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Understanding the chemistry of flavour is crucial to developing successful new products.

The Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences has a long-established and international reputation for its work in flavours, and our Flavour Centre can help to ensure that both new and existing products are as appealing as possible.

Expert flavour analysis

With a suite of modern extraction techniques, the Flavour Centre can provide analysis of:

  • flavourings
  • aroma and taste compounds
  • precursors, offnotes and taints
  • harmful compounds, such as acrylamide.

You'll have the opportunity to use the Flavour Centre's facilities if you choose the Advanced Food Chemistry module on our BSc and MSc courses.

Surprisingly little is known about the flavour compounds found in our foods. How these interact to create the aromas and flavours we take for granted every day is only just starting to be understood. Not everyone perceives tastes and flavours in the same way, and this is due to our own genetics. This in turn affects whether we like or dislike certain foods, and I'm interested in learning what chemical compounds might be responsible for these preferences.

Dr Luke Bell

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Are you a food industry professional?

You can access our scientists and our advanced analytical equipment through our Flavour Centre. The Centre provides the platform for proven innovation in all areas of food manufacturing, and the fresh thinking that delivers a competitive advantage.

Discover our flavour research and consulting services for industry

Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition

The Hugh Sinclair Unit is a leading centre for human clinical nutrition studies, exploring the relationship between diet and the risk of chronic disease.

Food Processing Centre

Our Food Processing Centre is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the UK, with a floor space of 1,100 square metres. The Centre contains processing equipment for food product development work, allowing you to simulate and recreate industry conditions.

Flow Cytometry Suite

The Flow Cytometry Suite provides services to investigate the activities of pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements.