Welcome to "AigoraCast", conversations with industry experts on how new technologies are transforming sensory and consumer science!
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Beatrice Boakyewaa Blay is a Ghanaian-based Food Technologist with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a Master's degree in Food Science currently working as a Research & Development Technologist with a focus in New Product Development, Recipe Renovation, and Packaging Development. She's passionate about all things food and is interested in expanding her scope in the areas of Flavour Science, Sensory Science, and Artificial Intelligence in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Space.
Transcript (Semi-automated, forgive typos!)
Danielle:Beatrice, welcome to the show.
Beatrice: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me on AigoraCast. I'm so excited to be here. Such an honor. Thank you.
Danielle:Thank you, too. Well, in order for our listeners to get to know you a bit better, I would like you to tell us a bit about your background and how did you become involved in food technology and sensory research.
Beatrice: Okay, I would be delighted to do that. Just as you have introduced me, my name is Beatrice. I work as a research and development technologist here in Ghana. A little about my background, I had an interest in becoming a scientist from quite an early age. So when I was choosing a major for my college degree, I decided to enroll in a science degree. Initially, I thought I wanted to be in the health sciences after I finished my degree, and this was way before I knew anything about food science. So during my third year in the university, I was introduced to two courses that sparked my interest, these courses being Food by Chemistry and then Fermentation by Chemistry. That's where my initial interest in pursuing Food Science as a career began. And further, I went on to pursue a master's degree in Food Science. Got some internships with the Food Research Institute, and eventually I got a full-time job as a food technologist, which is my current role with one of the reputable food manufacturing companies here in Ghana. For close to three years now, I have been working in R&D, where some of my functions across packaging development project, spearheading nutritional analysis in external labs, mainly to substantiate nutritional claims. I also assist with the benchtop formulations, plant trials, and monitor the stability and then shelf life of newly developed products as well as the standard ones. As to how I became interested in sensory science, I think it started during my master's degree when I took a course in sensory evaluation. My initial encounter with the subject was on a theory level, on the theoretical level. But then I had an internship with my current company, and that's when I saw how they were incorporating sensory into their product development and then recipe renovation procedures. As I came across the area, I knew that I wanted to know more about it. I wanted to understand the complexities with how different people are presented with the same food products, but then we end having different outcomes. That is where my interest in sensory research began, and then my interest continues as I grow, and I encountered different aspects of it in other people's research as well.
Danielle:You touch upon a little bit already on that, but I would like to know if you can tell us a little bit more on how you use sensory in your projects for product development and for recipe renovation.
Beatrice: Okay. I believe the product development process is quite the same in almost all manufacturing companies. Having the insights into your consumers' needs and preferences, it's of great importance because in the end, you are designing a product for a category of people or even pets, depending on what your company provides. We use sensory to guide our direction when we are developing new products or even when we have to benchmark our competitors. So data from our sensory evaluation help us fully understand what our consumers prefer, and then in turn, we are able to design for them the products that will fulfill their needs. That is on the side of developing new products. When it comes to renovating our existing recipes, they are done for different reasons, whether it's to benchmark a competitor or make some cost events or even meet some regulatory requirements. Depending on objective for the renovation, we also employ different sensory evaluation methods to assess that's meta-objective.
Danielle:Yeah, and your role is really also around packaging development. How does that fit? How do you ensure that packaging also aligns with sensory and what consumers need?
Beatrice: That's a very great question. I have been working as the packaging development lead in my lab for about a year now. Packaging development plays a critical role in developing any new product. So to do this, we conduct some preliminary assessments. On the sensory side, we keep our products in the said packaging material and then monitor over time to ensure that it offers both protection and then preservation of the quality sensory parameters we have defined. And then we assess all the sensory attributes over a period to ensure that the packaging material has no undesirable impact on any of the attributes. So we have a calendar where we monitor the product's physical parameters and also sensory parameters to see if at any point there has been a change in any sensory parameter. So that's one way of looking at it. And another way we also look at it is from the consumer's perspective. So through our market research team, usually through monadic testing, we get to find out consumers' purchasing intent, usually using the packaging as a focus. So we take into account what they also want their packaging to look like, while also taking into consideration what our regulatory body also requires so that in the end, we can fulfill all the stakeholders needs.
Danielle:Okay. Yeah. Thank you for that. I would like to go to a little bit of a different topic. I always find it interesting to hear about collaborations between industry. You work in the industry, but you came from academia. How do you see this interaction between universities and industry in Ghana?
Beatrice: The interaction and the collaboration between the academic world and then the food industry here in Ghana has long existed. It has been there for a very long time. And over the years, this partnership has played a significant role in bridging the gap between academic research and the practical industry applications with uncountable success stories. So these universities often collaborate with us, the food companies, on different projects, usually given us valuable scientific expertise in different areas such as food safety, R&D, and even nutrition. This is a great partnership that usually also exists in the form of internships and even employment opportunities. So food companies provide students with opportunities to work with them on projects while they are in school, and even as they finish their degree. So this is a collaboration that I personally stand for and encourage because it yields very great results.
Danielle:So it's about giving people, students from the university some opportunities to do some experience in a company?
Beatrice: Exactly.
Danielle:Is it also the other way around?
Beatrice: Yes, it's also the other way around. So it's a synergistic approach where each person benefits from the other.
Danielle:Yeah, because they can, of course, learn a lot about the very robust approaches that universities apply. And yeah, there is a lot of value in experiencing both sides. Do you have any examples that you are allowed to share about such collaborations?
Beatrice: Yes, I have my own experiences from these successful collaborations. One of them includes my internship opportunity with a reputable food research institute during my undergraduate. Like I mentioned earlier, that's where my interest in food science heightened and my journey actually began. So that's one of my experiences, and I think one of the outstanding ones involved two opportunities I've had in the past year to collaborate with some academic researchers to write papers, and these papers are currently under review to be published in some high-impact journal, so I'm very excited for it, and I can't wait to share the publications with other people. So yes, these collaborations are very valuable, and they provide numerous valuable experiences, both to students and then to industry players.
Danielle:And while talking about publications, you're also a peer reviewer for some scientific journals, huh?
Beatrice: Yeah.
Danielle:Can you tell us a bit about that? How is that?
Beatrice: I can tell you about it. So I personally call peer reviewing as my scientific hobby. So they are social hobbies and other fun hobbies, but then my scientific hobby is peer reviewing. Then I got the opportunity to do this by engaging with some connections on LinkedIn. This experience has greatly improved my research skills. As I have reviewed papers in the areas of food chemistry, microbiology, toxicology, and even sensory science. I think last week, I got an invitation to review a paper in the area of contaminants. This is an area I have personally conducted some research in during my undergraduate and then my postgraduate as well. I believe this peer reviewing is such an enriching experience as I get to learn a lot about the different researches that are being conducted in diverse countries across the world. It's quite an exciting experience for me.
Danielle:It's something you would recommend people if they got the opportunity?
Beatrice: Absolutely. There's the opportunity to actually apply to peer review for these journals and the resources are available online to find. I would highly recommend if anyone would want to enrich their research experience.
Danielle:Well, now another topic that we have in common as an interest is, of course, artificial intelligence. You are particularly interested also in the area of food manufacturing. How do you see AI transforming product development, particularly in sensory in your field?
Beatrice: Thank you. Artificial intelligence, this is an interesting subject that I have been seeing online, I have encountered in so many different disciplines. So I decided to actually explore if it was being used in the food industry. And then to my amazement, I found out that the food industry was not new to its application at all. So to answer your question of how I see AI transforming product development, I would say that particularly some food and beverage manufacturing companies are using the application to track consumers' needs and then analyze trends. So this will help them understand what's their consumers aspect, and in other, they'll be able to design for them the products that will meet the needs that these consumers are looking to fulfill. That's one area that I can look at it from. Another angle I can also consider is the use of advanced sensory analysis tools that companies are currently exploring using AI-derived applications and algorithms to analyze very complex sensory data, leading to more accurate and then objective solution evaluation. It's an area that I'm very excited to probably get into later on. I know that Aigora is doing a great job providing some of these AI solutions to their consumers to save them some time and then some resources as well.
Danielle:Yeah, indeed. Making those powerful analysis more available to people at their fingertips. I think that's one of the big advantages of this development over the last year. Are there any specific tools in AI or technologies that you are currently exploring or excited about? Well, you gave already some examples, maybe there is more.
Beatrice: I have, particularly, to actually expand my knowledge and then build on my expertise, I have signed up for an online AI Sustainable Course, which will be starting in about two weeks. I believe by the time this episode comes out, I would probably be somewhere about two weeks in the course. I'm excited I'm excited to explore how I can integrate some AI assistance tools into my personal daily workflows to optimize productivity and then also manage my tasks as well. I'm excited, particularly to see how I can employ some of these tools in data management. Like I said earlier, working with any data manually can be very challenging and then time-consuming, regardless of the field you are, because every time you have large amount of data sets to work with. So if I get to the point where I can actually incorporate some AI tools into my data analysis and visualization task. I'll be very excited. I believe by the time I'm done with the six weeks online course, I'll be able to build probably some basic models that can help with these activities. I can also use other existing ones, but by then I will have deeper understanding and expertise into how these tools are being used.
Danielle:Yeah, exciting. Taking a step back from AI, but more back to research, to the core of research. Also, there is a lot happening. Are there certain areas, upcoming trends in food technology or sensory science that you are particularly interested in?
Beatrice: Yes, absolutely. Thanks, Daniel. I'm particularly excited about a few topics in the food industry, actually. I believe the number one topic on the list is sustainability. It's like a lot of different companies are considering sustainability in almost all their operations and the food industry is one of them. I'm excited to see how sustainable sourcing of ingredients are now being implemented. The use of upcycled food ingredients, clean labeling, and even edible packaging to reduce-
Danielle:Packaging, I was going to say that.
Beatrice: To reduce the use of single-use packaging materials for a better environment for all of us. That's one area that I'm looking forward to. It's already in existence, but I'm looking forward to seeing more work and then more companies adopting more sustainable practices. There are other topics as well. The topic of plant-based products, alternative proteins, biotechnology. People are using novel fermentation technologies to create ingredients that mimic the sensory properties of traditional products as well. I'm excited. There's a lot of new research areas in technology coming up, and then I'm actually excited to see how the industry is going to transform over the years.
Danielle:That's interesting that you mentioned this plant-based and this alternative protein. Is that also in Ghana? Are people very interested in that?
Beatrice: I would not... There will be people interested in that, but I think that would just be a little fraction of it because even in the western world, it's very new to consumers, and then companies are struggling to get consumers to easily accept and even try. I think it would take a lot of time or a lot of convincing with research evidence-based research to convince more people to try these alternatives and plant-based because people have this notion that because they are plant-based and alternative, they are ultra-processed. People's perceptions to what ultra-processing means is that it's not good for their health. I think the scientific community has a long way to go to convince consumers to give plant-based and alternative food products to try. We have some work to do, but I have firm belief in the fact that it will work. It will just take some time and then some more research.
Danielle:Yeah, it's interesting that the... How do you say it? The obstacles or bottlenecks are a bit the same indeed, because I recently just read again about a new study that people indeed still think it's less healthy. Indeed because of the processing, that the proteins are not good enough, not good as in meat. Is Ghana a very meat-oriented diet that they have?
Beatrice: I'd say it's more it's a more carbohydrate-oriented. Yes, we eat a lot of carbohydrates, but then we eat a lot of meat as well. I think there are few vegetarians and vegans here as compared to the people who eat traditional meat. So yes, we are more into meals that use actual meat and actual proteins for preparation.
Danielle:Okay. Thank you for that view and for that information. I would like now to take a step back also to a bit more general in sensory and consumer science. So what advancements, and it's again about what excites you have for the future. Are there any areas in sensory science that you are excited for, that you are looking for? And maybe building on that, how... Yeah, no, go ahead.
Beatrice: I think with my very recent interest in the artificial intelligence, one particular area I'm excited to see the use of its application is the area of sensory science. I think some of the innovations that I'm particularly looking forward to in the future is the adoption of virtual taste testing. I believe this already exists, but not a lot of people have adopted it yet. The use of AI-powered tools to mimic human senses in a system with product formulations in order to reduce the lead times of product development and then the need for physical taste panels. Because sometimes conducting sensory evaluation takes a lot of time, takes a lot of resources. Sometimes you So audience don't actually understand the objective of the test, and there's a lot of difficulty with your results. I'm particularly excited to see how AI can be incorporated into taste testing. And then the other area as well is the use of virtual reality technology. I don't know if Aigora has that as one of his solutions, but I believe it's also in the existence. These technologies are being used to create immersive eating experiences. I would like to see how different companies, different sensory and consumer research companies incorporate this into products and then market and test.
Danielle:How do you see this field of sensory science also now, specifically for Ghana or maybe for across Africa in the coming years?
Beatrice: Yes, I really appreciate this question a lot because sensory sciences, it's a niche area in the food science space, and then it's just a few people are in that field. But then I'd like to highlight that there's a great deal of professionals in the field here in Ghana, particularly in the academic space and the industry as well. I see a lot of this new knowledge being introduced here with evidence-based researches conducted by this aspect. I see the space expanding. I see the sensory space in Ghana expanding, and I'm excited to see how different transformations would take place within the consumer research space across the country and then Africa as a whole. Actually, I think I'd like to use this opportunity to talk about AfroSense, a little about AfroSense. Afrosense 2024 is a conference that is being organized by the African Network for Sensory Evaluation Research, known as ANSWER. It's being organized here in Ghana from the 27th to 29th of November at the University of Ghana. I would encourage all the people in the African region in my country, Ghana, to take advantage of this conference. There's EuroSense taking place in about a week or so in Dublin, I believe. Yes. This is our own version of EuroSense. Bringing together academic professionals, ingredients, industry players, and then students within Africa for AfroSense 2024. I'm excited for the essential industry here in the country and then in the African region as a whole.
Danielle:Nice. Yeah. And it's the first time that there is a conference.
Beatrice: It's the first time, and then it looks very promising. I cannot wait to attend.
Danielle:I can imagine. Because are there also any resources or networks? Because I can imagine if people hear this podcast, they might want to know more about sensory and how to specialize. Do you have any resources or networks that you can recommend them to?
Beatrice: Absolutely. There's a number of networks and resources available online, actually. This is an honorable mention to my mentor, Charlotte Goose, of Co-op in the UK. She shared a lot of resources with me over the year, over the months that we've been meeting for our sessions, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity. So a few of the resources I would recommend, I believe, the number one most important platform will be LinkedIn. This is such an amazing platform that has connected me with so many great professionals and then organizations, and it has granted me many wonderful opportunities. I'd recommend that people set up LinkedIn account and then interact with the people there. There's also the Institute of Food Technologist on its own, and they have a sensory science division where they share valuable research and resources and organize many webinars as well. So the IFT is there. It's sensory division. And there's also the Sensometric Society as well.
Danielle:That was in July.
Beatrice: Okay. That was also another resource. And the African Network for Sensory Evaluation Research, like I mentioned, which is currently organizing the AfroSense 2024. The last one, I believe, is the European Sensory Science Society, which is jointly organizing the EuroSense 2024 with the Sensory Food Network in Ireland. These are just a few resources that I can share, but there's so many of it available online that we can access freely and then draw some knowledge and any insights as well.
Danielle:Yeah, there is indeed so much available, so it's good to hear what are the ones to look out for indeed. Yeah. And that also brings me because I'm looking at a time, time flies, and we need to start wrapping up. But one thing that I think is always that our listeners find very valuable is to hear from our guests on what the advice it is. I would like to ask you if there are students or young professionals interested in pursuing a career in sensory science. Is there any advice that you can give them?
Beatrice: Absolutely. Thank you so much. I'm a young professional myself. I always call myself an early career scientist, so I'd be honored to share this one advice I got from one of IFT's webinars last week. They organized a webinar for early career scientists, the way industry experts shared many insights with us. And one advice that actually went across, like run across to all the speakers was that we should not confide ourselves in a single box. This is a statement that I can personally resonate with because just as we have discussed, we have talked about different areas that I am particularly passionate about. I'd advise that people be open to gathering knowledge and expertise from different fields and not limit themselves to one area. And then to do this, you have to build connections. So for students, I would encourage them to actually build connections very early on, regardless of whether they decide to be in academia or even in the industry. There are so many professionals, both online, their academic teachers and everything, they can build this connection so that they can start learning so much from them because these professionals have a great deal of knowledge and wisdom to share. That's one great advice I'll share with students and also my fellow young professionals as well. I believe that building professional network is of great value. I have experienced the first-hand, and then I'd encourage them to attend conferences, the ones we can attend in-person, the one they can join online. They should be open to learning, expanding their knowledge in diverse discipline because there's so much knowledge in the world that one can never get enough. I would encourage them to build their connections and also try to tap knowledge in different fields because it such an enriching experience. That's the best advice I can give to current students and my fellow young professionals as well.
Danielle:Yeah, those are good points. To add to that, I think professionals also usually like to share their experience with new people, with younger. So yeah, it also goes both ways in a sense. One final question, Beatrice. If people are interested in contacting you and they want to hear more about you, what is the best way? Can they connect with you on LinkedIn or should they send an email?
Beatrice: Absolutely. So I can share my email with you. I believe I don't know if it can be attached to the episode.
Danielle:Yeah, I would recommend, let's use your LinkedIn address that we enter to the podcast so that people can easily contact you.
Beatrice: I'd be excited to connect with more people. Like I said, I'm continuously learning, and I like to learn, so I'm open to learning more. I'm open to collaborations on researches in sensory, different areas in the food science space. Then also, I'm interested in sharing my knowledge as well. If anybody would like to connect with me, my name is Beatrice Boakyewaa Blay on LinkedIn. If anyone reaches out to me, I'll be open to reaching out back and then connecting.
Danielle:Great. That's great. We will add, like I said, your LinkedIn details to the podcast. Well, Beatrice, time is already over, but thank you so much for this interview.
Beatrice: Thank you so much. I'm very grateful for the opportunity, actually. Thank you so much for the platform to share my journey as a food scientist in this part of the world. I'm very excited.
Danielle:You're welcome. You're a great guest. Thank you so much.
Beatrice: Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.
John Ennis is a leading expert in sensory science and consumer research, with extensive experience in statistical analysis and product development methodologies.
