Food consume is necessary for survival, but it is also necessary to guarantee the well-being and safety. The latter are closely related to a right and balanced diet, in which the consumption of produced and formulated food in suitable way is required. Thus, chemical, physical, mechanical and sensory properties of foods have to be monitored along the whole chain.

The research activity is focused on understanding the molecular properties of foods as related to their formulation, processing and storage treatments, through the definition and assessment of markers. The object of study is also the development of tools for evaluating the bioaccessibility of bioactive metabolites and compounds in order to improve the nutritional properties of foods and their effects on human health.

The Advanced Food Analysis Group is involved in the development, optimization and validation of analytical methods for the characterization of raw and processed foods; in tracing food origin and authenticity for protecting the local food productions (e.g. PDO). In collaboration with national and international research centers the research group also assesses the rheological properties of foods; it performs predictive shelf-life studies; sensory analysis and consumer tests.

The research activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda (SDG 2; SDG 12).

• Progetto CRT 2022. Nuovo EVO Piemontese: tipicità, qualità e valorizzazione sostenibile del territorio (Principal investigator: Prof. Vladimiro Cardenia)
• Horizon 2020. “Better solutions to protect olive oil quality and authenticity (OLEUM)” – Participant in the OLEUM validation trial (Local coordinator of research unit: Prof. Vladimiro Cardenia)
• POR-FESR 2014-2020 project. “Tecnologie e soluzioni innovative al servizio della filiera latte piemontese per promuoverne la competitività e la sostenibilità (TECH4MILK)” (Local coordinator of DISAFA research unit: Prof. G. Zeppa) 
• POR-FESR 2017-2019 project. “L'Acqua attivata nell'industria birraria e dei prodotti da forno: effetti tecnologici, compositivi e microbiologici (ACTIWAT)” (Local coordinator of DISAFA research unit: Prof.ssa M. Bertolino).
• POR-FESR 2016-2020 project. “Food Digital Monitoring (FDM)” (Local coordinator of DISAFA research unit: Prof. G. Zeppa).
• POR-FESR 2010-2013 project. “Innovazione tecnologica, Automazione e nuovi Controlli Analitici per migliorare la qualità e la sicurezza dei prodotti alimentari piemontesi (ITACA)” (Local coordinator of DISAFA research unit: Prof. G. Zeppa).

• Bonciolini, A., Cantele, C., Salgarella, N.I., ...Bertolino, M., Cardenia, V. (2023). Effect of Tannins on Cholesterol Content and Its Oxidation in Egg Pasta as Related to Different Pasta Shapes. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 16(7), 1541-1554
• Timón, M., Andrés, A.I., Sorrentino, L., Cardenia, V., Petrón, M.J. (2022). Effect of Phenolic Compounds from Almond Skins Obtained by Water Extraction on Pork Patty Shelf Life. Antioxidants, 11(11), 2175.
• Botta, C., Franciosa, I., Alessandria, V., ...Cocolin, L., Ferrocino, I. (2022). Metataxonomic signature of beef burger perishability depends on the meat origin prior grinding. Food Research International, 156, 111103.
• Barbieri S., Mercatante D., Balzan S., Esposto S., Cardenia V., Servili M., Novelli E., Taticchi A., Rodriguez-Estrada M.T. (2021). Improved oxidative stability and sensory quality of beef hamburgers enriched with a phenolic extract from olive vegetation water. Antioxidants, 10 (12), 1969
• Cantele C., Bertolino M., Bakro F., Giordano M., Jedryczka M., Cardenia V. (2020). Antioxidant effects of hemp (Cannabis satica L.)  Inflorescence extract in strippeed linseed oil, 9(11), 1131-1148.

Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts (Amherst; MA-USA)
RD3 Department-Unit of Pharmacognosy, Bioanalysis and Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan (Polonia)
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