Feast@Massey

Celebrating Women in Food Science & Technology! Massey University is proud to support the Women in Food and Drink Aotearoa initiative with the new Massey University Woman in Food Science and Technology Award. https://lnkd.in/g8mQ8ith With a strong legacy in food innovation, Massey has long supported pioneering women in food science, from Professor Mary Earle’s contributions to food technology to today’s cutting-edge research at the Feast Lab. As a member of the judging panel, Professor Joanne Hort, Fonterra-Riddet Chair in Consumer and Sensory Science, is excited to recognise brilliant women in food science and technology. This year’s winner, Dr Christina Coker, emphasises the importance of visibility within the industry. She encourages those in the food sector but outside of food science and technology to explore the incredible facilities at Massey, including the Feast@Massey Lab, to see the great work that is going on. Congratulations to all nominees! 👏🏆 #WomenInFood #FoodScience #SensoryScience #MasseyUni #SFTNS

🥒 Reducing sodium in pickles with #verjuice!   We are excited to share Amanda Dupas, PhD's latest publication on using affective thresholds to investigate whether salt levels in pickles could be lowered. Verjuice shows great promise in reducing sodium while maintaining the sensory appeal of pickles!   This study not only enhances verjuice’s sustainability credentials but also explores its potential for product innovation.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gZujky24   🇧🇷 🤝🏼 🇳🇿 This is a collaborative project between Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul - UERGS | Feast@Massey  #masseyuni #SFTNS

Just like that, NZOZ 2025 has come to a close—and what an incredible event it was! 🎉 Feast@Massey was thrilled to chair this year’s symposium in Palmerston North, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and sensory professionals for a few inspiring days of knowledge-sharing and collaboration. A huge congratulations to Elise Waddell from Feast, for winning Best Student Presentation—a fantastic achievement! 👏 We were also fortunate to hear from keynote speakers Sidsel Jensen (Fonterra) and Julien Delarue (University of California, Davis USA), who shared invaluable insights into the future of sensory and consumer science. Context, culture and AI were major themes this year, as was how to communicate the value of sensory and consumer science to the industry.    From hands-on workshops at Feast Lab to thought-provoking presentations and industry discussions, NZOZ 2025 was an unforgettable experience. We’re excited to keep the conversations going and look forward to seeing everyone in Melbourne for NZOZ 2026! #Masseyuni #NZOZ2025 #SensoryScience #SFTNS #AIFST #NZIFST

Just like that, NZOZ 2025 has come to a close—and what an incredible event it was! 🎉 Feast@Massey was thrilled to chair this year’s symposium in Palmerston North, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and sensory professionals for a few inspiring days of knowledge-sharing and collaboration. A huge congratulations to Elise Waddell from Feast, for winning Best Student Presentation—a fantastic achievement! 👏 We were also fortunate to hear from keynote speakers Sidsel Jensen (Fonterra) and Julien Delarue (University of California, Davis USA), who shared invaluable insights into the future of sensory and consumer science. Context, culture and AI were major themes this year, as was how to communicate the value of sensory and consumer science to the industry.    From hands-on workshops at Feast Lab to thought-provoking presentations and industry discussions, NZOZ 2025 was an unforgettable experience. We’re excited to keep the conversations going and look forward to seeing everyone in Melbourne for NZOZ 2026! #Masseyuni #NZOZ2025 #SensoryScience #SFTNS #AIFST #NZIFST

Rubi Smith’s Pūhoro STEMM Academy internship at Feast Lab Over the past 10 weeks, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work at Feast@Massey for my internship through Pūhoro. I worked with EEG headset and eye-tracking, equipment that I have never worked with before. The goal of my internship was to revise the literature on these implicit measures and pilot this new equipment and see how they can provide valuable insights into consumer behaviour. To this end, I have learned how to use these implicit methods and have created some labels to test how people would engage with them, what would catch their attention, how long they would focus on key details, and whether design elements would influence their decision-making. One of the biggest takeaways is that combining implicit and explicit methods allows to gain a better picture of consumer behaviour. However, working with the EEG presented some challenges. The EEG headset had fit and comfort issues, with some participants experiencing discomfort after prolonged use. Certain hair types, sensor contact, and skin irritation also influenced data quality. Despite these hurdles, troubleshooting in real time was a great learning experience during pilot sessions. Beyond the technical aspects, I enjoyed the hands-on experimentation and problem-solving required to fine-tune the setup. I found it fascinating how implicit methods can shape real-world applications, such as improving label design for better consumer understanding. I thoroughly enjoyed my time back at Feast@Massey (for the third time!) and the opportunity to dive deeper into consumer research. Dr Amanda Dupas, PhD and Dr Simone Poggesi, PhD were instrumental in this internship and guided me through this entire process. This year, I am excited to be pursuing my Master of Applied Science (MAppSci) in Advanced Nutrition Practice and making the move up to Papamoa. #SFTNS #Masseyuni, #Feastmassey #Pūhoro

🔥 Are wildfires effect on wine a defect or a characteristic of the vintage? This is one of the questions explored in the article “Consumer Responses to Smoke-Impacted Pinot Noir and the Influence of Label Concepts on Perception”, a result of collaboration between Feast@Massey and Oregon State University. This research provides vital information to the wine industry as they adapt to future wildfire years, along with how the distinct sensory profile may not be detrimental to consumer acceptance and can be modulated by the type of information on label. Check this out: https://lnkd.in/gG-VsCVi Jenna Fryer, Amanda Dupas, PhD Joanne Hort, Elizabeth Tomasino

 Understanding What Makes Milk Creamy. 🥛 A recent study investigates the sensory attributes that contribute to the perception of creaminess in milk. Researchers compared two statistical methods, LASSO and PLSR, to identify these key attributes. They analyzed 32 milk samples and collected feedback from 117 New Zealand milk drinkers. The LASSO method identified four key sensory attributes that significantly influence creaminess, with a high model accuracy (R² = 0.951). The PLSR method identified thirteen attributes (R² = 0.933). LASSO is effective for quick and cost-efficient research, while PLSR provides a more detailed analysis useful for comprehensive product development. These insights help the dairy industry enhance product quality and achieve commercial success. #Masseyuni #SFTNS Joanne Hort, Emily Fisher, Charles Diako, Ph.D.

Exciting Research Alert! 🎉 Feast@Massey is thrilled to announce that Simone Poggesi, PhD (PI), and Jennifer Wagner (Co-PI) have secured $24,800 from Massey University’s College of Sciences for a one-year project on rapid lexicon development for innovative food products! By leveraging AI-driven analysis and at-home consumer testing, this research will create a scalable, consumer-led approach to understanding functional foods like electrolyte and vitamin drinks. This means faster insights, better product development, and consumer-focused innovation! Stay tuned for updates on how this project is shaping the future of sensory science! 🚀 #SFTNS #Masseyuni

Exciting news! 🎉   We’re thrilled to share that Amanda's application to the Massey-Lincoln and Agriculture Industry Fund (MLAIF) 2025 has been successful!    Her project, ‘Realising the potential of thiols in white wines: sensory consumer responses and chemical characterisation’, has been awarded funding to investigate how different levels of varietal thiols in white grape varietals impact consumer responses and sensory perception. This research has the potential to provide valuable insights for the wine industry and showcases the power of collaboration between Massey and Lincoln Universities, and Bragato Research Institute alongside primary sector stakeholders.    Congratulations, Amanda – we can’t wait to see where this project takes you! #WineInnovation #MLAIF2025 #PrimaryIndustries #SFTNS Lincoln University (NZ) | Feast@Massey | Massey University | Bragato Research Institute

🎄Happy Holidays from Feast@Massey 🎅   As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a well-deserved break to soak up the festive season magic.   Feast will be closed from 20 December 2024 to 6 January 2025. 📅   We wish you a holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished moments with whānau and friends. Whether you're enjoying special traditions or making new memories, may this time bring you joy and peace.    Thank you for being part of our year – we can’t wait to reconnect in 2025 for even more exciting adventures! 😊   Nga mihi nui, The Feast Team at Massey University #festiveseason #happyholidays #SeeYouIn2025 #SFTNS