membranes which create
the ‘burning’
sensation we experience from chilli, amongst other effects). These factors, she believes,
contribute towards our food
preferences and idiosyncratic diets. “My background is strongly rooted in
food science and chemistry,” says Sandell, who obtained her PhD in 2003, and gained post-doctoral experience at the world-renowned Monell Chemical Senses Center. “But I’ve always been fascinated by subjective differences in our perceptions of food. My first thesis examined a compound known as andostrenone (also called boar-taint) that can be smelt whilst pork, particularly male boar, is being cooked. Some find this smell pleasant, whereas others deem it revolting. But curiously, certain people cannot smell it at all due to a phenomenon called
anosmia. This shows individualised that
human beings inhabit their own highly
worlds.” Sandell pursued a related interest
sensory in her PhD
thesis, which looked at strawberries, and the ways in which different nationalities’
epicurean sensibilities are partially informed by their opinions and experiences of flavour. “’You are what you eat’ is a saying I’m
very fond of,” reflects Sandell. “Eating well is indisputably important, but specific perceptual differences mean that this can sometimes prove challenging.” To gather data on these subjective variations, Sandell uses a sensory lab in which odourless, transparent liquid droplets or conventional foodstuffs are ingested by subjects in taste tests. Recent research on the responses of participants to native lingonberries indicated that many of those tested considered the
“There are thousands of different types of microbes which occupy the human gut, weighing around 1.5 kilograms in the average adult”
healthy fruits astringent, and hence unpalatable. “Although they may be aware that these types of food are supposedly good, it’s a big problem for those who are sensitive to bitter tastes and other orosensory properties to digest them,” notes Sandell. “Of course, it’s easy to get rid of these tastes through adding sugar, but this isn’t very nutritious!” In an attempt to expand youthful palates and overcome such negative responses, Sandell is closely involved in providing sensory-based food education and training to daycare staff. “I’m interested in finding out how children can use all of their senses, and encouraging them to lean about flavour,” she says. “I don’t think that prompting them to try everything just once is adequate, and it’s important to remember the way they interpret and
associate food differs from adults. To help children overcome their misgivings and open their senses, we use a number of food related activities, some of which are also applicable to adults. By focusing their
www.projectsmagazine.eu.com
AT A GLANCE Project Information
Project Title: Microbiota development in infants
Project Objective: To understand the development of microbiota in infants, succession of different microbes and the role of mother’s intestinal microbiota in infant microbiota development: comparison of Finland and India
Project Duration and Timing: Several years
Project Funding: Academy of Finland, different foundations
Project Partners: Department of Clinical Sciences, Turku University and Turku University Hospital, Cornell University, Universtität Bodenkultur Wien, Austria; Tokyo University of Agricuture, CSIC, Valencia, Spain
MAIN CONTACT Prof Seppo Salminen
Contact: Tel: +358400601394 Email:
sepsal@utu.fi Web:
fff.utu.fi
sense of smell, or rolling food around their fingers to appreciate its texture, perceptions can be activated. It may take a long time, but, incrementally, these practices often allow them to experience a challenging food.” By combining this approach with the
development of probiotic therapies, the Finnish team hope to contribute towards techniques that promote dietary health, and could potentially deliver numerous related benefits. “To achieve these tangible impacts, it’s very important to adopt an interdisciplinary approach,” argues Sandell. Dr Salminen concurs. “Our academic specialities are separate, but inside the body they are evidently closely related,” he says. “As a consequence, our
research collaboration
not only presents an opportunity for us to improve nutritional standards, but also to introduce novel prevention methods and potential future management tools for many lifestyle diseases.”
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