Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Spanish Sheep Cheese: A Study on the Relationships between Ripening Times, Geographical Origins, Textural Parameters, and MRI Parameters

José Segura Plaza holds a degree in Chemistry (University of Valencia, 2005) and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Science from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, 2015). From 2016 to 2018, he carried out post-doctoral research in the Animal Production Department (UCM), studying the effect of micronutrient supplementation in drinking water on pork quality. From 2019 to 2022, he worked at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Lacombe Research and Development Centre in the Canadian Meat Science Program, Livestock Carcass Merit and Market Competitiveness. Throughout these 42 months, he published several studies on the applicability of video image analysis (VIA) and/or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for the evaluation of beef carcass merit. He joined the Department of Food Technology (UCM) as an Assistant Professor in September 2022. Currently, he works on the application of NMR as non-destructive technology for food control on several food matrices. Moreover, he leads two research projects collaborating with the industry related to the study of the texture of meat and meat products. Currently, he is a member of the research group “Research and innovation in food technology” (ALITECNI) UCM.

María Encarnación Fernández-Valle holds a degree in Physics (1990) and a Ph.D. (2013) in Chemistry from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Since 1993, she has been responsible for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment dedicated to preclinical research of the UCM. In 2001, she joined the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Research Assistance Center of the UCM, where she worked as head of the NMR and MRI Unit. Currently, she is the technical manager of the Complutense Bioimaging Centre (BIOIMAC) at UCM. The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation has recognized this center as one of the nodes of the Singular Scientific and Technical Installation (ICTS) Distributed Biomedical Imaging Network (ReDiB). Since 1993, she has been collaborating with numerous research groups in the planning, design, execution, and processing of data obtained from NMR techniques: MRI, NMR spectroscopy, and time-domain NMR applied to different fields of scientific research, especially biomedical, pharmaceutical, materials, and food sciences. In the field of food science, she has contributed to more than 20 publications in leading scientific journals. Currently, she is a member of the research group “Research and innovation in food technology” (ALITECNI) UCM.

María Dolores Romero de Ávila Hidalgo holds a degree in Food Science and Technology (2004) and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Sciences (2013) from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Currently, she works as an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Technology in the Veterinary Faculty at the UCM. During her Ph.D., she researched conditions for use and viability of different cold binding agents in the preparation of boneless dry-cured ham. Her research is mainly related to the composition, structure, and quality of food products of animal origin. Initially, she studied the composition and sensory and textural properties of meat products and, in recent years, worked on the application of different nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to study structural changes associated with the production process and quality of the final product in different food matrices. Currently, she is a member of the research group “Research and innovation in food technology” (ALITECNI) UCM.

David Castejón Ferrer has a degree in Chemical Sciences from the University of Vigo (2001) and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry (Complutense University of Madrid, UCM, 2015). He performed research stays at the University College London and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. He worked in the Analytical Department at GlaxoSmithKline, performing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) structural elucidation of new antimalarial drugs. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Bio-NMR Facility UCM working with both Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and NMR spectroscopy. He focuses his research work on the development of new advances and applications of NMR. He is currently part of the research team of the research project "Strategies and methodologies for the development, characterization, and control of challenges currently faced by the meat sector," and the teaching innovation project "Application of MRI in the neurological diagnosis of exotic animals." Currently, he is a member of the research group “Research and innovation in food technology” (ALITECNI) UCM.

Víctor Remiro Yagüe has a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Zaragoza (2019) and holds a Master's degree in Food Engineering applied to Health from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (2020). He is currently working on his Ph.D. in the Department of Food Technology (Complutense University of Madrid, UCM) with a predoctoral fellowship from the Community of Madrid. The research group interest is focused on the application of non-destructive methods based on NMR for the rapid analysis of food matrices. He works on studies involving olives, legumes, cheese, and different edible fats. Nevertheless, throughout this time, his work and studies have been closely related to meat science (pork and pork products, salting and curing process in meat products, and color and texture defects in dry-cured ham). He has recently completed a research stay at the Chemistry Department and CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials (University of Aveiro) working on the metabolomics of different dry-cured hams using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Currently, he is a member of the research group “Research and innovation in food technology” (ALITECNI) UCM.

María Isabel Cambero Rodríguez holds a degree in Veterinary medicine (1982) and a Ph.D. from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, 1987). She is a Full Professor of the Food Technology department UCM. She has completed both research and teaching stays in several countries. She teaches in the Degrees of Food Science and Technology (CyTA) and Veterinary Science, in Ph.D. programs, and has participated in master’s degrees from different universities. She is the author of eight books oriented to teaching. Her research work is related to composition, application of non-thermal preservation methods, new meat products, and application of different NMR techniques for food control. She has supervised ten Doctoral Theses and tutored several Degree and Master's Theses. She has been the director of the Institute of Meat Science and Technology of the UCM (2000-2009) and Deputy to the Area of Food Science and Technology (2005-2009) of the ANEP (agencia nacional de evaluación y prospectiva, currently, AEI, agencia estatal de investigación). Currently, she is a member of the research group “Research and innovation in food technology” (ALITECNI) UCM.