Food Products and Processes (USC GRAPPE) : Food and Wine Research

Our expertise is in characterizing the composition of grapes and wine, with usual methods and non-destructive methods, like hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy, with sensory methods (like profiles, mixed profiles …), consumer test, and the Life Cycle Analyses for the determination of environmental impacts. The main topics cover wine typicity, climate change, increasing wine quality and reduction of environmental impacts of the production.

Our goal is to develop a transdisciplinary approach to design products and production itineraries considering the different dimensions of quality (composition, sensory characteristics of grape and wine and environmental impacts of the production).

Such approach takes into account the different stakeholders and consumers, involved in innovation to sustain the design process.

In our projects, we wish to address a more systemic vision of the sustainability of grape and wine production and to work in a participative approach with stakeholders.

Food science

• Our goal is to develop a transdisciplinary approach to design new food products (from fresh and transform fruit, vegetables and legumes) considering the different dimensions of quality (composition, nutrition, sensory characteristics of products and environmental impacts of the production).
• Such approach takes into account the different stakeholders and consumers, involved in innovation to sustain the design process, which is realized thanks to participative approaches.
• In our projects, we wish to address a more systemic vision of the product innovation process.
• Our expertise is in characterizing the composition of raw materials, with usual and non-destructive methods, like hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy, with sensory methods (like profiles, mixed profiles …), consumer test, and the Life Cycle Analyses for the determination of environmental impacts. The main topics cover food issues with the protein transition in particular. We wish to contribute to the evolution of citizen’s consumption habits of for a better health.

• Food sciences
• Fruits and vegetables
• Life Cycle Analysis
• Viticulture Oenology
• Physical analyses
• Biochemistry and non-destructive analyses
• Sensory analysis
• Consumer behavior
• Statistics and data analysis
• Environmental quality
• Eco-design, co-conception
• Typicality

• How to objectively assess quality and typicality of so-called specific products ?
• How to provide professionals with methods and tools, adapted to their needs for assessing the quality of their products?
• How to evaluate the environmental performance and quality of these products?
• How to build models to predict and assess the quality?
• What are the interactions between a quality sign (AOP or Label) and the environmental dimension perceived by consumers?

Which factors influence product quality and typicality and what are the interactions / synergies between these factors?

• How to integrate the variability of raw materials and production methods in the design of differentiated quality products ?
• How to design coupled innovations (innovations in production and processing) and consider the strategies of different actors concerned by that innovation to establish the process design?

Dedicated to scientific and technical production, including our three main domains of expertise, headed by a scientific coordinator:

• T1.1: Methods and tools to evaluate the composition of products
• T1.2: Reliability of methods dedicated to sensory characterisation
• T1.3: Assessment of environmental impacts (LCA method)

All these tools and methods help to assess the quality of products and to optimize their quality and/or their production in a co-building approach with professionals and consumers.

Building partnerships with companies to carry out technical studies, advice and training. These projects are based on expertise developed through research. They constitute a transfer of research to the socio-economic world. It is also an entry point for companies, allowing the subsequent development of research projects in partnership.

Sensory & Consumer Platform: 20 up to date standardised sensory booths – a dedicated focus group room equipped with camera and microphone. The sensory platform also has a fully equiped professional kitchen to prepare dishes.

Processing and formulation spaces with autoclave, professional Ovens, homogenizer, professional bread kneaders, Doser machine, Mixer-cutters, vacuum packaging machine and tray-sealer machine.

Physico-chemical Platform: Biochemical analyses with UPLC-MS, HPLC, automatic titrator and Discrete Analyzer; Texture analysis with viscometer, Universal Testing Machines; Optical analysis: NIR, MIR and UV spectrophotometer, spectro-colorimeter, hyperspectral imaging set up, Raman spectroscopy and Backscattering laser imaging system.