AMOSIS-ESA : Analysis and Modeling of Maple Syrups for Automated Sensory Evaluation

The grading of maple syrup according to its sensory properties by an independant company is a unique process in the maple syrup industry. This ensures maple syrup's leadership position not only in the Quebec and Canadian agri-food markets, but also on the international market.

In order to further advance the competitiveness of the Quebec and Canadian maple industry, it is necessary to invest in the development of automatic analytical methods for the evaluation and classification of sensory properties. This will accelerate the entry of Canadian maple syrups on the various markets while maintaining a high and constant sensory quality.

The Université Laval and the Producteurs et productrices acéricoles du Québec (PPAQ) wish to develop a spectroscopic and chromatographic database dedicated to the recognition of flavour defects encountered in Quebec maple syrups in order to automate the classification of national production samples according to the official criteria defined today by the PPAQ and applied by control laboratories such as the Centre ACER.

The financing of the CRIBIQ is essential because it will allow the researchers of the university to meet the needs of a national production sector through its main partner, the PPAQ, in order to have access to an advanced analytical and chemometric expertise which will allow the adaptation of the chosen technology to the maple syrup problems.