Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation

The Centre for Taste and Feeding Behaviour (CSGA) belongs to AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRA and University of Burgundy, founders and partners of COMUE Bourgogne Franche-Comté. CSGA is composed of 10 research groups, the ChemoSens platform, made up with 136 members with a permanent position (researchers, professors and assistant/professors, MD, engineers and technicians), and around 60 non tenured agents (PhD, post-doc, engineers and technicians). The general objective is to get a better understanding of the physicochemical, molecular, cellular, behavioural and psychological mechanisms underlying sensory perception of food, eating behaviour and health consequences. The studies range from the release of aromatic substances and sapid molecules from the food matrix to the psychology and behaviour of consumer, through the biological events of sensory perceptions. Changes in sensory perception in physiological (development, experience) or pathological conditions (nutrient excess, aging) are studied. The unit possesses worldwide acknowledged and complementary competences in key-thematic fields:
chemical analysis of complexity (pheromones, odorants, sapid and trigeminal molecules,…),
release of compounds from food matrices (role of chewing and saliva composition),
– analysis of the sensory, cognitive and behavioural phenomena associated to the treatment of sensory informations,
analysis of the mechanisms involved in chemical communication and feeding/eating behaviours,
role of the internal and external environment (metabolism, sensory exposure, development, culture et and society, metabolic state, pathologies).
CSGA participates to teaching dues through the University of Burgundy and AgroSup Dijon. CSGA has developed strong relationships with academic partners in health: INSERM laboratories, Dijon University Hospital, LabEx LipSTIC (ANR-11-LABX-0021-01). CSGA has built several partnerships with agrofood and pharmaceutical industries. The Centre is member of the Institut Carnot QUALIMENT « Qualité Nutritionnelle et Sensorielle des Aliments ». It participates to the « Territories, Environment, Food » axis of the I-SITE Bourgogne Franche-Comté project (contract ANR-15-IDEX-03). CSGA is part of the competitive cluster Vitagora. Most of the projects are led in collaboration with public and private partners both at the national and international level. 70% of its scientific production is signed in the frame of its collaborations.