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Profile PD Dr. Martin Steinhaus

Photo of Martin Steinhaus
Photo: Martin Steinhaus

Head of Research Group Aroma Chemistry

Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising
Germany
Tel.: +49 8161 71-2991

Email   ORCID   ResearcherID  

Research Topic

Consumers’ food and beverage selection is mainly driven by sensory aspects to which odor-active compounds make the most crucial contribution. Using state-of-the-art MOLECULAR SENSORY SCIENCE approaches including automated solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (aSAFE) for the artifact-avoiding isolation of food volatiles, gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O) for the differentiation of odorants from the bulk of odorless volatiles, and sensory tests to rank the odorants according to their importance, our team identifies the KEY ODORANTS in foods and beverages. Quantitation of the key odorants along the food value chain allows us to identify the crucial parameters influencing the sensory quality on the levels of agriculture, processing, and storage. Optimization of these parameters finally results in foods and beverages with improved quality and increased EATING PLEASURE for the consumer.

Research Interests

  •     Identification of key odorants
  •     Key odorants in alternative protein and cereal products
  •     Key odorants in tropical fruits, herbs and spices
  •     Odor-active organosulfur compounds in foods and their analysis
  •     Changes in key aroma compounds along the value chain
  •     Molecular causes of off-flavors in foods
  •     Molecular causes of odors in non-food materials

Professional Career

2017 – Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM), Freising, Germany
  Section Head Sensory Systems Chemistry (2020 – 2023)
  Research Group Head Aroma Chemistry
2012 – Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
  Habilitation and Teaching Licence at the Technical University of Munich (2017)
  Lecturer in Food Chemistry
2000 – 2017 German Research Center for Food Chemistry, Freising, Germany
  Section Head Hedonic Value (2016 – 2017)
  Research Group Head (2012 – 2017)
  Senior Scientist
1998 – 2000 Institute of Food Chemistry of the Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
  Doctoral examination (2001)
  Research Scientist
1995 – 1998 Kurt Hess Institute for Cereal Grain Research
  Research Scientist

Offices and Functions

  • Member of the German Chemical Society (GDCh)
  • Member of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • Member of the German Food Chemistry Society (LChG), a division of the German Chemical Society
  • Chairman of the working group „Flavourings” of the German Food Chemistry Society
  • Member of the Extended Scientific Advisory Board of the Research Association of the German Food Industry (FEI), Bonn, Germany

Teaching Experience

In total Supervision of 22 guest scientists, 24 PhD students, 20 Master students, 9 Bachelor students, and 13 student interns
   
2017 – Molecular Sensory Science. Annual course for graduate students in Food Chemistry and Nutrition Science. Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany, 15 h/semester (in English).
2015 – Advanced food chemistry. Annual course for undergraduate students in Food Chemistry. Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany, 15 h/semester (in German).
2012 – Chemistry, technology, and analysis of consumer goods and cosmetic products. Annual course for graduate students in Food Chemistry. Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany, 30 h/semester (in German).
2007 – Molecular sensory science. Invited guest lectures (2 – 16 h) at the Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, (2019), the Graduate School of Nutrition, Food Technology, Agrobiotechnology, and Health, Wageningen, The Netherlands (2022, 2019, 2017, 2015, and 2013), the Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Japan (2018), the University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica (2017), the MCI Management Center Innsbruck, Austria (2016), the Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey (2015), the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile (2014 and 2012), the Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland (2014), the University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy (2014), and the National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia (2011, 2008, and 2007).
2016 University Teacher Training Certificate of the Bavarian Universities (advanced level)
2014 University Teacher Training Certificate (basic level)
1996 – 2000 Practical courses in Food Chemistry for graduate students in Food Chemistry and teacher trainees, Technical University of Munich, Institute of Food Chemistry, Garching, Germany
1993 Practical courses in Food Microscopy, Technical University of Munich, Institute of Botany, Munich, Germany

Recent Publications

(selection; cf. ORCID for a complete list)

Krause, F.; Steinhaus, M. Molecular sensory analysis confirms wood smoke exposure as a source of smoky off-flavors in fermented cocoa. J. Agric. Food Chem.  2025, 73, 19663-19669. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06046 (Open Access).

Reinhardt, J.; Steinhaus, M. Injection artifacts in odorant analysis by gas chromato­graphy. J. Chromatogr. A  2025, 1741, 465624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465624 (Open Access).

Schlumpberger, P.; Steinhaus, M. Identification of bis(methylsulfanyl)methane and furan-2(5H)‑one as volatile marker compounds for the differentiation of the white truffle species Tuber magnatum and Tuber borchii. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2024, 72, 10023-10030. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.4c00714 (Open Access).

Bauersachs, E.; Walser, V.; Reglitz, K.; Dawid, C.; Steinhaus, M. Peracetic acid residues in orange juice can lead to a 5-vinylguaiacol-induced clove-like off-flavor via Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of hesperidin. Food Chem. 2024, 440, 138252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.138252 (Open Access).

Stübner, C.; Steinhaus, M. Sotolon and (2E,4E,6Z)-nona-2,4,6-trienal are the key compounds in the aroma of walnuts. J. Agric. Food Chem.  2023, 71, 7099-7108. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01002 (Open Access).

Schlumpberger, P.; Stübner, C. A.; Steinhaus, M. Development and evaluation of an automated solvent-assisted flavour evaporation (aSAFE). Eur. Food Res. Technol. 2022, 248, 2591-2602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-022-04072-1 (Open Access).

Porcelli, C.; Steinhaus, M. Molecular-sensory characterisation of a coconut-like odour in cocoa.Eur. Food Res. Technol.  2022, 248, 1513-1523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-022-03981-5 (Open Access).

Rögner, N. S.; Mall, V.; Steinhaus, M. Impact of malt extract addition on odorants in wheat bread crust and crumb. J. Agric. Food Chem.  2021, 69, 13586-13595. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c05638 (Open Access). 

Féchir, M.; Reglitz, K.; Mall, V.; Voigt, J.; Steinhaus, M. Molecular insights into the contribution of specialty barley malts to the aroma of bottom-fermented lager beers. J. Agric. Food Chem.  2021, 69, 8190-8199. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c01846 (Open Access).

Füllemann, D.; Steinhaus, M. Characterization of odorants causing smoky off-flavors in cocoa. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2020, 68, 10833-10841. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04633.

Fischer, N. S.; Steinhaus, M. Identification of an important odorant precursor in durian: first evidence of ethionine in plants. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2020, 68, 10397-10402. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b07065.

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