Sylvie Turgeon

Sylvie Turgeon is a full professor in the Department of Food Science at Université Laval. She directed the Centre de recherche en sciences et technologie du lait (STELA) for over 9 years, and the Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels (INAF) for nearly 7 years. Since 2017, she has co-directed the GastronomiQc Lab joint research unit in gastronomic sciences. Born of the collaboration and sharing of expertise between Université Laval and the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), the GastronomiQc Lab carries out research, development, training and knowledge transfer activities in disciplines relating to gastronomy and catering.

As a researcher in food science, Ms. Turgeon is particularly interested in the links between food composition, structure and functionality. Her work contributes to the development of knowledge on the behavior of food constituents in complex systems, and supports the improvement of their stability, nutritional and organoleptic quality. Over the course of her career, she has focused on several types of food, including dairy products, algae and berries. In recent years, she has added alternative protein sources (legumes, insects) to her research interests and is working to better understand the behavior of complex or unpurified ingredients, such as purées. She works with food production and processing stakeholders to select local resources with high value-added potential. The knowledge gained from these projects fits perfectly into a circular economy context. They will enable us to develop uses for ingredients with a lower environmental impact (production, transport and processing waste). Research into complex ingredients is also needed to advance the valorization of food co-products, whose composition can vary.

Her roles as researcher and co-director of the GastronomiQc Lab broaden the applicability of her work and encourage the discovery of creative solutions. Gastronomy can be a showcase for local products and know-how, and inspire uses throughout the restaurant, foodservice and consumer sectors. Through an interdisciplinary research program, the GastronomiQc Lab aims to encourage concerted action in the production, processing, distribution and consumption of responsible local products, driven by the initiative, creativity and pleasure of eating well in the culinary world. For example, for a research project on legume-based ingredients, priority was given to local sources. The ingredients studied can be reproduced using culinary equipment, making them accessible to restaurants and food services. Part of the work focuses on their use in a variety of culinary preparations that may be of interest to both the HRI (hotel, restaurant and food service) and processing industries. Finally, the expertise and creativity of chefs is called upon in the sensory analysis of products to propose new uses. Several other GastronomiQc Lab projects follow this same trend, or focus on other aspects of the circular economy that affect HRIs, such as food waste.