Food Chemistry and Food Sensory Science

Food chemistry and food sensory science form intertwined disciplines that examine the composition, transformations and perception of foods from molecular to experiential levels. Food chemistry elucidates the structures and interactions of nutrients, polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, pigments, flavour precursors and bioactive compounds, revealing how processing, storage and formulation influence quality and safety. Central themes include the mechanisms of starch gelatinisation and retrogradation, lipid oxidation and hydrolysis, Maillard browning, protein denaturation and cross-linking, and the stability of natural pigments and vitamins. Food sensory science explores how these chemical and physical changes translate into human perception of appearance, aroma, taste, texture and mouthfeel. Drawing on psychophysics, neurobiology and consumer research, it employs descriptive panels, discrimination tests and hedonic scaling to characterise sensory attributes, establish flavour thresholds and guide product optimisation. These fields underpin innovation across the food chain—from novel plant-protein ingredients and functional fibres to minimally processed fruits and vegetables, tailored packaging atmospheres and clean-label culinary formulations—ensuring that advances in chemical understanding align with consumer expectations for taste, texture and nutritional benefit.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have redefined starch gelatinisation, demonstrating that differential scanning calorimetry profiles reflect the partial melting of crystalline lamellae while substantial order persists, with implications for viscosity control and product stability. Investigations of rice cooking have shown that stickiness is governed by the selective leaching of short-chain amylopectin fragments, whose molecular dimensions and chain-length distribution correlate directly with adhesive mouthfeel. At the nanoscale, hydration of seed mucilage has been visualised by electron microscopy, revealing the self-assembly of polysaccharide fibrils into three-dimensional networks that underpin the shear-thinning and elastic behaviour exploited in texture-modifying food applications.

Food Chemistry and Food Sensory Science publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in food chemistry and food sensory science across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Starch gelatinisation: Heat- and water-induced swelling and partial melting of starch granules that increases viscosity and modifies texture.

Amylopectin: A highly branched glucose polymer in starch, whose short chains leach during cooking to impart stickiness.

Lamellae: Concentric crystalline and amorphous layers within starch granules that determine thermal and mechanical behaviour.

Mucilage: A water-soluble plant polysaccharide that forms an interconnected fibrillar network upon hydration, conveying viscoelasticity.

Shear-thinning: Non-Newtonian flow behaviour in which viscosity decreases as shear rate increases.

Viscoelasticity: The combined viscous and elastic response of a material under deformation, crucial for gel resilience.

Volatile compounds: Low-molecular-weight substances that readily evaporate and drive aroma perception.

Off-flavour: Unpleasant taste or aroma notes, often green or beany, originating from lipid oxidation or amino-acid degradation.

References

1. Changes of multi-scale structure during mimicked DSC heating reveal the nature of starch gelatinization. Scientific Reports (2016).
2. The molecular structural features controlling stickiness in cooked rice, a major palatability determinant. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Unravelling the secret of seed-based gels in water: the nanoscale 3D network formation. Scientific Reports (2018).
4. Masking off-flavors of faba bean protein concentrate and extrudate: The role of in situ and in vitro produced dextran. Food Hydrocolloids (2024).
5. Biopurification using non-growing microorganisms to improve plant protein ingredients. npj Science of Food (2024).
6. Aroma of peas, its constituents and reduction strategies – Effects from breeding to processing. Food Chemistry (2021).