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Irish Times - Business This Week*
Friday, 13 November 2015
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Employment Based Postgraduate Programme (EBP)
Charlene Connolly and Monaghan Mushrooms
Researching mushrooms so
consumers get what they want
Academia and
industry join forces
to study mushroom
flavour profiles
Why do people prefer one type
of mushroom over another?
That’s one of the questions
Charlene Connolly is seeking to
answer in her highly innovative
project with Monaghan Mushrooms.
Cultivated and speciality
mushrooms have unique flavour
compounds responsible
for their distinct taste and aroma.
The taste of edible mushrooms
is primarily due to the
presence of substances such as
nucleotides, amino acids, organic
acids, soluble sugars and
polyols, whereas
odour is
caused by volatile, lipophilic
low molecular weight compounds.
The objective of this research
is to identify the key flavour The objective was to
identify the key flavour
compounds found in the
selected mushroom strains; to compounds found in the
develop a flavour profile for selected mushroom
strains, photograph:
* each mushroom strain; to train
THINKSTOCK
a sensoiy mushroom panel;
with our academic partner
The research ship
Dublin Institute of Technology.
M will lead to
Through them, we can access
greater understanding vital capabilities and achieve
scientific excellence. Results
of the taste of
from Charlene’s work are creating
mushrooms
commercial opportunities
for us.”
The impact of the research is
portant attributes and consumer
important to Connolly. “With
preference.
It is hoped that the research an industrial based PhD, I get
will lead to greater understanding subjected to both industry and
academic environments that
of the taste of mushrooms
at a molecular level which will complement
each other in
enable future strain selection terms of my research. As a result,
to be guided by consumer preferences. it keeps my research focused
to achieve my research
“Charlene’s work is essential deliverables. What I strive for
to understand the reasons that is that my research will have a
drive consumer preferences in commercial purpose and impact.”
our category at a molecular level,”
says Dr Juan Valverde of
According to the company,
Monaghan Mushrooms.
the research will fill a gap in the
“Her work goes beyond classical
knowledge surrounding the flavour
sensory and underpins the
chemistry of mushrooms,
main compounds that might what flavour compounds are responsible
for a specific mushroom
trigger consumers' inclination
species, and will link this
to one type of mushroom or another.
information with consumer
“This covers a key gap for preference.
our business and creates a platform The results from the project
conduct a consumer study to determine for further innovation would lead Monaghan Mushrooms
to target specific consumer
the attributes important and the exploration of new
mushroom strains with enhanced
for the flavour of the mushrooms
groups based on taste
flavours. The milestones
preference while data generated
to consumers; and to determine
of this project are being
from it will be used in developing
which flavour compounds
new strains.
are correlated with im- reached through close partner¬