Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/alessandra.bendini/en

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Academic and Institutional Titles Alessandra Bendini got the degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology in 1995, at University of Bologna, discussing an experimental thesis on chromatographic determinations able to determine the genuineness of virgin olive oils.  From 1995 to 1998 she studied for a PhD degree in Food Biotechnology of the Agrarian Science Faculty of the University of Bologna on quality control and evaluation of antioxidant power of phenolic extract from vegetable matrices. In 1999 she received the PhD degree in Food Biotechnology at University of Florence. In the following years, thanks to several research contracts and Post-PhD contract, she continued the scientific research on lipid quality and purity of vegetable oils with particular emphasis  on processing and storage of olive oil.  Since the first March 2006 she became AGR/15 researcher afferent to Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences,  University of Bologna and since the first March 2009 she became senior researcher (Assistant Professor). From 2007 to 2012 she has been "Erasmus" responsible for Campus of Food Science of Cesena and now she is member of the teaching commission of Food Technology course.  Alessandra Bendini obtained the National Scientific Qualification (ASN) for admission to the role of University Professor (second level) for both the sectors 07/F1 (Food Science and Technologies) and 03/D1 (Chemistry and Technologies of Pharmaceutical, Toxicological and Food-Nutraceutical area). From 2012 she is Responsible for Scientific Instrumentations for the Inter-department Centre for Industry Research (CIRI) in Cesena.  She is member of the Emergency Team of the Campus of Food Science (DiSTAL) thanks to the course participation and test passing for the Fire-escape medium and high risk qualification, First aid, Basic Life Support and Defibrillation (BLSD).   Research Area and Scientific Expertises Alessandra Bendini (Instrumental and Sensory Analysis Group of the DiSTAL) has got specific abilities on the main separative techniques (solid-liquid and liquid-liquid extractions, TLC, SPE, SPME) and high performance chromatographic techniques (HPLC, GC) with use of different detector systems (UV-vis, DAD, FLD, FID, MSD), on spectrophotometric methods and in-vitro tests for antioxidant evaluation of phenolic compounds in food.  In particular, she has studied the profiles in minor compounds as markers of quality (phenols and volatiles) and genuineness (sterols and alkyl esters of fatty acids) of extra virgin olive oil. Moreover, she has developed skills in sensory analysis, developing and applying discriminat, descriptive and consumer tests on vegetable and animal food. From 2005 she is enrolled to the list of expert assessors of virgin olive oils and at the present works as expert judge in the professional Panel of Department of Agricultural and Food Science, recognized by MIPAAF. During 2005-2007 years she has expanded her knowledge about the sensory analysis of food by participating and overcoming the organoleptic tests to the first level of sensory analysis of honey (necessary requirement for enrolmen tin the national register of the experts in sensory analysis of honey), of  balsamic vinegar and fruit. In 2008 she has got the panel-leader abilitation and now she is the deputy panel leader of DiSTAL panel. She has participated as a qualified judge to numerous regional and national competitions of extra virgin olive oil (for instance Regional competitions as Il Novello di Romagna, L'Orciolo d'Oro, L'Oro delle Marche, and National competition as L'Ercole Olivario, Olio Capitale and L'Oro d'Italia).  For 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 she achieved the Sensory Project Manager title from the Italian Society of Sensory Science (SISS).    Teaching Activity at University Level In 2003, Dr. Alessandra Bendini was university lecturer of "Chemical, Physical and Sensory Analysis of Food Products" at the University of Verona (Sciences Faculty).  From 2006-2007 to 2011-2012 she was university lecturer for "Food Chemistry" course in Food Consumption and Catering Sciences degree (University of Bologna); from 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2014-2015, 2015-2016 years (and also now) she was lecturer for "Food Analysis" course in Food Technologies degree (University of Bologna) and from 2012-2013 she is lecturer for "Food Chemistry" course in the same degree course and in the course of Dietistic (School of Medicine, University of Bologna).   Activities in Research Projects, Research Products and Affiliation to Scientific Societies   She is scientific responsible of partnerships between her university and several private or public companies. For the 2009-2011 period she is involved in the research activity concerning the European project Organic Sensory Information System (OSIS): Documentation of sensory properties through testing and consumer research for the organic industry (Project acronym: ECROPOLIS).  She was scientific responsible for University of Bologna unit for the two-years National project PRIN 2009 titled: "Innovative technologic applications to improve the extraction yield of virgin oils from olives and seeds and for rapid controls of their quality".  She collaborated in Italian project titled "MEAting - Sensory and fast Instrumental analyses of meat and meat products: an integrated approach for quality control and communication" FARB funded by the University of Bologna (2014-2016) and in the project "FOOD CROSSING DISTRICT" (POR-FESR 2014-2020) funded by Emilia-Romagna Region (2016-2018). She participates - as member of the UNIBO unit as partner in the H2020 EU Project - AUTHENT-NET "Food Authenticity Research Network" (2016-2018). She is involved as Co-coordinator in the H2020 EU Project - OLEUM- “Advanced solutions for assuring authenticity and quality of olive oil at global scale” (2016-2020, grant agreement 635690). Alessandra Bendini is tutor of several Degree Thesis and PhD Thesis.  She is author or co-author of 149 scientific papers, published on national and international journals (h-index Scopus: 33) mainly focused on the study of lipid, olive oil technology and analyses about components of phenolic and volatile fractions. She has also more of fifty publications on national and international Workshop Proceeding.  She is referee for several international journals with impact factor and evaluator for MIUR (VQR, FIRB). Alessandra Bendini is member of "Società  Italiana di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari" (SISTAL), "Società  Italiana per lo Studio delle Sostanze Grasse" (SISSG) and "European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids (Euro Fed Lipid), Olive Oil Division", Società  Italiana di Scienze Sensoriali (SISS), "Società Chimica Italiana (SCI, sottodivisione di Chimica degli Alimenti)"