C.S.A.

Our research group has been functioning as such for approximately seven years; however, we have been most active during the last four. This group's main objective is to advise and assist regional agro-food sector businesses with resolving their questions in the areas of QUALITY and SAFETY. On matters of QUALITY, various tasting PANELS have been formed at important businesses such as Chocolates Valor, Jijonenca, Consejo Regulador del Turrón de Alicante & Jijona, and Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala (Guatemala). Specific objectives within this area include: 1. Examine the influence of new manufacturing processes, new formulations, storage, packaging types, etc., on the sensory characteristics of final products. 2. Optimize and adapt existing products to the tastes of today's consumers. 3. Compare products and choose between various prototypes. 4. Determine preferences between products and the degree of consumer satisfaction. Moreover, within this area, consulting services are ongoing with RESTAURANTS about how to incorporate scientific and technological knowledge of food into both traditional and modern Mediterranean cooking. Concerning SAFETY, we have focused on chemical contamination of food and are involved in a project with the European Union and another with the World Bank in India, whose specific objectives are the following: 1. Improve agricultural practices and the industrialization of food products to reduce chemical contamination (arsenic) in the food chain. 2. Disseminate results in the form of effective, simple, and practical recommendations via seminars, reports, websites, etc. Contact information: angel.carbonell@umh.es; tel: +34 96 674 9754; fax: +34 96 674 9677.