Today, Sapere has lost another one of our inspirational founders, E.P. Köster.
During his career, his research has greatly contributed to a better understanding of our eating behaviour especially in connection with olfaction. E.P. was a doctoral professor in experimental psychology at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands (1976-1997), and also very active in a number of organizations and international networks. For some of these he was the co-founder, as in the case of the European Chemoreception Research Organisation, the European Sensory Network as well as Sapere International Association.
The idea of creating Sapere International to promote taste education in Europe germinated during a conversation between Roelof Huurneman and E.P. Köster at the banks of Starneberger See in Munich in 1993. In the following they went to meet Jacques Puisais together, and in 1995 the Non profit Sapere International Association was founded.
Later, between 2004 and 2008 at The European Centre of Taste in Dijon, France, E.P. Köster supervised research dedicated to better understanding of the effects of taste education on food preferences and behaviour.
More recently, E.P. Köster participated in the Sapere Symposium organized in collaboration with the Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon, France in 2017.
For the 2019 Sapere Symposium in Cambridge, UK, unfortunately E.P. was already weakened and unable to attend. He still participated with a vibrant written tribute to his friend Roelof Huuurneman who died shortly before. Today both initiators and founders of Sapere rests in peace. The Sapere International Association continues to support and develop their legacy to better educate children about taste.
E.P. Köster will remain in our memories due to his strong contribution on the advancement in scientific knowledge, but also as an inspiring, humble and warm personality for all of us who had the privilege to meet him.
Caroline Reverdy, on behalf of the Sapere International Board.
You find more information on the research and career of E.P. Köster on the website of the European Sensory Network:
- Prof. Dr. E.P. Köster, ESN Advisor
- New theory of odor perception (video)
- 50 ans de recherche sur les motivations des consommateurs
Symposium Sapere en 2017 à Lyon
