Every other year, conferences on sensory evaluation and consumer research are held in the Nordic countries, and Matís has taken part in their preparation.
The next conference, which is the 15th in a row, will be held in Helsinki on the 22nd-23rd. May 2013 and is entitled "Innovations in sensory evaluation and how to reach different consumer groups (Novel sensory approaches and Targeting different consumer groups).
The conference is intended for both professionals in the food industry and scientists in this field. The interest and participation of people from both large and small food companies in attending these conferences has steadily increased in recent years, as it is an ideal forum for industry and scientists to meet and establish a communication network in this field. About 100 people are expected, mostly from the Nordic countries.
The topics of the conference this time are innovations in sensory assessment and how to reach different consumer groups such as children, the elderly and those who are health-conscious. Emilía Martinsdóttir, Matís' director, is on the conference's preparation and science committee. She will speak at the conference, which is based on the results of the Nordic project Enrichment of Seafood and is, among other things, carried out in collaboration with the company Grím kokk. Dr. Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, director of Matís, will give a talk on young people's fish consumption and how it can be increased. The conference will also feature presentations on food that appeals to older people, but interest in this issue is growing rapidly in the Nordic countries and in Europe.
Registration runs until April 19. The conference fee is lower if booked before 31 January 2013. People in the food industry in this country and others who are interested in this topic are encouraged to register their participation as soon as possible.
Sensory evaluation and sensory evaluation research have long been an important area of expertise at Matís, and the emphasis has increasingly been on consumer research. Matís has participated in many domestic and foreign research projects regarding sensory evaluation and food quality and held various sensory evaluation courses for employees of fish processing companies and other food companies. Matís' staff has also taught sensory assessment and consumer studies at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and at Fisheries Science at the University of Akureyri. Matís staff also teaches sensory evaluation at the United Nations Fisheries Academy.
Further information Emilia Martinsdóttir at Matís.