Prof. Dr. Irene Chetschik

Work at ZHAW

Position

Head Research Group Food Chemistry

Professional development teaching

CAS The Science and Art of Chocolate

Network

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7009-6357

Projects

• Fermentation and Fermentation-Like Process of Theobroma grandiflorum Seeds as sustainable Solution to the Cacao Crisis / Project leader / ongoing
• Decoding of flavour properties of selectecd cocoa liquors / Project leader / completed
• Elucidation of aroma compounds in hemp / Project leader / completed
• Regenerative Organic Passata from Switzerland / Team member / completed
• Upcycling of wheat harvest losses by technological detoxification / Team member / completed
• Microbial reduction of zearalenone, a grain-relevant mycotoxin / Deputy project leader / completed
• Molecular Sensory Guided Flavor Improvement of Plant-Based Egg / Project leader / completed
• Fruit to Bar – Innovative post-harvest processing of de-pulped cocoa beans and pulp thereof for single source chocolate / Co-project leader / completed
• PE(K)O Sustain – Physically modified oils as sustainable alternative to tropical fats for the baking and sweet goods industry / Team member / completed
• SONEVA / Project leader / completed
• CREATE – Microorganisms to foster pulses-based healthy food / Co-project leader / completed
• Plant-based meat analogues produced by innovative pre-processing and extrusion / Co-project leader / completed
• Cocoa in Numbers – from data to knowledge / Project leader / completed
• Strategies to reduce mycotoxins in grain side product streams enabling their reintroduction into the food value chain / Co-project leader / completed
• The Coffee Blockchain – From Field to Cup / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Tran, T. K. L. et al. (2026) 'Next generation of plant-based scrambled eggs : from decoding precursor gaps to prototype development', Applied Sciences, 16(5), p. 2484. doi: 10.3390/app16052484.
• André, A. et al. (2025) 'First quantitation of key odor-active thiols in flowers of different hemp cultivars using HPLC-MS/MS', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 74(1). doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c14203.
• Tran, T. K. L. et al. (2025) 'The plant of many scents : unraveling the odorant composition of selected CBD hemp cultivars', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73(38), pp. 24314–24325. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c07208.
• Tran, T. K. L. et al. (2025) 'Decoding the aroma gap : sensomics-based characterization of key odorants in the plant-based egg and chicken egg', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73(22), pp. 13832–13842. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04304.
• Schmid, T. et al. (2025) 'Physically modified plant oils as alternatives to palm fat : effects on physical and flavour properties of chocolate fillings', Foods, 14(7), p. 1179. doi: 10.3390/foods14071179.
• Mischler, S. et al. (2024) 'Potential for the bio-detoxification of the mycotoxins Enniatin B and deoxynivalenol by lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp.', Microorganisms, 12(9), p. 1892. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12091892.
• Streule, S. et al. (2024) 'Influences of depulping, pod storage and fermentation time on fermentation dynamics and quality of Ghanaian cocoa', Foods, 13(16), p. 2590. doi: 10.3390/foods13162590.
• Tran, T. K. L. et al. (2024) 'Molecular aroma composition of vanilla beans from different origins', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 72(34), pp. 19120–19130. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c04775.
• André, A. et al. (2024) 'A new physical and biological strategy to reduce the content of zearalenone in infected wheat kernels : the effect of cold needle perforation, microorganisms, and purified enzyme', Food Research International, 186(114364). doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114364.
• Mischler, S. et al. (2024) 'Potential of lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp. in a bio-detoxification strategy for mycotoxin contaminated wheat grains', Applied Microbiology, 4(1), pp. 96–111. doi: 10.3390/applmicrobiol4010007.
• Ullrich, L. et al. (2023) 'Influence of ozone treatment during storage on odour-active compounds, total titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid in oranges and bananas', Applied Sciences, 13(19), p. 10885. doi: 10.3390/app131910885.
• Ullrich, L. et al. (2023) 'Influence of the cocoa bean variety on the flavor compound composition of dark chocolates', ACS Food Science & Technology, 3(3), pp. 470–477. doi: 10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00418.
• André, A., Müller, N. and Chetschik, I. (2022) 'Occurrence of zearalenone and enniatin B in Swiss wheat grains and wheat flours', Applied Sciences, 12(20), p. 10566. doi: 10.3390/app122010566.
• Schlüter, A. et al. (2022) 'Influence of aerobic and anaerobic moist incubation on selected nonvolatile constituents : comparison to traditionally fermented cocoa beans', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 70(51), pp. 16335–16346. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c06493.
• André, A. et al. (2022) 'Use of molecular networking to identify 2,5-diketopiperazines in chocolates as potential markers of bean variety', Heliyon, 8(9), p. e10770. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10770.
• Ullrich, L. et al. (2022) 'Decoding the fine flavor properties of dark chocolates', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 70(42), pp. 13730–13740. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c04166.
• Schlüter, A. et al. (2022) 'Comparison of the aroma composition and sensory properties of dark chocolates made with moist incubated and fermented cocoa beans', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 70(13), pp. 4057–4065. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c08238.
• Chetschik, I. (2021) 'Key odorants of cocoa', Chimia, 75(11), p. 981. doi: 10.2533/chimia.2021.981.
• Ullrich, L. et al. (2021) 'Impact of water on odor-active compounds in fermented and dried cocoa beans and chocolates made thereof', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 69(30), pp. 8504–8510. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c02287.
• André, A. et al. (2020) 'Evolution of the polyphenol and terpene content, antioxidant activity and plant morphology of eight different fiber-type cultivars of Cannabis sativa L. cultivated at three sowing densities', Plants, 9(12), p. 1740. doi: 10.3390/plants9121740.
• Schlüter, A. et al. (2019) 'Novel time- and location-independent postharvest treatment of cocoa beans : investigations on the aroma formation during "moist incubation" of unfermented and dried cocoa nibs and comparison to traditional fermentation', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b06119.
• Chetschik, I. et al. (2019) 'Characterization of the flavor properties of dark chocolates produced by a novel technological approach and comparison with traditionally produced dark chocolates', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 67(14), pp. 3991–4001. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b06800.
• Häfele, M. et al. (2019) 'Rhabarbersaft als biologische Möglichkeit der Enzymkontrolle bei der Herstellung von Apfelsäften', Flüssiges Obst, 2019(11), pp. 388–392. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-19116.
• Pedan, V. et al. (2018) 'Bioactive compound fingerprint analysis of aged raw pu'er tea and young ripened pu'er tea', Molecules, 23(8). doi: 10.3390/molecules23081931.
• Chetschik, I. et al. (2017) 'Investigations on the aroma of cocoa pulp (theobroma cacao L.) and its influence on the odor of fermented cocoa beans', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66(10), pp. 2467–2472. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b05008.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• André, A. et al. (2023) 'Decoding the key flavour compounds of cocoa using mass spectrometry', in 6th International Mass Spectrometry School, Cagliari, Italy, 17-22 September 2023.
• Kneubühl, M., André, A. and Chetschik, I. (2021) 'Characterisation of the key-aroma compounds among the volatile constituents in different hemp strains (Cannabis sativa L.)', in Proceedings of the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium. Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.5513767.

Other publications

• André, A. et al. (2024) 'A new physical and biological strategy to reduce the content of zearalenone in infected wheat kernels : the effect of cold needle perforation, microorganisms, and purified enzyme', in 11th Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA), Prague, Czech Republic, 5-8 November 2024.
• Schlüter, J. A., André, A. and Chetschik, I. (2024) 'Moist-incubation : a reproducible, controlled, time and location independent post-harvest treatment for cocoa beans', in 11. Runder Tisch Kakao, Hamburg, Deutschland, 13.-14. November 2024.
• Chetschik, I. and Chatelain, K. (2022) 'Aroma Kit Cocoa : an olfactory library for cocoa and chocolate', in Choco Tec, Cologne, Germany, 13-15 December 2022.
• Schlüter, A. et al. (2022) 'Novel time- and location-independent postharvest treatment of cocoa beans : "moist incubation" of unfermented and dried cocoa nibs', in International Symposium on Cocoa Research (ISCR), Montpellier, France, 5-7 December 2022.
• Chetschik, I. et al. (2022) 'Cocoa in numbers : from data to knowledge', Transfer English edition, 2022(2), p. 16. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-27413.
• Chetschik, I. and Chatelain, K. (2022) 'Aroma Kit Cocoa : an olfactory library for cocoa and chocolate', in 10th Round Table Cocoa, Hamburg, Germany, 2-3 June 2022.
• Chatelain, K. et al. (2022) 'Cocoa in numbers : from data to knowledge', in 10th Round Table Cocoa, Hamburg, Germany, 2-3 June 2022.
• Chetschik, I. and André, A. (2021) 'Fibre-type hemp in the food and beverage industry : from the field to the molecule of interest', Transfer English edition, 2021(1), p. 10. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-23225.
• Laube, P., Schneller, R. and Chetschik, I. (2019) 'Aroma characterisation of Pu-Erh teas', in Cocotea2019 : book of abstracts, p. 77.
• Chetschik, I. et al. (2019) 'Cocoa in numbers : from data to knowledge', in 8. Round Table Cocoa, Hamburg, 13 - 14. Juni 2019.
• Schildberger, D. et al. (2018) 'Cast off! Chocolate from cacao cell cultures', in New Harvest 2018 Conference, Cambridge, USA, 20-21 July 2018.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• André, A. et al. (2023) 'Eine biologische Strategie zur Reduzierung des Zearalenongehalts in infizierten Weizenkörnern', in 9. D-A-CH-Tagung für angewandte Getreidewissenschaften, Detmold, Deutschland, 5.-6. Oktober 2023.
• Koschmieder, J. et al. (2023) 'The plant of many scents : decoding the odour of selected cannabis strains', in 13th Wartburg Symposium on Flavor Chemistry & Biology, Eisenach, Germany, 3-6 October 2023.
• André, A. et al. (2023) 'Decoding the key flavour compounds of cocoa using mass spectrometry', in 6th International Mass Spectrometry School, Cagliari, Italy, 17-22 September 2023.
• Ullrich, L. et al. (2022) 'Decoding the fine flavour properties of dark chocolates', in International Symposium on Cocoa Research (ISCR), Montpellier, France, 5-7 December 2022.
• Cordero, C. and Chetschik, I. (2022) 'From sensomics to AI smelling and computer vision : exploring the chemical sensory code of premium chocolate', in 100 + 1 year anniversary of Société Chimique de Genève, Genève, Switzerland, 28 November 2022.
• Schlüter, A. et al. (2022) 'Comparison of the aroma composition and sensory properties of dark chocolates made with moist incubated and fermented cocoa beans', in 51. AK Schoko, Kilchberg, Schweiz, 15. September 2022.
• André, A. et al. (2022) 'Mycotoxins reduction strategies to reintroduce grain side product streams into the food value chain', in 20th ICC Conference, Vienna, Austria, 5-7 July 2022.
• Chetschik, I. (2022) 'The influence of cocoa bean variety on the flavour properties of dark chocolates : comparison of the molecular flavour composition of selected small batch chocolates to chocolates produced of cocoa reference liquors with defined flavour properties', in 10th Round Table Cocoa, Hamburg, Germany, 2-3 June 2022.
• Chetschik, I. and Chatelain, K. (2021) 'Decoding the fine flavour properties of chocolates : towards a better understanding of fine aroma attributes and the development of standardised training samples for sensory panels', in 9. Runder Tisch Kakao : Nacherntebehandlung, Kakaobohnenqualität und Sensorikstandards: wie ist der Stand?, Hamburg (online), 3. Juni 2021.
• Ullrich, L. et al. (2021) 'Release of important chocolate odorants by water : comparison of traditionally manufactured chocolate to chocolate manufactured by a novel processing technology', in International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), online, 16-21 December 2021.
• Chetschik, I. (2020) 'Processing cocoa with water : new insights into aroma formation', in Book of Abstracts. American Chemical Society.
• Chetschik, I. et al. (2019) 'Flavour characterisation of chocolate & cocoa products produced by novel processing techniques', in Cocotea2019 : book of abstracts.
• Schlüter, A. et al. (2019) 'Novel post-harvest treatments of cocoa and the influence on flavor properties of the products produced thereof', in 12th Wartburg Symposium : book of abstracts.

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