Thursday, January 22, 2004 Student Uniun UW-Parkside (Kenosha County - see map)

DIRECTIONS

We eat food for basic nourishment but also for the enjoyment that it gives us. One big part of that enjoyment is the flavor of the food. Many people will try a product once, but if it doesn't taste good, they will not try it again. Flavor chemistry is a fascinating area of research covering the analysis of what contributes to the flavor of the products that we eat to development of flavors that that will work in a wide variety of products to the quest for new and unique flavors. As an example of what contributes to the flavor of a product, analytical chemists have identified over 800 volatile compounds in roasted coffee. The question is which of these are most important to creating a good coffee flavor. In terms of development, consumers want convenience and quality. Flavors tend to be unstable so there is a constant challenge to find ways to protect flavors as they go through heating, cooling, packaging and storage. Finally, there is always the search for that new or unique flavor that will be the next big blockbuster flavor – the next blue raspberry. An overview of flavor chemistry and current areas of research will be presented.

Sara Risch is the principal in the consulting firm of Science by Design, which she founded in 1993. She works with food and packaging companies as well as those in related industries, to develop new products, improve existing products, and determine new areas for growth. Among her current clients is a manufacturer of microwave popcorn where she is assisting on the international launch of the products. She is also working with the Institute of Food Technologists to field technical inquires. Sara has been active in the development of a number of microwavable products, understanding the importance of product formulation, process development and packaging. Another area of active research is the interaction between foods and packaging materials, specifically, the influence of packaging materials on the flavor of foods. Sara is the author of numerous technical papers and has edited six books; two on encapsulation, two on flavor package interactions, one on spices and the most recent one on new developments in flavor chemistry. She is active in the Institute of Food Technologies, where she is a member of the executive committee of the Food Chemistry Division and in the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society, currently serving as a councilor and is active on national committees. Prior to starting her consulting firm, Sara was Director of Research and Development for Golden Valley Microwave Foods. She received both her B.S. and Ph.D. in food science from the University of Minnesota and her M.S. in Food Science from the University of Georgia.