IFST Sensory Science Group has announced that it will be hosting its annual one-day interactive conference on 22 May 2017 in Nottingham, UK.

The event, entitled ‘It’s not always just about the flavour’, will take a look at sensory modalities including appearance, aroma, flavour, texture and aftertaste.

Speakers from academia and industry will highlight new developments in the understanding of how the sensory modalities are perceived, explore the practicalities involved in making assessments and measurements; and assess the role of new techniques in improving our understanding of how the modalities interact to create our overall product experience.

The latest confirmed speaker is Andy Taylor, emeritus professor at the University of Nottingham and director of Flavometrix, whose contribution to flavour research was recognised in 2015 when he was presented with the American Chemical Society ‘Distinguished achievement’ award in Boston, US.

In his presentation, Taylor will discuss how getting a product ‘just right’ for the consumer requires ways to measure the different modalities. He will present examples of the analyses available, their relationship to sensory methods and their application in studying real life products.

Other presentations and workshops will explore topics such as acoustic memory, individual differences in saliva rate and their effect on mouthfeel perception, the halo effect, characterising malodours, product complexity and the optimum relationship between expectation and reality for liking.