María Dolores Álvarez Torres

My research activity is an INTERSECTION of a scientific discipline, RHEOLOGY, and various PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES, which constitute the main line of research: RHEOLOGICAL, STRUCTURAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE TEXTURE OF FRESH AND PROCESSED FOODS, which is the focus of attention of the FOOD RHEOLOGY AND TEXTURE research group in ICTAN-CSIC’s Department of Characterization, Quality and Safety (DCCS). My most recent specific lines of research have been the rheological characterization and optimization of the texture of fresh and frozen vegetable cream soups and purées, with studies on the effect of the addition of thickeners, stabilizers and functional ingredients on their physical and sensory properties and correlation with the final quality and perception and acceptance by the consumer, and a study on the effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the rheothermal and functional behaviour and texture of flours and proteins isolated from pulses, the addition of them to vegetables cream soups and purées and the development of new gluten-free food formulations. Recently, I have worked researching optimum process specifications for freezing of table olives. I am currently working in the National research projects, Structuring oils through the use of hydrocolloids as a strategy to replace high plasticity saturated fats. Rheological, structural and sensory research (RTI-2018-099738-B-C21), Biopolimeric-based emulsions with controlled lipid digestibility for development of functional meat products as a strategy to manage Type 3 (PID2019-103872RB-I00), and Preparation of nutritionally healthy margarines using olive pomace oil as a substitute for saturated fats (202070E177), dealing with the characterization of the rheological and textural properties of hydrocolloids, emulsions, oleogels and final products under study. In addition, I am participating in the European Project EIT-Food, The V-PLACE – Enabling consumer choice in Vegan or Vegetarian Food Products (V-Place (H2020-EIT/0630)).