DEPARTMENT, LABORATORY AND RESEARCH GROUP
The Department of Agriculture of the University of Sassari is a structure multidisciplinary that encloses different sectors (Agronomy; Herbaceous crops and genetics; Economy, Arboriculture and Forestry; Field engineering; Plant pathology and Entomology; Environmental and Food Science and Technology; Animal Science). The sensory laboratory is situated in the section of Environmental and Food Science and Technology.
This laboratory respects the requirements of the ISO 8589 (2010) standard. It is composed by six sensory booths equipped with stainless steel sink. The room is adequately lit and equipped with air conditioning. In the cabins there are 6 laptops with software (Smart Sensory Box) for sensing data acquisition. There is also a samples preparation room separated from the sensory room where food samples are prepared for conducting sensory tests.
The sensory research team is composed by Prof. Alessandra Del Caro (Associate professor); Dr. Costantino Fadda (Senior researcher) and Dr. Paola Conte (post Doc Researcher).
The sensory lab of the Department hosted, as visiting professor, Dr. Tormod Naes of NOFIMA (Norway).
MAIN RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
- 2016-2019 (36 months)
Sustainability of the Olive-oil System – S.O.S. Project AGER (Fondazione in rete per la ricerca agroalimentare) 2016-2019.
The aim of the project is to strengthen the olive-growing system by improving its sustainability. This was the first project winner at national level and involves different Italian Universities. One of the topic of this project is to formulate innovative foods with enhanced nutritional properties and prolonged shelf life (in our case gluten free bakery products) by using extracts obtained from olive by-products.
Coordinator for the University of Sassari: Prof. Antonio Piga. - 2014/2017 (36 months)
Italian Taste – A research project of Italian Sensory Science Society aimed at understanding determinants of food choices, preferences, and eating by studying individual differences (http://www.it-taste.it/).
Coordinator: prof. Erminio Monteleone. - 2017-2019 (24 months)
Study of new ingredients able to improve the technological, sensory and nutritional properties of gluten-free bakery products. L.R. 7 agosto 2007, n°7, Capitale Umano ad Alta Qualificazione.
Scientific director: Dr. Costantino Fadda. - 2017-2020 (30 mesi)
Enhancement of the vine and wine’s response of Cannonau as a function of terroir. MIGLIORVINO. Progetti Cluster Top-Down Azione 1.1.4-Asse prioritario I-POR FESR Sardegna 2014-2020. The aim is the improvement of the vine and wine’s oenological response by using the Cannonau variety processed in purity and in blend, in order to enhance the international competitiveness of the Sardinian viticulture.
Principal investigator: Prof. Alessandra Del Caro. - 2017-2020 (30 mesi)
Valorisation and development of Quinoa cultivation for the creation of traditional bakery products with and without gluten. INNOQUINOA. Progetti Cluster Top –Down Azione 1.1.4 -Asse prioritario I -POR FESR Sardegna 2014-2020.
The aim of the project is the evaluation and development of the process techniques of Quinoa (from farm to fork) production chain to obtain traditional products with features of innovation.
Principal investigator: Dr. Costantino Fadda. - 2017-2020 (30 mesi)
Ancient varieties for the innovation of bakery products. AVIPROFO. Progetti Cluster Top-Down Azione 1.1.4 -Asse prioritario I -POR FESR Sardegna 2014-2020.
The aim is the development of new bakery products by using flours from ancient varieties of Sardinian durum wheat and ovine whey and/or sourdough.
Principal investigator: Prof. Antonio Piga.
DOCTORATE
In the Department of Agriculture is active the doctorate in Agricultural Sciences with 5 curricola.
Prof. Del Caro and Dr. Fadda are members of the PhD School in the Microbial and Agro-Food Biotechnology curriculum.
TEACHING ACTIVITY
| Master degree in |
VITICULTURAL AND OENOLOGICAL SCIENCES |
| Course | PHYSICAL AND SENSORY ANALYSIS OF FOODS |
CONTACTS
Sensory lab
Department of Agriculture – section of Food Technology
Viale Italia 39
07100 Sassari
https://agrariaweb.uniss.it/it
Contacts team
