A series of sensory analysis workshops was held at the North Caucasus Federal University for participants of the University Shifts career guidance project. Practical classes introduced students to modern methods of assessing the quality of food products and allowed them to try themselves as specialists in the food industry.

Master classes were held at the Faculty of Food Engineering and Biotechnology named after Academician A.G. Khramtsov. In the format of a laboratory workshop, participants mastered algorithms for sensory analysis of food raw materials, evaluated food samples, trained their sense of smell and taste, filled out professional sensory analysis cards, got acquainted with the signs that identify counterfeit products, and also learned what tasks food additives perform and why they are used in food production.

Classes for schoolchildren were conducted by Sofia Fursova, an assistant at the NCFU Department of Applied Biotechnology, and Ksenia Zaitseva, a laboratory assistant. Practical assistance to the participants was provided by Victoria Vasilenko, a graduate of the Biotechnology training course, and Lidia Tsareva, a third-year student. They accompanied the completion of the assignments, and also shared their personal experiences of admission, talked about the first stages of training and their achievements in research.

Following the results of the master classes, the participants noted that for the first time they looked at familiar products not only as food, but also as an object of scientific research. This interest in the profession is one of the main goals of the University Shifts project and an important result of the university's career guidance work.