Bilberries represent a valuable northern European wild berry crop, well regarded for their high content of bioactive compounds and perceived health benefits. In Sweden, other than consumption of fresh whole berries, processing into juice is the most common route. To optimise the extraction of juice from bilberries and to investigate the impact on juice quality, fresh berries were pre treated using a range of techniques prior to pressing. Blanching the berries or treating them with pectinase enzymes gave the highest juice yield with 74 and 83% recovery (%, w/w), respectively (approx. 3.4 to 3.8 times the control). Freezing the berries prior to pressing was as effective as grinding + heating and resulted in a 2.8 fold increase in yield. Use of a screw press instead of a hydraulic press increased the yield 3.4 fold with no other pre treatment. Freezing prior to screw press only resulted in a modest increase in yield from 75 to 78% when using t he screw press. but was still an improvement versus freezing prior to hydraulic press. In terms of the quality of the juices, blanching, grinding and heating, and pectinase treatment had the highest phenolic content, but pectinase treatment resulted in the highest overall extraction yield from the berries. Again screw press increased the con tent of phenolic compounds in the juice and had higher extractive yields from the berries. The antioxidant content of juices (measured as ferric reducing antioxidant potential) followed the same trend as the phenolic content. Overall, use of a screw press increased the juice yield versus a hydraulic press, but the use of pectinase enzymes still appears to be the most effective treatment for maximising the juice yield when using the hydraulic press. Freezing and blanching berrie s prior to processing has a positive impact on juice yield, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity, especially for hydraulic pressing. The use of pectinase enzymes increased the extractive yields of juice and phenolic compounds extracted from the berri es, but the composition of the juices themselves were very similar when blanching, freezing, or grinding and heating were used, suggesting the use of expensive enzymes may not be necessary to produce juices rich in antioxidant compounds on a cost benefit l evel. Future work should investigate the combination of enzyme treatment followed by screw press as well as the cost and life cycle implications of the different processing conditions.

The current global sodium consumption exceeds recommended daily intakes and there is a great need to reduce the sodium content in foods for a healthier society. The current study investigated the effect of combining sensory interaction principles and heterogeneous distribution of NaCl in bread on sensory properties, structure, and NaCl distribution. Breads were prepared in three different arrangements of NaCl distribution: homogenous, layered, and layered with lactic acid. Within each arrangement, four NaCl levels were tested. The breads were evaluated by a sensory panel for perceived saltiness, sourness, and qualitative texture, measured for stiffness, and the NaCl distribution was determined by X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM). Perceived saltiness was significantly enhanced in breads beyond heterogeneous NaCl distribution when lactic acid was added. Stiffness measurements were affected by layering of bread, the layers without NaCl were stiffer with an increase in overall salt concentration. The heterogeneous distribution of NaCl in layered breads could be visualised by XFM and textural consequences of layering bread are discussed. The current study demonstrates the potential of combining principles of pulsation of taste and sensory interactions together to enhance salt perception, and hence suggesting the approach as a possible further strategy for NaCl reduction in bread.

In many parts of the world, sodium consumption is higher than recommended levels, representing one of the most important food-related health challenges and leading to considerable economical costs for society. Therefore, there is a need to find technical solutions for sodium reduction that can be implemented by food producers and within food services. The aims of this review are to discuss the barriers related to sodium reduction and to highlight a variety of technical solutions. The barriers relate to consumer perception, microbiology, processing, and physicochemistry. Existing technical solutions include inhomogeneous salt distribution, coated salt particles, changing particle sizes and forms, surface coating, multisensory combinations, sodium replacements, double emulsions, adapted serum release by microstructure design, and adapted brittleness by microstructure design. These solutions, their implementation and the associated challenges, and applicable product categories are described. Some of these solutions are ready for use or are in their early development stages. Many solutions are promising, but in most cases, some form of adaptation or optimization is needed before application in specific products, and care must always be taken to ensure food safety. For instance, further research and innovation are required in the dynamic evolution of saltiness perception, consumer acceptance, the binding and migration of sodium, juiciness, microbiological safety, and the timing of salt addition during processing. Once implemented, these solutions will undoubtedly support food producers and food services in reducing sodium content and extend the application of the solutions to different foods. © 2022 Research Institutes of Sweden, Swedish Food Federation and Lyckeby Culinar AB.

As life expectancy increases so do age related problems such as swallowing disorders, dysphagia, which affects 10%–30% of people over 65 years old. For dysphagia patients the texture and rheological properties of the food, and the bolus, is critical to avoid choking and pneumonia. Texture modified foods, timbals, are often served to these patients due to their ease of swallowing. The main concern with these foods is that they do not look visually alike the food they replace, which can decrease the patient’s appetite and lead to reduced food intake and frailty. This study aims to improve both the visual appearance of texturized food as well as the energy density and fiber content of the timbal formulation. 3D scanning and additive manufacturing (3D Printing) were used to produce meals more reminiscent of original food items, increasing their visual appeal. Rheology was used to ensure the original flow profile was maintained as the timbal was reformulated by reducing starch contents and partially replacing with dietary fibers. The amount of starch was reduced from 8.7 wt% in the original formulation to 3.5 wt% and partially replaced with 3 wt% citrus fiber, while maintaining properties suitable for both swallowing and 3D printing. The resulting formulation has improved nutritional properties, while remaining suitable for constructing visually appealing meals, as demonstrated by 3Dprinting a chicken drumstick from a model generated with 3D scanning.

Berry powders are popular as ingredients in a range of food products, where they naturally provide flavor, color, texture, polyphenols, fiber, and other nutrients. The choices regarding processing techniques and conditions influence the quality attributes of berry powders. The aim of this study was to study the effects on bilberry powder functionalities of applying different preprocessing techniques (purée mixing and juice pressing vs. untreated whole berries) prior to hot air drying and milling. Drying of press cake reduced the drying time by 72% and increased the total apparent phenolic content of the final powder by 44%, as compared to the powder of dried whole berries. The press cake powder showed an easier flowing behavior than the powders from whole berries and puréed berries. Dispersibility (in water and dairy cream) was 60% higher for powders from whole berries and puréed berries, as compared to press cake. The total phenolic content of the dispersed powders was highest for whole berries and puréed berries. Bilberry powder functionality can be modulated through the selection of an appropriate preprocessing technique before drying and milling. This tailors the powder properties into food ingredients ready for different applications, without the need for additives.

Bilberries are a rich natural source of phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins. The press cake obtained during the processing of bilberry juice is a potential source of phytochemicals. The objective of this study was to evaluate different drying techniques and the fractionation of bilberry press cake powder toward obtaining phenolic-rich ingredients for incorporation into value-added food products. The derived powders were dispersed in water and dairy cream, to investigate the effects of drying and fractionation on the dispersibility and solubility of phenolic compounds. The drying techniques, hot air drying and microwave drying, applied on bilberry press cake reduced the content of total phenolics and anthocyanins. The degradation was, however, consistently small and similar for both techniques. The major anthocyanins detected in the samples were stable during drying and fractionation treatments. Fractionation of the press cake powder affected the total apparent phenolic content and composition of the different fractions. The highest phenolic content (55.33 +/- 0.06 mg g(-1) DW) and highest anthocyanin content (28.15 +/- 0.47 mg g(-1) DW) were found in the fractions with the smallest particle size (<500 mu m), with delphinidin-3-O-galactoside being the most abundant anthocyanin. Dispersibility of all dried powder samples was higher in dairy cream than water, and the highest level of anthocyanins was measured in samples from the powder with the smallest particle size (<500 mu m), dispersed in cream. The application of drying, milling and fractionation was found to be a promising approach to transform bilberry press cake into stable and deliverable ingredients that can be used for fortification of food products with high levels of phenolic compounds.

Background: The population of older adults is growing and many are at risk of disease-related malnutrition. This is a serious condition which increases the risk for other diseases and distress, human suffering and puts a high load on health care costs. Meal concepts tailored to suit the needs of older adults are required to decrease the incidence of disease-related malnutrition.

Objective: To evaluate sensory perception regarding a concept of small, protein and energy-enriched multi-component meals designed according to the nutritional needs of older adults.

Design: A meal concept of small main courses with complementary desserts and protein and energy-enriched products was evaluated using triangle tests, hedonic evaluation and focus group discussion. Enriched sauces and meals were compared to corresponding commercial products regarding appearance, taste, consistency and overall acceptance.

Results: The concept of a small main course with a complementary dessert was generally perceived as positive by the target group. The acceptance scores for the enriched meals were generally lower than for the commercial meals, mainly owing to the packaging of the enriched meals which required covering the food in sauce. Enriched sauces contained approximately 90% more protein than the commercial sauces. However, protein enrichment affected the sensory properties of the sauces and they were perceived as thicker, creamier and less flavour-intensive.

Conclusions: A concept based on small, protein and energy-enriched meals supplemented with a dessert was considered suitable for increasing the energy and protein intakes of older adults provided that the method of enrichment ensures attractive sensorial properties.

Mild drying and extrusion processing of side streams from berry juice production can enable retention of valuable compounds in the food chain and reduce waste production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of using hot air (HA) and microwave assisted hot air (MWHA) drying combined with extrusion for conversion of bilberry press cake into value-added extruded food products. Bilberry press cake was dried at 40 °C by HA and MWHA drying to a moisture content of 17 g/100 g. A twin screw extruder (average feed rate 72 g/min, temperature profile 135-128-89-69 °C) was used to extrude products containing organic wholegrain rye flour and 10% or 25% dried bilberry press cake powder. A consumer panel (n = 15) evaluated four extrudates on hedonic and Just-About-Right (JAR) scales, with a main focus on texture properties. The results indicate that different drying techniques implied a difference in processing time (40% reduction with MWHA drying). However, the retention of total phenolics and physical characteristics of extruded snacks containing bilberry powders were independent of drying techniques. In sum, powder of bilberry press cake can be incorporated in cereal based extruded snacks with enhanced phenolic content and potential for palatable sensory properties.

Sarcopenia is a common problem among elderly. To maintain muscle mass, strength and function adequate dietary protein intake is of importance. The aim is to enable the development of high-quality fortified foods to improve protein status in elderly. Current study aimed to investigate how sensory and physical characteristics of a popular snack in the form of muffins change when increasing protein content. A reference muffin was compared to muffins fortified with soy flour, almond flour or whey protein, respectively. A focus group evaluated the sensory properties. Physical properties included colour measurement, water activity, weight and heights. All fortifiers affected the muffins differently, sensory as well as physical characteristics, showing the complexity of adding different fortifiers to muffins.

Different viscosity models were developed to describe the viscosity of unprocessed fruit and vegetable purees under dynamic conditions. Temperature hysteresis cycles were carried out for three purees with different structural characteristics (tomato, carrot, and broccoli), with heating and cooling phases from 10 to 80°C with isothermal (holding) phases at 10, 30, 60 or 80°C. The apparent viscosity was measured continuously with a rotational rheometer and the data was analyzed with time-independent and time-dependent models (quantifying rheopexy, thixotropy, or both). The results revealed clear thixotropic behavior in tomato puree, attributed to shearing effects, and rheopectic in broccoli puree, attributed to gel formation at the higher temperatures. Although carrot puree data from the isothermal periods could be quantified satisfactorily with no time dependency, analysis of the nonisothermal periods proved that rheopectic effects also needed to be included.