Food Consumer and Sensory Lab


Department of Food Science and Nutrition - University of the Aegean


Το ΕΡΓΑΣΤΗΡΙΟ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣ ΑΝΤΙΔΡΑΣΕΩΝ ΚΑΤΑΝΑΛΩΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΟΡΓΑΝΟΛΗΠΤΙΚΗΣ ΑΝΑΛΥΣΗΣ ΤΡΟΦΙΜΩΝ & ΠΟΤΩΝ (Consumer and Sensory Lab) έχει έδρα στο Τμήμα Επιστήμης Τροφίμων και Διατροφής (ΤΕΤΔ) στο Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου με συνεργαζόμενες υποδομές σε Αθήνα και Θεσσαλονίκη. Το εργαστήριο θεσμοθετήθηκε το 2020 (ΦΕΚ 1552/Β/23.04.2020), στερεοποιώντας την συσσώρευση δράσεων σε πληθώρα έργων, ανάπτυξη καινοτόμων μεθόδων, και τη στελέχωση από ερευνητές με ειδίκευση στην μελέτη, μέτρηση και κατανόηση των αισθητηριακών και συναισθηματικών αντιδράσεων του καταναλωτή προς τρόφιμα & ποτά.

Η τεχνογνωσία του Consumer and Sensory Lab καλύπτει την σφαιρική παρέμβαση και βελτίωση κατά την Ε&Α προϊόντων, από τα φυσικοχημικά χαρακτηριστικά της σύνθεσης και δομής τρόφιμων & ποτών, την αισθητηριακή αντίληψη από τον άνθρωπο, τη συσκευασία, μέχρι το πλαίσιο (ετικέτα, διαφήμιση προϊόντων, περιβάλλον κατανάλωσης).

Ομάδα

Dr. Konstantinos Gkatzionis

Head of Department

University of the Aegean

Dr Konstantinos (Kostas) Gkatzionis is an Associate Professor focusing on Consumer science, Sensory analysis and food biochemistry. His teaching and research take a multidisciplinary approach in applied research addressing industrial problems and challenges as well as fundamental investigations. Dr Kostas Gkatzionis has benefited from being exposed to a number of different industries, universities and cultural environments throughout his career. Prior to joining the University of the Aegean, he has worked as an Assistant Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham in the UK (2013-2018), and remains an Honorary Research Fellow. He received his Bachelor’s degree in food technology from ATEI, Thessaloniki, Greece and worked as food scientist and quality control manager in food industry. He completed his Ph.D. degree at the Division of Food Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK, and has held appointments as a KTP associate with Pepsico research centre and research associate with the University of Northampton.

Dr Kostas Gkatzionis has been involved in a number of successful research and infrastructural grants exceeding ~4.5 million euros including Horizon 2020, UK research council funding, national and industry funding. His academic citizenship includes links to and collaborations with Asia and Africa as well as partnerships within the EU, materialised through joint consortia, projects and consultancy with industries, academic institutions and food SMEs.

Dr Kostas Gkatzionis has been supervising an international and truly multicultural research group of doctorate candidate students from numerous countries including Indonesia, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Uganda, UK, Cyprus and of course Greece, many of which have now graduated and hold positions in academia and industries across the world.

Throughout his academic career, Dr Kostas Gkatzionis has supervised >40 MSc projects and post-doctoral researchers and has been involved in teaching at both undergraduate and post graduate level, through lectures, laboratory practicals and direct student supervision. 

Dr Malamatenia Panagiotou

Research associate, Lexicographer, English language terminologist. Μέλος του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου και του Γενικού Επιστημονικού Συμβουλίου της Ελληνικής Εταιρείας Ορολογίας.

University of the Aegean

Malamatenia (Tenia) is a professional teacher of the English language, Lexicographer, and postdoctoral researcher at the University of the Aegean. 

Tenia completed her PhD at the Department of  Food Science and Nutrition, University of Aegean and her expertise is the use of lexicon in sensory analysis of food and consumer studies. The comparison of food descriptors between English and Greek, and the way sensory perceptions of food products are linguistically and cross-linguistically expressed.

Konstantinos Giannoutsos

Food expert

University of the Aegean

Before joining our team Konstantinos has worked for several years in the industry in the UK, including Sodexo Group and Selfridges. He has been working as a food quality manager and he is an expert in food specifications. 

Maria Mamalikou

Psychologist

University of the Aegean

Maria is a psychologist by profession. Her project is about understanding the influence of physiology and person's background on consumer responses and perception of food.

Danai Koukoumaki

Research associate (sensory science)

University of the Aegean

Danai is a food and nutrition scientist (BSc) and PhD candidate in the Department of  Food Science and Nutrition, University of Aegean. She supports the research projects at the consumer lab with specialization in sensory analysis, consumer studies, and utilisation of by-prodcuts in agriculture.

Dimitris Kontousias

PhD candidate

University of the Aegean

Dimitris is a Food & Nutrition Scientist (BSc at UoAegean) and Master of MAICh in Food Quality & Chemistry (CIHEAM) and Master in Business Administration (EUC), with specialization in Marketing – Consumer Behavior Research on food. He has experience in FMCG. Previously, he has worked at Lidl and, currently, he works as a Deputy Production Manager in the Olive industry, dealing with New Product Development.