Research

The collective term food quality covers numerous aspects related to the role of food in our lives and in society.

This refers to intrinsic characteristics of products such as their sensory and nutritional properties and the wider impact on the environment and the social well-being of the people involved in their production.

In short, food should taste good and be healthy while giving us the feeling that we have done something good for the planet and society.

Ecological and sustainable products are subject to increased requirements, some of which are prescribed by law and some of which are not articulated, and they are often associated with certain characteristics.

In this field of tension between clear rules, sometimes diffuse expectations and unprovable benefits, it is difficult to make evidence-based statements.

Foods contain a wide range of compounds that shape the various properties of the food through their properties and in particular through synergistic or antagonistic interactions.

These include not only sensory and nutritional properties, but also technofunctional, health-promoting and, where applicable, toxicological properties.

Research in this section therefore focuses on the elucidation of such structure-activity relationships, in particular biofunctional and sensory-relevant compounds such as secondary plant compounds and polysaccharides.