mflores@iata.csic.es

Dr. Flores received her MS (1992) in Food Science and PhD (1994) in Pharmacy from the Valencia University, Spain. She was a Postdoctoral fellow at Southern Regional Research Center for two years (1995-1996, USDA, ARS, USA) and in 1997 she became a researcher at IATA to participate in an European Project. She was also associate professor at Valencia University and actually teaches at the Master on Food quality and Safety. She has been the Chairwoman of the Nutrition and Health working group of Clitravi (Liason Center for the Meat Processing Industry in the E.U.) (2013-2016). She has published more than 111 articles in international journals (SCI) and 31 book chapters as well as more than 20 publications in technical journals. Her research is focused on the quality and sensory characteristics of meat and meat products. Especially, she conducts research in aroma generation and stability in meat products including the development of new strategies and ingredients to enhance dry-cured flavor. She has participated in research management tasks as Coordinator (2020-21) and Collaborator (2018-20) of the State Research Agency (AEI, Spain) at the CAA area (Agricultural Sciences and Agrifood) in the Coordination, Evaluation and Follow-up Division.

Her research activities have been focused on the study of the mechanisms (chemical, enzymatic and microbiological) of generation and perception of colour, aroma and flavour in meat products. Her initial studies were related to the biochemical components responsible for flavor in dry cured ham and the activity of proteases. After her postdoctoral research stay at SRRC-USDA (USA) where she specialized in aroma characterization she went back to IATA-CSIC to participate in a European project focused on biochemical markers of meat quality. She has worked in the development of high quality sensory and nutritive meat products and in the development of rapid methodologies for monitoring and improving manufacturing processes. Currently, her interest is to improve the sustainability of the meat and fish industry by adapting the sensory properties of new products formulated with alternative proteins through the enhancement of aroma. She is specialist in diverse analytical techniques including extraction procedures from processed animal foods and the analysis of target compounds by gas chromatography coupled to different detectors.