Direct Injection Food Flavour Analytics 2026

In-person symposium / October 14, 2026 - October 16, 2026

DIFFA26 – Program now available & registration open

International Symposium on Food-Flavor Analytics

The next frontier in food innovation: following flavor dynamics in real time

From 14 to 16 October 2026, DIFFA26 – Direct Injection Food Flavour Analytics will take place in Freising at Fraunhofer IVV.

Building on the great success of DIFFA23, which was hosted by the Fondazione Edmund Mach and co-organized by the Division of Mass Spectrometry of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI-DSM) in 2023, DIFFA26 will take place in Freising in 2026 – a leading location for food science and innovation in Germany.

Learn how Direct Injection Food Flavour Analytics enables robust, data-driven decisions in product development, process optimization, and innovation – from molecule to market.

The symposium offers a platform for exchange with experts from industry, technology providers and research on real-time flavour analytics, dynamic flavour release and applied food research.

The program combines technology showcases, application-focused sessions and strategic perspectives — providing a clear view of how analytical insights can support data-driven decisions in product development, process optimization and innovation.

Explore the program and discover the sessions.

Registration details and further organizational information are available below.

Event details

Program

Day 1 – Perspectives, Applications & Technologies
Wednesday, 14 October 2026

12:00	Arrival	Registration, welcome & buffet lunch
13:15	Opening	DIFFA26 – The next frontier in food innovation Jonathan Beauchamp, Head of Department Sensory Analytics & Technologies Andrea Buettner, Executive Director, Fraunhofer IVV
13:30	Plenary	Direct injection flavor analysis – from technological breakthroughs to industrial impact Imre Blank, Director, IBK Food & Beverage Consultancy Sàrl
14:10	Keynote	Fast reactions and small volumes: playing to the strengths of direct injection mass spectrometry Pat Silcock, FoodOtago Operations Manager & Lead Food Scientist, New Zealand Food Innovation Network
14:40	Talk	Targeted analytics across food applications Y Lan Pham, Group Manager Emissions Analytics & Dynamics, Fraunhofer IVV
15:00	Coffee break
15:30	Talk	PTR-MS beyond limits: from ultra-high mass resolution and sensitivity, through SLIM-IMS selectivity, to AI data processing Philipp Sulzer, Science Manager, IONICON Analytik
15:50	Talk	SIFT-MS: flexible, sensitive and selective food-flavour and packaging analysis Vaughan Langford, Senior Principal Scientist, Syft Technologies
16:10	Talk	Showcasing CI-TOF as a tool for food-flavour applications Speaker TBA, TOFWERK
16:30	Talk	Expanding molecular coverage in food and flavour analysis with SESI-Orbitrap Guillermo Vidal de Miguel, Founder & CEO, Fossiliontech
16:50	Short break
17:00	Talk	SICRIT®: real-time volatile analysis from lab to line Divya Ramesh, Field Application Specialist, Plasmion
17:20	Talk	Showcasing GC-IMS as a tool for food-flavour applications Speaker TBA, GAS Dortmund
17:40	Talk	Showcasing Hyperfast-GC-MS as a tool for food-flavour applications Lina Mikaliunaite, Global HyperChrom Sales Lead and Food, Flavor and Fragrance Sector Manager, Markes International & SepSolve
18:00	Short break
18:10	Panel Discussion	From Molecule to Market – What’s Next?
19:00	Networking	Posters & networking (with finger food)

Day 2 – Sensory Focus & General Contributions
Thursday, 15 October 2026

09:00	Keynote	Enhancing sensory appeal of plant-based foods: texture design to drive in vivo flavour release and perception Markus Stieger, Professor for Food Oral Processing, Wageningen University & Research
09:30	Talk	Contribution of the SESI source coupled to the Orbitrap detector to the real-time dynamic analysis of aroma compound release in vivo and in vitro Geraldine Lucchi, Operations Manager, ChemoSens Platform, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment
09:50	Talk	Understanding dynamic flavour release in plant-based foods using an in vitro mouth model Valentina Acierno, Flavour Scientist, Wageningen University & Research
10:10	Coffee break
10:40	Talks	Open topics
12:30	Lunch with posters & demos
14:00	Keynote	APCI-MS in action: case studies linking flavour release with health-driven food innovation Nicole Yang, Associate Professor in Flavour Science, University of Nottingham
14:30	Talk	New directions in direct injection mass spectrometry for food and flavour analysis: ion mobility, flexible ion chemistry and enhanced analytical performance Andrea Romano, Technologist Sensory Quality, Fondazione Edmund Mach
14:50	Talk	On-line PTR-MS measurements of aroma extraction from flavoured single serve coffee Samo Smrke, Head of Coffee Excellence Center, Zurich University of Applied Sciences
15:10	Coffee break
15:40	Keynote	Unravelling beer flavour development and hop biotransformation during fermentation using online mass spectrometry Graham Eyres, Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Otago
16:10	Talk	PTR-MS as a screening tool for beer flavor stability Sylvester Holt, Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
16:30	Talk	Jopenbier's aroma: where brewing history meets modern mass spectrometry Tomasz Majchrzak, Assistant Professor Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology
16:50	Free time
19:00	Dinner	Conference dinner

Day 3 – Extended Food-Related Applications & Future Directions
Friday, 16 October 2026

09:00	Keynote	Decoding fermentation dynamics through direct injection mass spectrometry Franco Biasioli, Group Manager Sensory Quality, Fondazione Edmund Mach
09:30	Talk	Real-time detection of food crop pests Luca Cappellin, Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua
09:50	Talk	Purrfect flavor: the critical role of aroma release from cat food Nadine Schütz, Palatability and Flavor Senior Scientist, Mars Petcare
10:10	Talk	Unravelling packaging performance through innovative real-time permeation analytics Andreas Stenzel, Research Associate, Fraunhofer IVV
10:30	Coffee break
11:00	Plenary	Current and future commercial uses of DIFFA Andy Taylor, Director, Flavometrix
11:40	Wrap-up	The future is bright for DIMS and DIFFA Jonathan Beauchamp, Head of Department Sensory Analytics & Technologies, Fraunhofer IVV
12:00	Closing	Farewell lunch & optional lab tour (13:00–14:00)

Download The DIFFA26 program (PDF)

Registration

Secure your spot at DIFFA26 and connect with experts from academia and business.

Registration is handled directly via the Fraunhofer event portal:

Costs

Participation Fees

Early Bird (until July 31)

- Corporate: € 600
- Academic: € 500
- Student: € 300

Regular Registration (until September 30)

- Corporate: € 650
- Academic: € 550
- Student / Invited Speaker: € 350

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made by 30 September 2026 are eligible for a 50% refund of the participation fee. No refunds can be issued for cancellations after this date or in case of no-show.

Contact

Dr. Jonathan Beauchamp

Head of Department

Sensory Analytics and Technologies

Telephone +49 8161 491-214

Send email

Location

Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
Giggenhauser Strasse 35
85354 Freising
Germany

Date

October 14, 2026 - October 16, 2026

Download this event as iCal

Organization

Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV

Language

English

Direct Injection Food Flavour Analytics

In-person symposium / October 14, 2026 - October 16, 2026

DIFFA26 – Program now available & registration open

The next frontier in food innovation: following flavor dynamics in real time