Yifan Zhang

Yifan Zhang is a postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University specializing in the Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods. Their work focuses on sensory perception, food texture, and oral processing mechanisms.

• Research Emphasis: Plant-based meat analogues, juiciness dynamics, flavor release, and bolus properties during mastication.
• Key Collaborators: Elke Scholten, Markus Stieger, Gemma Sala, and Rianne Brouwer.

Research interests center on understanding how food structure influences sensory experiences, particularly in plant-based and beef patties. Their studies explore hydration levels, particle size effects, and serum release during chewing, bridging food microstructure with consumer perception.

Recent publications highlight correlations between food oral processing, bolus properties, and sensory evaluation metrics, with a focus on texture and juiciness mechanisms. They employ advanced methodologies to quantify chewing efficiency and flavor release kinetics.

Projects include a completed PhD thesis titled Juiciness of plant-based meat analogues (2021–2025), examining sensory quality, fat content, and maltodextrin interactions in meat analogues.