SmOkeSense
With the support of:
This TETRA project maps out the potential of smoke alternatives for the development of high-quality smoked meat products and meat alternatives, with a focus on quality, health, and the new legislative framework.
Why this project?
Within the SmOkeSense project various innovative smoke alternatives are being tested in meat products and emulsified meat alternatives. The aim is to support companies in product development, quality optimisation, and anticipating regulations.
Research approach and expected results
This TETRA project helps companies gain a better understanding of the commercial smoke alternatives currently available and how these can be applied in the light of the new European legislation on smoke condensates.
In the first phase, the project will map the landscape of commercial smoke alternatives through a market study. In addition, the volatile composition of commercially available smoke alternatives will be characterised using chemical-analytical aroma profiling and sensory analysis, and compared with a standard smoke condensate. These results and insights will support the selection of several smoke alternatives to be evaluated in various meat products and meat analogues.
In practice, the quality of alternatively smoked emulsified cooked sausage or meat analogue, as well as fermented dry sausage, will be compared with the same product types smoked using recently banned smoke condensates. This work will focus on three different areas. Firstly, products based on various smoked liquids will be screened, in combination with the optimisation of standard smoking processes such as atomisation, drenching and direct addition. Secondly, attention will also be paid to the evaluation of meat products and analogues based on smoked ingredients. Finally, the potential of so-called engineered smoke flavourings in the different products will also be assessed.
The knowledge and insights generated will be applied through a range of case studies examining the impact of these commercial smoke alternatives on the (sensory) quality of smoked products. In this way, the SmOkeSense project aims to provide companies with practical knowledge and concrete tools to support future-oriented innovation in light of the new European legislation.
Target group
The SmOkeSense project targets producers of meat products and meat alternatives (industry, butchers, and vegetarian/vegan producers), as well as suppliers of ingredients, flavourings, and smoke alternatives.
Project partners
The project management and implementation is in the hands of the Meat Technology & Science of Protein-rich Foods (MTSP) research group and the Centre for Aroma & Flavour Technology (KU Leuven - Ghent). As a subcontractor, Flanders' FOOD is jointly responsible for the dissemination of the project results to a broader target group and the organisation of the closing event of this project.
Main partner responsible for the project execution: KU Leuven
- Meat Technology & Science of Protein-rich Foods (MTSP) research group led by Prof. Ilse Fraeye (ilse.fraeye@kuleuven.be)
Keen to join?
The project started on 1 January 2026 and runs until December 2027 (project duration: 2 years). For more information or if you are interested in joining, please contact Ilse Fraeye (ilse.fraeye@kuleuven.be) or Olivier Goemaere (olivier.goemaere@kuleuven.be).
Participation fee and terms and conditions
Participation fee for the 2-year TETRA project:
- Small company: €800
- Medium-sized company: €1,600
- Large company: €2,400
