Lab Coordinator: Prof. Antonio Derossi
Overview
The Laboratory of Emerging Technologies and Food Formulations (ETFF) at the University of Foggia is dedicated to the development of innovative solutions in food design, processing, and characterization. The laboratory operates at the intersection of food science, engineering, and consumer studies, with extensive experience in collaborative national and international R&D projects. ETFF contributes to the development of digitally designed foods aligned with European and global health and sustainability goals with a defined research pillar of 3D and 4D food printing, for which the laboratory represents a national reference point in Italy. Through the integration of digital design, formulation science, and advanced processing, ETFF develops structurally complex, nutritionally tailored, and sensorially optimized foods, addressing challenges related to personalized nutrition, food reformulation, sustainability, and consumer well-being.
Main Area of Research
The core research activity of ETFF focuses on the integration of food formulation, emerging processing technologies, food structure, and sensory perception, with particular attention to the role of digital tools and advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D/4D Food Printing. The laboratory investigates how physical properties, three-dimensional food architecture, and processing strategies influence nutrient bioavailability, sensory perception, and consumer experience, supporting the development of nutritionally and sensorially personalized foods.
Research Topics
- Food structure, physical properties, and sensory perception
Investigation of the interrelationships between physical properties, three-dimensional food architecture, nutrient bioavailability, and multisensory perception. - Digital food design and 3D food printing
Integration of the digital and physical domains in food systems, with a strong focus on 3D food printing as a breakthrough technology for the development of nutritionally and sensorially personalized products. - Robotics and automation in food manufacturing
Implementation of robotic systems and automated solutions to enhance efficiency, precision, and innovation in food production processes. - Sustainable food systems and ingredient valorization
Research on sustainability-oriented strategies, including the use and valorization of forgotten or ancient crop varieties, food by-products (e.g., spent coffee, salmon skin, and other fish by-products, okara, etc.) and food reformulation approaches. - Programmable food structures and morphing food
Design and development of food products characterized by programmable structures and texture properties (hardness, mastication properties, satiety perception, etc). Moreover, this thematic area of research regards the development of dynamic food systems (e.g., dynamic shape morphing) aimed at improving nutritional quality, sensory perception, and consumer well-being.
Competences
The ETFF laboratory has consolidated expertise in:
- Design and development of advanced food formulations and digitally structured foods
- Pilot-scale food processing and advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D food printing
- Texture, rheological, and microstructural characterization, including acoustic texture analysis and micro-CT imaging
- Sensory and consumer studies, supported by electronic nose systems and EMG-based mastication analysis
- Application of non-thermal technologies (cold plasma, ultrasounds, UV systems)
- Advanced analytical techniques, including HPLC, gas chromatography, particle size analysis, and thermographic evaluation
- Integration of formulation, processing, structure, and perception through experimental design and data analysis
Main Instrumentation and Facilities
The ETFF laboratory houses a comprehensive technological platform that supports its interdisciplinary research, spanning formulation, processing, structural analysis, and sensory evaluation. This infrastructure enables deep exploration of food physical–chemical–sensory systems and correlates formulation and processing with perception:
Processing and Manufacturing Technologies
- 3D Food Printers (x3) for additive manufacturing of complex, digitally designed food structures
- Pilot-scale mixing and rheological systems, including farinograph and viscosimeter for the rheological property assessment and formulation optimization
- Non-thermal processing systems such as cold-plasma, ultrasound, and UV-based technologies
Structural and Physical Characterization
- 2D/3D X-ray Micro-CT imaging for high-resolution three-dimensional evaluation of food microstructure
- Texture analyzers with acoustic analysis for mechanical and sensory-related physical profiling
- Laser particle-size granulometer for particle distribution and material characterization
- Thermal camera (thermography) for thermal profiling during processing and analysis
Chemical and Molecular Analysis
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography systems for detailed chemical profiling
- Electronic nose systems for volatile fingerprinting and aroma analysis
Sensory and Functional Evaluation
- n.8 Sensory analysis booths equipped for controlled sensory and consumer tests
Electromyography (EMG)-based mastication analysis for quantifying chewing dynamics and correlating texture with perception