Foodtech : Ghent University conducts its research on new food products thanks to Alpha MOS electronic nose

16/02/2023

Ghent University, in Belgium, equipped with HERACLES electronic nose from Alpha MOS. This instrument is notably used by researchers and doctoral students to carry out their research on the products of tomorrow's agri-food industry, intended for humans and farm animals.

 

Researchers at the University of Ghent, renowned for its “Food Technology, Safety and Health” department, are taking advantage of HERACLES' capabilities by conducting research on alternative animal feeds. Microbial proteins, for example, could be a new source of feed for farmed pigs: HERACLES can accurately assess the odor of these proteins to determine whether they are acceptable to pigs.

 

HERACLES is also used to study new healthy and sustainable food sources. It allows to evaluate the impact of insect oils on the sensory properties of the final products (cakes, chips, crackers...), according to several parameters: selected insect species, deodorization process, comparison with a recipe containing vegetable oil.

 

"The electronic nose is an essential tool in our daily work of researching the foods of the future, and it is important for us to teach our students how it works, as well as train them to use this instrument to correlate the measured data with the results of consumer tests," explains Dr. Daylan Amelia Tzompa-Sosa.