Unlocking the mystery of taste: Flavor experts converge in Orlando
Written by: Brad Buck, Senior Public Relations Specialist, UF/IFAS
Flavor isn’t just a sensory experience – it’s a force that shapes what we buy, what we crave and how food and beverage trends take off. Yet the mystery behind it remains irresistible.
Where does flavor truly begin, and why do some people swoon over bitter coffee while others chase fruity seltzers or fiery hot sauce?
Those questions are sparking a pilgrimage to Orlando in March, where food and beverage innovators, scientists, students and flavor-obsessed professionals will meet for a dynamic flavor conference.
To attend the biennial summit, which is March 16-18 at the Holiday Inn Orlando – Disney Springs, you can register here. Regular registration rates (and the host-hotel group rate) are available through Feb. 20.
The 4th International Flavor Summit: A Gathering of Industry Perspectives connects science and real-world product development challenges, said Yu Wang, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
Wang, a faculty member at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, will host and speak at the summit. During her presentation, she’ll bring artificial intelligence (AI) into the flavor equation.
Smells and tastes come from molecules. To figure out which molecule is which, scientists traditionally compare the sample to a known “reference” chemical (also known as a standard), she said.
Yu Wang in her laboratory. Credit: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS photography.
“It’s kind of like matching a fingerprint to a card in a library,” Wang said.
The problem is that some reference chemicals are hard to buy, very expensive or not sold, unless someone makes them in a lab, which can take a long time.
That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) enters Wang’s flavor research.
“AI can help us identify molecules faster by learning patterns from large sets of measurements, so we can get good answers with fewer reference chemicals, saving time and cost,” she said. “We also use AI to help design food and beverage formulas that match what consumers want, which helps teams develop products faster, reduce trial-and-error and lower development cost.”
If you attend the summit, you’ll hear leaders from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Givaudan, IFF, Symrise and others and meet peers across flavor houses.
Topics at the conference include the latest trends and discoveries in the generation and science of flavor, consumer preferences and natural products as sources of novel flavor compounds.
The program features internationally known decision makers and scientists from industry, government and academic institutions. In addition to learning sessions, the summit will include exhibits, academic posters and an off-site farm tour.
The post Unlocking the mystery of taste: Flavor experts converge in Orlando, written by Brad Buck, first appeared in the University of Florida Newsroom.
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
