BSF’s News Digest July - August 2026 ¦ Selector Ján Peťka
In the spotlight
Monell researchers use machine learning to begin mapping complex scents I Monell
Monell researchers used machine learning to compare complex odour mixtures, aiming for a colour-wheel-like map of smell. A competition and ensemble model predicted how similar two scent mixtures are. Surprisingly, the models relied on semantic descriptors such as 'fruity' and 'sweet' rather than chemistry. Knowing what the individual components smell like enables fairly accurate prediction of the overall mixture.
Madeleine de Proust : le CNRS explique enfin pourquoi les odeurs d'enfance réveillent nos émotions I Science et vie
French CNRS neuroscientists have traced the 'madeleine effect' described by Proust to granular cells in the olfactory bulb that form at birth and help us to remember pleasant childhood aromas. Disabling these neonatal neurons in mice erased their scent preferences, and surveys of over 600 people revealed a link between childhood smells and positive memories, as well as the brain's reward system. However, without regular re-exposure, the memory gradually fades.
New Approach to Understanding the Sense of Smell | Weill Cornell Medicine
Research from Weill Cornell Medicine and CU Boulder has shown that turbulent air systematically transforms odour signals as they travel, altering their timing and frequency content. By studying odour plumes using lasers and simulations, the team discovered that turbulence filters, spreads, and generates new frequencies. These changes may help animals judge the distance and direction of an odour source and could inform the development of odour-sniffing robots for use in search and rescue operations and chemical leak detection.
The Sound of Smell: Crossmodal correspondences between sound and odor | Frontiers
In three experiments, French researchers investigated whether sounds and odours are linked through shared emotions. Participants mapped 80 sounds and 24 odour ingredients onto eight emotions, and then matched sound and odour groups without being informed of the emotional connection. Pairs with similar emotional profiles were matched more often, with emotion accounting for around half of the matches. This supports the idea of indirect emotional mediation.
Flavor innovation in 2026: Swicy heat, tropical twists and sensory surprises I Food Ingredients First
FIF has surveyed 2026 flavour trends, revealing a 22% year-on-year increase in ingredient launches. 'Swicy' sweet-heat combinations, such as hot honey and mango habanero, and tropical fruits like mango and tamarind, are moving into the mainstream alongside cross-pollinated regional flavours, such as Thai green curry. In the face of cost pressures, brands are blending the familiar with the novel, while flavour technology is being used to add crunch and cooling sensations, or to mask protein off-notes.
Aux origines du goût : d’où viennent nos préférences alimentaires ? | National Geographic
National Geographic explores how food preferences form. From the last trimester of pregnancy, fetuses detect flavours in amniotic fluid; breastfeeding continues that exposure, and weaning introduces solids and textures. INRAE researcher Sophie Nicklaus notes that tastes learned in the first two years partly predict adult preferences, that food neophobia peaks around the age two and usually fades by the age of eight, and that repeated, pressure-free tasting helps to build a varied diet.
How scientists are perfecting chocolate I Knowledgable Magazine
Knowable examines the science behind chocolate. Fermentation microbes influence regional flavour profiles, and researchers have developed a model that links specific tastes to microbial groups, suggesting the potential for a controllable fermentation 'toolbox'. The crystal structure of cocoa butter gives chocolate its snap and shine, and scientists are testing ultrasound and added lipids as a way of speeding up the tempering process. However, fat bloom remains mysterious, although rounded sugar crystals appear to slow it down.
Smoky off-flavors in cocoa aren't caused solely by smoke I Phys.org
Munich researchers showed that cocoa's smoky, leathery and cheesy off-flavours can arise from overfermentation, not only smoke contamination. Overfermented beans contained more short-chain carboxylic acids and the smoky phenols 2-methoxyphenol and 4-ethylphenol, at levels similar to smoke-exposed beans. Measuring the pH of the bean pulp with test strips could detect overfermentation early and help safeguard chocolate quality.
Is MSG still controversial? I Food Navigator
FoodNavigator asks whether MSG is still a controversial ingredient. Although it is considered safe by food agencies and occurs naturally in foods such as tomatoes and cheese, 45% of US consumers still avoid it. Most reported adverse effects — such as numbness, headaches and palpitations — follow unusually large doses of over three grams, whereas typical servings contain less than 0.5 grams. Furthermore, reviews link many of the alleged risks to much higher intakes, and MSG contains only a third of the sodium found in table salt.
Making scents of cannabis: How cannabis cultivar and preparation methods influence aroma I Phys.org
Research from the University of Ferrara shows that the aroma of cannabis depends on the cultivar and how it is prepared. Using chromatography and a panel of over 150 human aroma assessors, the team identified 140 volatile compounds and seven cannabinoids across six cultivars. Freeze-drying preserved the cannabinoids but resulted in a loss of aroma. In contrast, tray-drying maintained the natural profile, while glass storage retained more volatiles, albeit at the expense of converting acidic cannabinoids to their neutral forms. These findings will help to improve the way cannabis is grown, dried and stored.
AI-powered electronic nose can distinguish tens of thousands of odors I Phys.org
A team from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute reviewed progress towards developing an artificial olfactory system based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). By mimicking the nose's combinatorial coding, arrays of porous MOF sensors with varied responses combined with AI pattern recognition can classify tens of thousands of odours under room-temperature, low-power conditions. The roadmap targets applications including food safety, pollution monitoring, hazardous gas detection, disease diagnosis and robotics.
How vanilla's history is not so … 'vanilla' I DW
DW traces vanilla's surprising history. Native to Mesoamerica, the orchid was prized by the Aztecs for scenting cacao drinks and later reached European courts, but vines wouldn't fruit outside Mexico without the native Melipona bee. In 1841, twelve-year-old enslaved Edmond Albius devised the hand-pollination method still used worldwide; he died poor while colonial Reunion and Madagascar profited. Cheap synthetic vanillin later made 'vanilla' mean plain.
Tech Life, Smell the future I BBC
A dog's nose is incredibly sensitive and odour carries information; with AI, e-noses are being used to sniff out complex odours, including diseases. Chris Vallance visits a company developing the technology, and the episode also covers sleep-tracking technology in Paris and popular bird-identification apps.
Olfactory perception, odor interaction and aroma intensity prediction of terpenes in wine beverage | npj Science of Food
Terpenes significantly influence the floral and fruity aromas of wine, and understanding their interactions can help modulate these aromas. The study assessed the odor thresholds of 28 terpenes, finding a range from 2.7 μg/L to 4.0 mg/L, with red wine having the highest thresholds. Linear terpenes offered floral notes with lower thresholds, while cyclic terpenes had more herbal notes. Analysis of 105 binary mixtures revealed 35% synergistic, 50% enhancement, and 13% inhibition effects, with pronounced synergies in ternary mixtures. A unified OI-lnOAV relationship was established., with the modified vectorial model best predicting intensity for mixtures, contributing valuable insights for aroma control in terpene-based wine blending.
Making scents: Why olfactory art is having a moment | Ocula
From provocative perfumes to show-specific scents, olfactory art is moving into the mainstream. Matteo Pini speaks to some of the genre’s practitioners about why smell is an integral part of their work.
Unravelling the saltiness-enhancing effect of aroma compounds in soy sauce via integrated sensomics and molecular docking approaches I Food Chemistry
This study identified key compounds that enhance saltiness in soy sauce using sensomics and molecular docking techniques. Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry-Mass Spectrometry (GC-O-MS) revealed nine compounds with saltiness-enhancing effects, confirmed by Odor-Induced Saltiness Enhancement (OISE) values and Time-Intensity (TI) analysis. Notably, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (2,3,5-TMP) and methionol significantly enhanced perceived saltiness in a 0.6% NaCl solution. This research suggests that aroma compounds can help reduce sodium content in soy sauce while maintaining flavor, contributing to healthier formulations.
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