Of the universities across the region - Anglia Ruskin, Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Essex, Hertfordshire, Northampton, Suffolk and the University of East Anglia - 2010 graduates from the University of Hertfordshire were the most successful, with 46% finding graduate jobs.

BBC: University graduates in job struggle

"The panel was able to discriminate between samples with different yeast levels, suggesting that the variation in microbial flora was noticeable in the aroma, " said Dr Kostas Gkatzionis, of the University of Northampton.

BBC: Source of Stilton cheese's unique smell revealed

He will be the keynote speaker at the two-day World at Your Feet footwear conference starting on Wednesday at the University of Northampton.

BBC: Northampton to host World at Your Feet conference