Textural properties play an essential role in the development of food products. The complexity of textural attributes has been traditionally overcome with extensive panelist training and the use of generic descriptive analysis. A better understanding on the use of rapid methods with naïve consumers to evaluate texture attributes in complex food products is still needed. The present study aimed to investigate the (i) role of different continuous phases and particle properties (i.e., size and hardness) on the mouthfeel perception of root vegetable purées and (ii) the effect of panel expertise (sensory experts vs. naïve consumers) using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA). The study included six purées made of two different continuous phase (based on Jerusalem artichoke which is rich in inulin and, parsnip which is rich in starch) and three types of beetroot particles (raw, cooked, and comminuted beetroot). Results showed that both panels were able to discriminate and profile in a similar manner. However, sensory experts showed higher ability to discriminate between samples regarding the particle's attributes whereas consumer's sample discrimination was influenced by attributes such as “ease of swallow” and “creaminess.” For the expert panel, the presence of hard particles was a clear factor driving the differences between samples. Our results highlighted the contribution of both continuous and dispersed phases to design the texture profile of particulate semisolid plant-based foods. © 2023 The Authors.

Sensory methodologies are continuously being optimized based on industry needs. Sorting is a widely used sensory method; however, it provides limited information about the uniqueness of individual products. The present work was performed on nine single-hop beers using a combination of sorting with profiling and intensity rating (SPIR) rating to highlight the intra-group variability and individual characteristics. Results have shown that SPIR can effectively highlight the intra-group differences. It has also shown that a higher frequency of citation did not always correspond to a higher attribute intensity. For the considered application, the results highlighted the role of hop varieties on the sensory profile of beers. Overall sensory similarities were found between Mosaic (MO), Citra (CI), and Celeia (CE) hops. However, the use of SPIR highlighted differences between CE and the other hops. Amarillo (AM) hops showed the most distinctive profile in all cases. Practical applications: The use of sorting in combination with profiling and intensity rating (SPIR) rating can be a valuable tool in new product development. It is not only important to understand the overall sensory similarities and differences between groups of samples, but also unique aspects compared to similar products. The present work has shown that adding intensity to sorting and profiling can highlight the inner characteristics of individual products in a group of samples with an overall similar sensory profile.

Macroalgae are a rich source of dietary fibre, protein, lipids and bioactives. However, more research is needed to understand how processing methods impact macroalgae techno-functional properties. In this work, aqueous suspensions of the fibre-rich brown algae Laminaria digitata were prepared by conventional food processing methods. The impact of sequence of processing steps (thermal and mechanical treatments), and heating time (15, 30 and 45 min), on volatile aroma composition were investigated. Changes in volatile composition were monitored with headspace GC-FID/MS analysis. Our results showed that both parameters impacted the volatiles profile of the suspensions. From an overall volatile perspective, short heating times (90 °C for 15 min) led to similar profiles, independently of the sequence of thermal and mechanical treatments. However, longer heating times induced a larger release of several aldehydes, specific for each processing method. Our results bring new insights on the volatile composition of suspensions of Laminaria digitata, which are related to flavour properties, and aid design of food products containing seaweed. © 2022 The Authors

Root vegetables have unique techno-functional and nutritional properties however, their use in processed foods is limited to a few species, partially due to a lack of knowledge related to the impact of thermal treatments on the sensory properties. This study investigated the effect of steaming and boiling on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and sensory profile of three model root vegetables with distinct carbohydrate composition: Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.), parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), and beetroot (Beta vulgaris). Thermally treated Jerusalem artichoke and parsnip showed higher content of cell wall polysaccharides, particularly β-glucans (e.g. cellulose) and pectic components, compared to raw. Steaming produced more cell shrinkage and loss of cell-cell adhesion than boiling, leading to softer vegetables. Processed beetroot showed loss of cell turgor and drastic softening but not clear changes in overall carbohydrate content. The scores for several flavour and in-mouth attributes were higher for steamed vegetables compared to boiled. Our results give insights on the processability of root vegetables towards products with enhanced sensory and nutritional properties.

Swallowing disorders affect approximately 8% of the global population. It is more prevalent in the elderly, leading to malnutrition and dehydration. Different strategies have been investigated to design new texture-modified food products that would reduce or mitigate the suffering from these swallowing disorders. Despite the recent interest and research in this area, there are, however, still a lot of unknowns regarding the specific sensory insights by this targeted group. The aim of this work was to understand if the ease of swallow and related sensory characteristics are perceived differently by “young” and “elderly” healthy individuals. Broccoli purees with different textural properties were created by changing the fluid component (water or xanthan solution) or processing conditions. Samples were evaluated by an elderly panel (n = 19, average age = 68.9 years) and a young panel (n = 16, average age = 25.4 years). Multivariate data analysis strategies were used to understand the intrapanel sample discrimination and to compare between panels. Results showed a similar overall discrimination between samples between young and elderly panels. The use of xanthan improved the ease of swallow in both age groups. In the absence of xanthan gum, processing conditions determined the ease of swallow, which was related to the particle size distribution. Nevertheless, small differences were found between panels. For example, the elderly panel was more sensitive when discriminating samples based on the ease of swallow (p =.005). Therefore, panelist age seems to be relevant when designing tailored foods enhancing the ease of swallow for the elderly populations. Practical Applications: The present study highlights new insights on the relevance of age and sensory capabilities when designing new texture-modified food products. It also provides new insights regarding the key sensory attributes to consider and how these are affected by the type of food processing. © 2022 The Authors.

Numerous research studies have evaluated factors influencing the nature and levels of phenolics and polysaccharides in food matrices. However, in grape and wines most of these works have approach these classes of compounds individually. In recent years, the number of publications interconnecting classes have increased dramatically. The present review relates the last decade’s findings on the relationship between phenolics and polysaccharides from grapes, throughout the entire winemaking process up to evaluating the impact of their relationship on the red wine sensory perception. The combination and interconnection of the most recent research studies, from single interactions in model wines to the investigation of the formation of complex macromolecules, brings the perfect story line to relate the relationship between phenolics and polysaccharides from the vineyard to the glass. Grape pectin is highly reactive toward grape and grape derived phenolics. Differences between grape cultivars or changes during grape ripeness will affect the extractability of these compounds into the wines. Therefore, the nature of the grape components will be crucial to understand the subsequent reactions occurring between phenolics and polysaccharide of the corresponding wines. It has been demonstrated that they can form very complex macromolecules which affect wine color, stability and sensory properties. 

Bouillon cubes are a staple ingredient used in Sub-saharan African countries providing flavor enhancement to savory foods. Bouillon has been identified as a vehicle for fortification to overcome micronutrient deficiencies in Sub-saharan Africa. However, bouillon has a high sodium content (and in addition with other foods) contributes to dietary sodium intake above recommended guidelines. High dietary sodium intake is a key risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Africa has the highest rates of hypertension and CVD globally with nearly half the adult population above 25 years affected. This review presents current state of research on sodium reduction strategies in bouillon. The key challenge is to reduce sodium levels while maintaining optimal flavor at the lowest possible production cost to ensure bouillon continues to be affordable in Sub-saharan Africa. To produce lower sodium bouillon with acceptable flavor at low cost will likely involve multiple sodium reduction strategies; direct reduction in sodium, sodium replacement and saltiness boosting flavor technologies. Efforts to reduce the sodium content of bouillon in Sub-saharan Africa is a worthwhile strategy to: (i) lower the overall sodium consumption across the population, and (ii) deliver population-wide health benefits in a region with high rates of hypertension and CVD. Copyright © 2022 Archer, Cochet-Broch, Mihnea, Garrido-Bañuelos, Lopez-Sanchez, Lundin and Frank.

The continuous increase of online data with consumers’ and experts’ reviews and preferences is a potential tool for sensory characterization. The present work aims to overview the Swedish beer market and understand the sensory fingerprint of Swedish beers based on text data extracted from the Swedish alcohol retail monopoly (Systembolaget) website. Different multivariate strategies such as heatmaps, correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to understand the sensory space of the different beer styles. Additionally, sensory space for specific hop cultivars was also investigated. Results highlighted Gothenburg as the main producing area in Sweden. The style Indian Pale Ale (IPA) is the largest available at the retail monopoly. From a sensory perspective, commonalities and differences were found between beer types and styles. Based on the aroma description, different types of ale and lager can cluster together (such as Porter and Stout and Dark lagers). Additionally, an associative relationship between specific aromas and hop cultivars from text data information was successfully achieved. © 2021 by the authors.

Preparation of a bolus is a complex process with both food comminution and degree of lubrication with saliva playing an important role in a safe swallow. Swallowing disorders i.e. dysphagia, are especially present among the elderly population and often lead to choking and further health complications. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between the perception of ease of swallowing in the elderly and the rheological parameters of particulated foods, using broccoli purees as a model system. Particulated foods can be described as a concentrated dispersion of plant particles in a fluid phase. The effect of the fluid phase (Newtonian vs. shear thinning) and dispersed phase (plant particles with different size distribution and morphology) on the rheological properties of simulated boli was studied by characterising shear viscosity, viscoelasticity, yield stress, extensional viscosity and cohesiveness. Ease of swallowing and mouthfeel were evaluated by a semi trained healthy elderly panel (n = 19, aged 61 to 81). Ease of swallowing was correlated with the presence of yield stress and extensional viscosity in the bolus, characteristic of boli with xanthan gum as the fluid phase. Although the properties of the fluid phase played a dominant role in the ease of swallowing, compared to the dispersed phase, both components played a role in the rheological properties of the bolus and the perception of ease of swallowing by the elderly panel. These results provide insights into the design of personalised foods for populations with specific needs such as those suffering from swallowing disorders.

The aim of the current study was to systematically evaluate effects of single thiols, of thiol interactions in a single red wine matrix, and of red wine matrix effects combined with thiol interactions using projective mapping (PM) with experienced assessors. All work was done in dearomatized red wine from various cultivars. A dual approach to the projective mapping data analysis (coordinates and multifactorial analysis or frequency of citations and correspondence analysis), coupled to regression vector (RV) coefficients allowed to test the hypothesis that the resulting maps should be similar, which was the case for single thiols (RV > 0.7) but not for the more complex thiol × thiol or thiol × thiol × matrix interactions tested (RV < 0.7). It was shown that 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one (4MMP) levels were relatively more important than the cultivar used, while the opposite was true for 3-mercapto-1-hexanol (3MH) and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA). No specific descriptors were associated with 3MH and 3MHA, but the wines had more “savory” notes. The interaction effects of 3MH × 4MMP and 3MHA × 4MMP were different both in the number and in the frequency of citation of the attributes. Practical Applications: Complex multilevel sensory interaction phenomena can be studied if a pragmatic and systematic practical methodology is used, as demonstrated by this work. As the method used does not require a trained panel, this type of approach can be used also outside an academic environment, to the benefit of the industry; however, the researchers must take into account the complexity of the matrix and the difficulty of the assessment. The outcome of the dual approach to the data analysis could help researchers decide which data handling option is better suited for their work.