Events Diary
Kavita Bhatnagar
Dr. Kavita Bhatnagar is a visionary leader at the forefront of flavour innovation, blending a rich tapestry of academic expertise and executive acumen to redefine the boundaries of taste and nutrition. With a PhD in Psychology specializing in Eating Behaviour, she possesses a deep understanding of the intricate relationship between flavour perception and dietary decisions. Her educational journey includes transformative experiences at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Business School, where she studied management, and the University of Reading, where she honed her skills as a flavourist. Her pursuit of studies in food technology and dietetics at other esteemed institutions has further contributed to her being a well-rounded, multidisciplinary professional.
Dr. Kavita brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the table, having navigated the complex terrain of product development and regulatory compliance across various category verticals. As CEO of Kanegrade India, she leads with a visionary zeal, driving innovation and excellence in every aspect of the flavour and food industry. Beyond her corporate leadership, she is a distinguished flavourist and fellow, respected for her contributions to the field. As a council member of the British Society of Flavourists, she actively expands the society’s reach and provides an enormous boost through her dedication, energy, and expertise, fostering collaboration among peers. Driven by a passion for crafting flavours that inspire positive dietary behaviours, her dedication to excellence and continuous exploration of flavour innovation earns her admiration among flavourists and food industry professionals alike. Dr. Kavita is dedicated to revolutionizing the way we approach nutrition.
Binod Maitin
Binod Maitin is a Technical Innovation Consultant, currently consulting & mentoring in beverage companies globally which includes FlavorActiV, Pernod Ricard India, DeVan Brewery. He is an accomplished scientific and technical expert with over four decades experience in sensory & analytical sciences & new product development (NPD) of spirits beverages. As former Head of Technical Centre at United Spirits Limited he had led a team of talented professionals and made valuable contributions including development of numerous highly admired products in spirits beverages categories, many of them accomplished millionaire status. He is an alumnus of The Queen’s University of Belfast holding a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry. He has published and presented many papers on various aspects analytical & sensory sciences and beverages NPD. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry and member of Institute of Brewing & Distilling and Sensometric Society, UK. He is an expert taster and member of judging panel in International Competitions namely, IWSC, London and ISW, Germany. He also oversees alcohol beverages judging for Ambrosia awards in India. He enjoys professional networking, travel, scientific reading & writing and invited presentation in conferences and always keen to disseminate knowledge for Quality, Tasting and appreciation of Spirit Beverages. Engaged in “Academy of Excellence" for training and management of skill, knowledge and innovation in areas of his expertise.
Consumer preferences of food and beverages depend largely on the sensory properties, particularly mouthfeel and flavour perception. The overall in-mouth perception of flavour is mainly impacted by the way in which volatile aroma compounds are released in the mouth from the matrix of foods or beverages and transported to the olfactory receptors in the nose during consumption. Delivery of volatile aroma compounds to the olfactory epithelium can take place via the nostrils during inhalation (orthonasal route) or retronasally via the mouth, during eating or drinking. For smells perceived orthonasally, the brain registers these sensations as coming from the nose, while smells perceived retronasally activate parts of the brain associated with signals from the mouth. This helps understanding why we perceive flavour in the mouth, even when a large component of flavour is provided by smell in the nose. Molecules released into the air inside our mouth as we chew and swallow travel up through the retronasal passage into the nose then move up and contact the olfactory epithelium. Flavour is the combination of true taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter), retronasal & orthonsal olfaction and mouthfeel. The talk will describe the importance of retronasal tasting in product quality optimisation, mouthfeel perception, product flavour profiling, temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) studies, etc., of beverages. Improving the threshold and discerning proficiency of the sensory panel using unique GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliant, safe to taste flavour standards will also be discussed