Born from the synergy between CNR-INO and the Modica Chocolate Consortium, a pioneering partnership brings together the approach of scientific inquiry and the time-honoured craftsmanship of master chocolatiers. Together, they explore new ways to capture and preserve fragile sensory experiences — the aroma, the texture, and the taste — transforming them into cultural assets that can be documented, safeguarded, and celebrated as part of our shared European and global heritage
The international research project SCENTinel, co-funded by the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage and Global Change (JPI CH), with Italian partners the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-INO) and the Venetian Cluster (VHC), has signed a cooperation agreement with the Consorzio di Tutela del Cioccolato di Modica IGP to safeguard one of Italy’s most iconic culinary and cultural treasures: the aromas and flavours of Modica chocolate and will meet to kick off their activities on October 13th at the Grimaldi Foundation headquarters in Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage Italian site.
The partnership, developed and coordinated by the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council of Italy – a partner of SCENTinel – brings together cutting-edge science and centuries-old tradition. While the Consortium ensures the authenticity and IGP certification of Modica chocolate—recognized by the European Commission in 2018—CNR-INO and SCENTinel brings advanced tools for capturing, analysing, and preserving the olfactory and flavour landscapes that define this heritage product. Researchers will explore the aromas of Modica chocolate throughout the production process, from cocoa beans to the final bar, applying advanced techniques such as dynamic headspace trapping onto Tenax TA to record volatile organic compounds. Alongside chemical profiling, the project will document the sensory identity of Modica chocolate through cultural research and interviews with producers, artisans, and consumers, ensuring that memory, tradition, and lived experience remain central to its preservation.
This collaboration demonstrates how science can become a sentinel for intangible heritage, preserving scents that are increasingly vulnerable to climate changes: thanks to advanced technologies and interdisciplinary approaches, the Consorzio di Tutela del Cioccolato di Modica IGP, CNR-INO and SCENTinel will turn the intangible into knowledge, ensuring that scents and flavours, fragile yet powerful carriers of memory, can be studied, protected, and transmitted to future generations.
Beyond the local significance of Modica’s centuries-old chocolate-making tradition, the initiative underscores the universal importance of safeguarding Europe’s intangible heritage. Preserving scents and flavours means preserving collective memory, strengthening cultural identity, and ensuring that the richness of Europe’s traditions remains a living, shared legacy for all humanity.
SCENTinel, co-funded by the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage and Global Change (JPI CH), is led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) with partners the Venetian Cluster, the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR-INO), and the Czech Academy of Sciences (UTIA). In collaboration with the University of Ljubljana (UL), Furtwangen University (HFU), University College London (UCL), KU Leuven, and the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), the project aims to capture, analyse, and preserve endangered scents—such as those at risk from climate change—so that Europe’s intangible heritage of aromas and flavours can be safeguarded and shared with future generations.
Website: https://jpi-climate.eu/project/scentinel/
