Age and gender differences in the influence of extrinsic product information on acceptability for RTD green tea beverages

The Relationship between Beverages Consumption and Cognitive Impairment in Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese Population

Some evidence shows that beverage consumption has an impact on cognitive performance. This is a follow-up study of dietary habits and cognitive function in the Chinese middle-aged and elderly population. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between beverage consumption and cognitive impairment. The source and grouping of the participants can be seen in the previous article, "Study of Diet Habits and Cognitive Function in the Chinese Middle-Aged and Elderly Population: The Association between Folic Acid, B Vitamins, Vitamin D, Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation and Cognitive Ability". Among 892 participants, one-third (296) completed both Amyloid beta(Aβ)-PET and plasma biomarkers. The results showed that the consumption of beverages (green tea, coffee, pure milk) was a protective factor for cognitive impairment, daily water consumption <1500 mL (especially <500 mL) was a risk factor for cognitive impairment, and the above correlated with baseline cognitive status. The relationship of green tea, coffee, and pure milk consumption with cognitive impairment was related to gender. We also found that among the participants with Aβ deposition, the consumption of pure milk and green tea was associated with low levels of p-Tau-181. In conclusion, the relationship between beverage consumption and cognitive impairment in Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults may be related to baseline cognitive status, gender, and Aβ deposition.

Quality control of fresh strawberries by a random forest model

BACKGROUND

Strawberry quality is one of the most important factors that guarantees consistent commercialization of the fruit and ensures the consumer's satisfaction. This work makes innovative use of random forest (RF) to predict sensory measures of strawberries using physical and physical-chemical variables. Furthermore, it also employs these same physical and physical-chemical variables to classify strawberries in the classes "satisfied" or "not satisfied" and "would pay more" or "wouldn't pay more. The RF-based model predicts the acceptance, expectation, ideal of sweetness, ideal of acidity, and the ideal of succulence based on the physical and physical-chemical data. Then, the predicted parameters are used as input for the RF-based classification model.

RESULTS

The RF achieved a coefficient of determination R²  > 0.72 and a root-mean-squared error (RMSE) smaller than 0.17 for the prediction task, which indicates that one can estimate the sensory measures of strawberries using physical and physical-chemical data. Furthermore, the RF was able to classify 87.95% of the strawberry samples correctly into the classes 'satisfied' and 'not satisfied' and 78.99% in the classes 'would pay more' or 'would not pay more'. A two-step RF model, which employed both physical and physical-chemical data to classify strawberry samples regarding the consumer's response also correctly classified 100% and 90.32% of the samples with respect to consumers' satisfaction and their willingness to pay more, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that the developed models can be used in the quality control of strawberries, supporting the establishment of quality standards that consider the consumer's response. The proposed methodology can be extended to control the sensory quality of other fruits. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Does oolong tea (Camellia sinensis) made from a combination of leaf and stem smell more aromatic than leaf-only tea? Contribution of the stem to oolong tea aroma

The raw materials used to make oolong tea (Camellia sinensis) are a combination of leaf and stem. Oolong tea made from leaf and stem is thought to have a more aromatic smell than leaf-only tea. However, there is no available evidence to support the viewpoint. In this study, sensory evaluation and detailed characterization of emitted and internal volatiles (not readily emitted, but stored in samples) of dry oolong teas and infusions indicated that the presence of stem did not significantly improve the total aroma characteristics. During the enzyme-active processes, volatile monoterpenes and theanine were accumulated more abundantly in stem than in leaf, while jasmine lactone, indole, and trans-nerolidol were lower in stem than in leaf. Tissue-specific aroma-related gene expression and availability of precursors of aroma compounds resulted in different aroma distributions in leaf and stem. This study presents the first determination of the contribution of stem to oolong tea aroma.

Effect of Vitamin D3 Fortification and Saskatoon Berry Syrup Addition on the Flavor Profile, Acceptability, and Antioxidant Properties of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis)

The unique characteristics and healthful reputation of caffeine-free rooibos tea (RT) make it an ideal carrier for vitamin D₃ supplementation, and a potential base for the addition of Saskatoon berry syrup (SBS), a natural flavor additive. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin D₃ fortification and SBS addition on the flavor profile, consumer acceptability, and antioxidant properties of RT. Six formulations (RT, RT with SBS, RT with SBS and vitamin D₃ , RT with vitamin D₃ , green tea [GT], and GT with SBS) were evaluated by 12 trained panelists and 114 consumers. The formulations were also assessed for antioxidant capacity, physical characteristics, and untargeted phytochemical content. Sensory results revealed that the mean intensity values for berry and sweet attributes were significantly higher (P < 0.05) while bitter and astringent attributes were significantly lower when SBS was added to RT samples compared to those without syrup. Acceptability of flavor, aftertaste, and overall acceptability were also significantly higher for the RT with SBS. The addition of SBS to RT significantly increased the antioxidant capacities which may increase the related health benefits of RT. SBS contributed several polyphenols, particularly flavonoids, to the tea. Vitamin D₃ added to RT formulations did not significantly affect the sensory attributes, acceptability, or antioxidant content. For the development of a functional vitamin D₃ fortified iced-tea beverage that can be consumed as part of the daily diet, SBS could be a favorable flavoring additive that may provide additional health benefits.