Food chemistry in Wuppertal, which hosted the conference this year, is characterised by a strong focus on research, with a focus on analytics as well as the physiological and toxicological characterisation of food ingredients. This diversity was covered by the extensive conference programme. This year's programme focused in particular on the topic of "edible oils".

The invited speakers provided insights into their various fields of activity and thus also highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the subject area. They ranged from basic research at universities and research institutes, to development activities in the industry, to monitoring the handling of food and consumer goods by official testing organisations, all of which work together for the benefit of consumers.

The first sessions focussed on the ingredients and authenticity of edible oils such as olive oil. The speakers reported on the regulations regarding undesirable substances in edible oils. It was exciting to see how the industry deals with such impurities in the production process of edible oils. It faces the challenge of reducing the levels of contaminants in the process while at the same time avoiding the formation of other potentially harmful by-products.

The influence of grape variety and pomace storage on the composition and quality of virgin grape seed oil and the difference in the proportion of oxidised fatty acids between virgin and refined oils such as sunflower oil and rapeseed oil were also examined. The other sessions took a look at the bigger picture and discussed other aspects of research and practice.

The conference was rounded off with a poster session and a tutorial that focussed on the analysis of edible oils and encouraged participants to get involved.