt in enhancing flavor, and how our taste preferences are influenced by evolution and culture. Additionally, it explores concepts like the maturation of wine, the intricacies of drinks, and the future of flavor science.
Brain-inspired chips are helping electronic noses better mimic human sense of smell | Techxplore
After years of trying, the electronic nose is finally making major progress in sensing smells, almost as well as its human counterpart. That is the conclusion of a scientific review into the development of neuromorphic olfactory perception chips (NOPCs), published in the journal Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering.
9 Unusual chocolate flavors that actually work | Tasting Table
Chocolate lovers know that there is a whole world of chocolate outside of Hershey's. Take a look at some unique chocolate flavor combinations you should try.
Why do people love spicy food – even when it hurts to eat it? | The Guardian
Tearing up, sweating and other bodily functions are all signs that the body is trying to expel spicy foods as quickly as possible. But there is a simple reason why some people enjoy those sensations.
Flavor trends: Advancing AI, focusing on functionality & enhancing taste profiles | Food Ingredients First
Sustainability, personalization, health-conscious consumption, and plant-based alternatives are among the key trends shaping the flavors space, as F&B innovators create new flavor profiles that offer functional benefits and complex yet authentic tastes.
Successful visualization of the odor discrimination process in an AI-assisted olfactory sensor | EurekAlert!
NIMS has been developing chemical sensors as a key component of the artificial olfaction technology (olfactory sensors), with the aim of putting this technology into practical use. In this study, explainable AI (XAI) was used to reveal how chemical sensors discriminate among various odorant molecules. The findings may help guide the selection of receptor materials for developing high-performance chemical sensors capable of detecting odorant molecules. The achievement is expected not only to improve the performance of artificial olfaction but also to advance understanding of human olfactory mechanisms.
'Chocolate-flavored' honey created using cocoa bean shells | Phys.org
A group of researchers from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, developed a product made from native bee honey and cocoa bean shells that can be consumed directly or used as an ingredient in food and cosmetics. The results were published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, which featured the study on its cover.
Harnessing artificial intelligence for the analysis of complex chemical combinations, paving the way for novel flavors in food manufacturing: a comprehensive review | Food Chemistry Advances
This review underscores the transformative potential of AI as a strategic tool in flavor science, bridging molecular data, human perception, and consumer demands to foster next-generation food design.
What’s that smell? USF Health researchers say strong food aromas may curb appetite | University of South Florida
It might seem counterintuitive, but being immersed in strong food aromas doesn’t mean you will wind up craving the cuisine emitting them. In fact, a person’s olfactory perception may ultimately serve as an appetite suppressant and, as a result, promote weight loss.
Our brain decides what we're smelling before it knows if we like it | Earth.com
The study shows how the brain quickly sorts odors using fast rhythms and later decides whether each smell feels pleasant or unpleasant.
How the nose does double duty as it smells and senses airflow | Nature
The nose can smell and feel the air, indicating that it can act as a dual sensor. It can measure the speed of the wind and sniff out odour molecules, a team at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune has discovered in a mouse study.
Advances in predicting human olfactory perception: from data acquisition to computational models | RSC Advances
Here, we explore the recent advances in gas sensing technologies to meet the pivotal needs of human olfactory perception.
Brain splits smell into "what it is" and "how it feels" | Neuroscience News
New research shows that the brain separates “what an odor is” from “how it feels,” with each processed at distinct times.
Oakmoss: The Perfumer’s Gift | The Perfume Society
Oakmoss is one of perfumery’s greatest gifts: a forest‑deep, time‑travel note that shaped entire fragrance families and still quietly anchors some of the most sophisticated scents on your dressing table…
Where pepper grows | WSL
Climate change was faster: researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) have reconstructed the distribution history of black pepper over the past 21,000 years in an international study. Using a new approach, they discovered, among other things, that the plant migrated too slowly after the last Ice Age to take advantage of its potential distribution area.
Prototype device restores lost smell by teaching the brain to feel odors | Medical Express
There is new hope for people who have lost their smell. Scientists have successfully tested a breakthrough device that lets people detect the presence of certain odors. This innovative system helps them "smell" again by translating odors into feelings (like touch) inside the nose.
Making the case for a sixth basic taste | National Geographic
Could “fatty” or “starchy” one day become accepted as the sixth basic taste alongside the likes of sweet and salty?
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