AGUSTÍ ROMERO

Agustí J. ROMERO is leader of the IRTA’s Olive & Oil research team. Since 2000 he is involved in olive oil quality and sustainability improvement programs, supported by Catalan Government. To increase the impact of this activity, Romero coordinates the Official Olive Oil website of Catalonia https://ruralcat.gencat.cat/oficina-de-l-oli with more than 2200 professional visitors in 2022.

His main research hypothesis is that sensory analysis can be applied along the farm-to-fork chain, through methodological adaptation to each goal, because sensory analysis integers volatiles and biophenols that are related to the interaction Genetics X Environment join with the processing conditions. A first group of studies focus on the chemical origin of the sensory attributes, and how to relate these compounds with growing and processing factors. Other research focus on the Catalan native varieties and how do they behave under the climate change. The newest group of studies explores how volatiles and non-volatiles are transmitted to the meals through several cooking techniques and how this affects the consumers acceptability.

Co-author of more than 100 scientific papers, one book about olive cultivars in Catalonia and contributions for books on olive oil, sensory analysis, sustainability, one patent concerning plant material, etc.  Lecturer of several masters (University of Jaen, Tarragona, Porto,  Bordeaux). He collaborates regularly with CETT – UB School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy  and “Escuela Superior de Hostaleria de Barcelona” (ESHOB) for olive oil subject.

Member and coach of the official olive oil tasting panel of Catalonia. He has designed special training strategies for many olive oil tasting panels  and jury of several international olive oil competitions.