Ms. Evelyne Canterranne

FlavorActiV, UK

Abstract Title: Augmenting Human Sensory Evaluation with Electronic Nose Technology in Modern Food Quality Systems

Biography:

Evelyne has over 25 years’ experience as a sensory professional in the food and beverage sector, supporting quality, product development, and sensory capability across a wide range of food and drink categories. Evelyne’s work has focused on applying structured sensory methods to improve flavour understanding, consistency, and decision-making. Through extensive international experience, Evelyne has developed a strong appreciation for how raw materials, processing, and storage influence sensory outcomes. A background in brewing and malting research in the UK helped shape a broader perspective on flavour development that now extends well beyond beverages into food applications.

Research Interest:

Human sensory evaluation remains the cornerstone of food quality assessment, providing critical insights into aroma, flavour, and overall product acceptability. However, sensory perception is inherently variable, influenced by individual sensitivity, fatigue, environmental conditions, and panel alignment. As food and beverage production becomes increasingly global and complex, there is growing demand for complementary tools that enhance consistency, objectivity, and scalability without diminishing the central role of human sensory expertise. This paper explores the role of Electronic Nose (E-Nose) technology as a means of augmenting human sensory evaluation rather than replacing it. By generating reproducible aroma fingerprints based on volatile compound patterns, E-Nose systems provide rapid, non-destructive analytical data that can be aligned with trained sensory panel outputs. When used alongside structured sensory methodologies, E-Nose technology supports improved panel calibration, early detection of deviations, and more consistent interpretation of aroma changes across production sites and over shelf life. Case examples from multiple food and beverage categories demonstrate how combining human sensory judgement with E-Nose data enhances decision-making in quality assurance, process monitoring, and product optimisation. Applications include tracking batch-to-batch consistency, identifying early indicators of spoilage or oxidation, and supporting knowledge transfer across regions where sensory capability may vary. Importantly, the integration of E-Nose outputs into sensory workflows enables organisations to focus human sensory expertise where it adds the greatest value, while analytical data provides continuous, objective reference points. The findings highlight that the true value of E-Nose technology lies not in automation alone, but in its ability to strengthen human sensory systems—improving confidence, consistency, and communication of sensory data across complex supply chains. As the food industry continues to balance speed, scale, and quality, the augmentation of human sensory evaluation with analytical aroma technologies represents a practical and forward-looking approach to modern food quality management.