Newcastle University in the UK has opened a new sensory testing facility, which will be used to improve the quality, taste and texture of food for consumers.
The £700,000 NU-Food facility will build on the University's expertise in food and human nutrition and will provide opportunities to work with the food industry to develop new and improved foods.
The unit also features a demonstration teaching kitchen and an assessment suite for nutrition and health trials.
NU-Food director and Newcastle University Food and Human Nutrition professor Chris Seal said that the NU-Food provides the perfect setting to support and validate new product development in the food industry.
"A facility of this size is unique in the region and gives us a greater opportunity to share our research and expertise with the industry and further boost the region's competitiveness in this field.
"It also enhances the experience for our students - linking them directly with potential future employers and giving them real-life experience while they are studying at Newcastle University," Seal added.
Newcastle University's School of Agriculture Food & Rural Development (AFRD) has supported a farmer members by disseminating new knowledge developed and tested on its two farms at Cockle Park and Nafferton and in the university's research laboratories.
In addition, the research teams have developed close links with industry, testing the validity of health claims, the nutritional value of foods and assisting in food marketing and sustainable supply chain management.
