Jean Mane is the former president of V. MANE FILS SAS, one of the global leaders in the flavour and fragrance industry. Under his leadership, which began in 1995, the company underwent a period of innovation and international expansion, establishing itself as # 5 in the Industry.
Recognised as a European flavour expert since 1984, Jean Mane has a strong academic background in chemical engineering from two Parisian universities and in synthetic organic chemistry from MIT. He has previously served as president of the International Organisation of the Flavour Industry (IOFI), the European Flavour Association (EFFA) and Syndicat National des Industries Aromatiques Alimentaires (SNIAA) in France.
His achievements include receiving two of the highest French knighthoods: the Légion d’Honneur and the Ordre National du Mérite. He has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Spice Conference and was named Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 for France by EY. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board and Managing Director at MANE KANCOR.

Host: Trevor Groome, Michel Aubanel, Séan Ryan, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Mark Millward, Publishing: Ján Peťka

Ready for another episode en français? Well, here it is! Michel Aubanel interviewed Gérard Bruneau, an experienced flavourist who worked for Robertet, Mero and Kerry throughout his career. They discussed his journey into flavour creation and touched on various aspects of a flavourist's work, answering even some questions from his peers. We will publish an excerpt from this interview in the next issue of our magazine, New Flavourist.

Host: Michel Aubanel, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Britta Nobis, Publishing: Ján Peťka

Our next guest is Ryan Ponquett. Ryan has a degree in Chemistry, a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry and completed four years post-graduate studies in Plant Biochemistry at the University of Natal in South Africa. He co-founded the flavour company FlavourCraft and was CEO and Technical Director for more than 20 years until it was acquired by Kerry in 2012. Ryan is a former President of the South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST), he is an experienced flavourist and is former Kerry’s VP for Taste and Innovation for the EMEA region, now with TaystOvation and Nova Genetics.

Host: Trevor Groome, Séan Ryan, Michel Aubanel, Carmen Schultejans, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Maria Palassarou, Publishing: Ján Peťka

Join us for a virtual walk through the olfactory world of Caro Verbeek, who shows us how our sense of smell deeply affects our sensory experiences of Art, History, Music, Memory and Emotion. This fascinating discussion gets dangerously philosophical as it explores our very human experience of the world around us.

Caro Verbeek is an embedded researcher of olfactory heritage at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum and International Flavours & Fragrances. Trained as an art historian, she specialises in sensory art and education in museums, art academies and universities. She has 10+ years of experience curating exhibitions and conserving collections (prints, drawings and scents). 

Host: Trevor Groome, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Mark Millward, Publishing: Ján Peťka

Today we're pleased to have William van Dongen with us. He's an R&D manager with a wealth of experience in flavour and fragrances, as well as pharmaceutical research.

William is co-founder of Scents & Flavors— a comprehensive database of over 46,000 materials used in the flavor and fragrance industry. In this episode, he'll share his approach to innovation, problem-solving, and how his diverse background informs his work.

Join us as we explore his insights and experiences in the field.

Host: Trevor Groome, Séan Ryan, Michel Aubanel, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Britta Nobis, Publishing: Ján Peťka

The first guest of the fourth season of our podcast is Cyndie Lipka, a principal flavorist at Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Ms. Lipka has nearly three decades of experience in the flavor industry, with a focus on developing and duplicating elegantly layered flavors for a variety of markets, including the sweet and dairy industries.

She began her career at The Hershey Company and has worked for Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., Sethness Greenleaf Chicago (later Synergy Flavors), Bell Flavors and Fragrances, Prinova USA and again for Bell Flavors & Fragrances.

She is also a past president and chairman of the board for the Society of Flavor Chemists and the Chemical Sources Association. In 2017, Ms. Lipka received the Flavoristof the Year Award from the WFFC, and in 2014, she received the O.F. Stambaugh Chemistry Alumni Award from Elizabethtown College, which is given to alumni inrecognition of outstanding professional contributions in chemistry or medicine.Ms. Lipka is also an active monthly contributor and moderator for Perfumer & Flavorist magazine's "The Flavor Report" section and  is a member of the P&F+ Advisory Board.

Host: Trevor Groome, Ján Peťka, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Maria Palassarou, Publishing: Ján Peťka

We wrap up Season 3 of the Flavour Talks podcast with Garmt Dijksterhuis, a renowned researcher in sensory science and experimental psychology. Garmt has over 30 years of experience in academia, research institutes, and the food industry. He has written or co-authored 150 publications in sensory and consumer science, statistics, and psychology. Garmt Dijksterhuis is a founding member of the Sensometric society and a member of the editorial board of several journals in the area of eating and food perception. He has taught courses in food perception and sensory science, and has been invited to speak at various scientific conferences and media interviews. Garmt is teaching at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience of Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Welcome to this episode of our podcast, recorded on World Arts Day, featuring the visionary perfumer Christophe Laudamiel. Known for his innovative approach to fragrance design, Christophe has created scents for some of the world's leading brands and has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of olfactory artistry. In this inspiring conversation, he shares his insights on the importance of forging your own path in the creative world of flavours and fragrances. He encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and resist the limitations imposed by external influences. Join us as we dive into the power of self-expression and chat about how to stay true to ourselves on our creative journeys.

(02:45) How Christophe became a perfumer?

(15:30) Memorable innovation

(21:25) Flavours and society’s acceptance

(26:15) What keeps the perfumer up at night

(32:00) Enhancing flavours from a perfumer’s perspective

(37:45) Christophe and the work at Osmo

(42:30) Collaboration with chefs and bartenders

(46:16) The First Synthetic Molecule

(51:40) Industry Constraints

(53:05) Realism in Perfumery and flavours

(55:00) Smelling “Spacewood”

(1:00:10) Perfumers and flavourists – who are seen as artists?

(1:06:40) Inspiration in unlikely places

(1:17:05) How life’s challenges inspire creativity?

(1:24:00) A Message to the Next Generation

The world of flavours is relatively small, so there are just few iconic personalities. One of them is undoubtedly Andy Taylor. After 32 successful years at the University of Nottingham, where he pioneered the study of flavour release from food, he changed career direction in 2010 to found a spin-out company, Flavometrix. He then joined Mars Petcare where he worked for 6 years. Andy currently works with a number of companies to help develop flavour research strategies and to mentor younger researchers in planning and managing their research projects. His association with the University of Nottingham continues through his role as Emeritus Professor, where he works on an ad hoc basis to support and develop younger researchers and is one of the key people organising the key flavour research event: Weurman Symposium.

Host: Trevor Groome, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Mark Millward, Publishing: Ján Peťka

© 2024 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Society of Flavourists⁠

Paola Totaro is an award-winning journalist, editor and author covering global issues including politics, health, social policy, indigenous rights, arts and culture. She has written for major publications and is passionate about storytelling, engaging diverse audiences and mentoring young journalists. When award-winning reporter Paola Totaro lost her sense of smell to Covid in March 2020, her world changed and dulled in an instant. Her latest book, On the Scent, is a memoir/scientific detective story that explores the mysterious sense of smell and its impact on emotional wellbeing, relationships and interpretation. It explores the experiences of patients and scientists and highlights its potential as a health indicator.

Host: Trevor Groome and Seán Ryan, Music: Aidan Kirkwood, Editing: Maria Palassarou, Publishing: Ján Peťka

© 2024 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Society of Flavourists⁠