Ep. 180. Dr. Carolyn Ross: Where Sensory Science Meets Food Safety and Quality

Carolyn Ross, Ph.D., M.Sc. is a Professor in the School of Food Science at Washington State University (WSU), Affiliate Professor in the WSU School of Medicine, and Director of the WSU Sensory Science Center. Since starting at WSU in 2004, Dr. Ross has established her lab and the WSU Sensory Science Center as a hub for graduate student training in the areas of sensory science and analytical chemistry. Specifically, the overall objectives of Dr. Ross's research and graduate education program are to understand the theoretical basis underpinning the sensory perception of foods and wines and correlate these attributes with quantifiable characteristics. Dr. Ross has also expanded her research to explore food texture perception in children. She has thrice been awarded the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT's) Tanner Award for most‐cited article in the Journal of Food Science (in the Sensory and Food Quality section). Dr. Ross was also awarded the WSU Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction and is a Fulbright-Australia Scholar at Deakin University in Melbourne. She holds a Ph.D. in Food Science/Environmental Toxicology from Michigan State University and an M.Sc. degree in Food Science from the University of Guelph.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Ross [24:22] about:

• Food safety and quality research underway at WSU's Sensory Science Center
• What e-tongue technology is, how it can be used for food safety and quality assessments, and the Sensory Science Center's work in this area
• The potential benefits of e-tongue technology to the food and beverage industry, and current commercial applications
• Other technologies that leverage sensory experience and show promise for food safety and quality assurance in different foods
• How Dr. Ross' work as a professor prepares students for food safety and quality assurance careers
• Dr. Ross' previous research regarding food texture perception in children with developmental delays, and its implications for the food and beverage industry at large.

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