• Organisational form: University (public sector)
• Focus: Food, agriculture and pharmaceuticals
• Major activities: Applied and basic research; Education; Training; Consulting
   

Contact Address:
 Prof. Wender Bredie
Copenhagen University
Faculty of Life Sciences
Department of Food Science, LMC
Sensory Science
Rolighedsvej 30, 5th floor
DK-1958 Frederiksberg C
Denmark

tel. +45-35 33 32 42
fax. +45-35 33 35 09

The sensory science group at the University of Copenhagen has worked with research and education within sensory and consumer science since 1996. The group has a staff of 20 people (15 academic research staff, and 5 technical and administrative staff). The group’s expertise spans a cross-disciplinary range  that includes chemistry, food science and human nutrition, psychology, neurophysiology, and statistics.

The group has its roots in research and education, in the sensory evaluation of foods, and in applying and developing multivariate data analysis tools for  the evaluation of trained panel and consumer test results concerning the sensory (hedonic) quality of foods in relation to their chemical and physical properties. More recently, the group has begun work on sensory quality perception in meals and the over-all environmental effect (how the food is presented, physical environs, psychological setting, time of day, etc.) on overall quality perception and consumer satisfaction. These activities are part of the new research area of molecular gastronomy.

Besides applying sensory science to foods, the group has also worked on fundamental aspects of physiology (satiety mechanisms, olfactory adaptation, flavour release) and psychology (memory, preference, and habit formation) and their connections with human nutrition and intelligent meal design. The research programme (2006-2010) is divided into four main areas addressing products, consumers, sensory-related physiology, and methods, as listed below:

1. Sensory product quality and meal design
2. Consumer food choices and preferences
3. Sensory physiology and flavour
4. Sensory methods and sensometrics

The sensory group is part of the Department of Food Science (IFV), which is organized in six research groups: Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Quality & Technology, Sensory Science, Meat Science, and Dairy Technology. IFV’s research programme is primarily related to food quality, safety, technology, and food and health. The department has a widespread network of national and international collaborators. IFV has a practical and industrial approach to food research and aims for its programmes to be beneficial to Danish society as well as internationally. The department is part of the Centre for Advanced Food Studies (LMC), which coordinates research and education within food science in Denmark. IFV offers research and university training programmes at all academic levels within food science and technology. This includes PhD training courses, which are coordinated through the national graduate school FOOD.

For more information please visit our website
 www.ifv.life.ku.dk