Modulation of sensory perception of cheese attributes intensity and texture liking via ortho- and retro-nasal odors

Formulation and characterization of reduced fat muffins using a plant based fat replacer

Obesity and associated health alarms have encouraged increased awareness in developing healthier food alternatives, such as low-fat bakery products. This study explores a sustainable plant-based approach to formulate low-fat muffins by partially replacing butter with sago flour at levels of 25, 37, and 50% (w/w). The research designed to assess the physicochemical and pasting properties of wheat-sago flour composites and their impact on the texture, color, post-baking attributes, and sensory characteristics of the muffins. Results presented that the ash content of the fat-reduced muffins significantly improved, increasing from 1.08 to 3.09%. Sago concentration significantly affected solvent retention, swelling, sedimentation properties, pasting temperature, and both peak and breakdown viscosities. At 50% fat replacement, the muffins exhibited increased density and firmness, measuring 32.67 N, compared to full-fat and lower-fat samples. Sensory evaluations by semi-trained assessors rated both full-fat and reduced-fat muffins within the liking range, with scores ranging from 8.52 to 7.42. Lightness values showed no significant difference between full-fat and reduced-fat muffins. These findings suggest that sago flour is an effective partial fat replacer in muffin formulations, enhancing nutritional value while maintaining acceptable sensory qualities, with the 25 and 37% replacements achieving the best balance of properties.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-06045-6.

Addition of retronasal milk fat odour during milk consumption increased liking without affecting intake

Reduction of food fat content often comes at the cost of sensory appeal. Given that odours can enhance various fat-related sensory characteristics, their use as fat substitutes seems promising. This cross-over study investigated whether sensory characteristics of a low-fat product (dairy milk) can be enhanced by the addition of a fat-related aroma (cream) and whether this influences subsequent eating behaviour within an ecologically valid scenario. Fifty-six consumers evaluated 0% fat milk without aroma (skim), 0% fat milk infused with cream aroma (skim+) and 3.5% fat milk without aroma (full) on perceived flavour intensity, creamy mouthfeel, aftertaste and liking (ranking rating scale - 100-unit VAS). In three separate subsequent sessions, 54 of the participants consumed the samples above as fixed preloads (300 ml) after which they were provided an ad-libitum breakfast consisting of granola and yogurt. Appetite ratings (hunger, fullness, desire to eat, prospective consumption) were collected pre- and post-preload and post-breakfast. While skim + samples were more liked compared to skim ones, there was no difference in flavour intensity, creamy mouthfeel, or aftertaste. Full fat samples were rated higher than both skim and skim + ones on all attributes. Despite the added aroma (skim+) enhancing liking, it did not influence subsequent intake amounts or eating rate. In fact, there were no differences in intake or appetite between any of the preloads. This demonstrates that odours can be used to enhance liking of reduced-fat food products, yet the broader implication of such an approach on food intake behaviour remains to elucidated.

Addressing flavor challenges in reduced-fat dairy products: A review from the perspective of flavor compounds and their improvement strategies

In recent years, the demand for reduced-fat dairy products (RFDPs) has increased rapidly as the health risks associated with high-fat diets have become increasingly apparent. Unfortunately, lowering the fat content in dairy products would reduce the flavor perception of fat. Fat-derived flavor compounds are the main contributor to appealing flavor among dairy products. However, the contribution of fat-derived flavor compounds remains underappreciated among the flavor improvement factors of RFDPs. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the flavor perception mechanism of fat and the profile of fat-derived flavor compounds in dairy products. Furthermore, the characteristics and influencing factors of flavor compound release are discussed. Based on the role of these flavor compounds, this review analyzed the current and potential flavor improvement strategies for RFDPs, including physical processing, lipolysis, microbial applications, and fat replacement. Overall, promoting the synthesis of milk fat characteristic flavor compounds in RFDPs and aligning the release properties of flavor compounds from the RFDPs with those of equivalent full-fat dairy products are two core strategies to improve the flavor of reduced-fat dairy products. In the future, better modulation of the behavior of flavor compounds by various methods is promising to replicate the flavor properties of fat in RFDPs and meet consumer sensory demands.

Evaluation of perceptual interactions between key aldehydes in Kung Pao Chicken

Aldehydes are the strongest and most abundant aromatic compounds in Kung Pao Chicken. However, the perceptual interactions between these aldehydes are not fully understood. Therefore, the flavor contribution of nine key aldehydes was estimated by determining thresholds. Except for benzaldehyde, the thresholds of all aldehydes measured in tasteless chicken matrices (TM) were significantly larger than their comparable values in water. Based on these results, the perceptual interactions of nine aldehydes were evaluated using S-curves and σ-τ plots. The interactions indicated that 31 of their 36 binary mixtures exhibited additive effects, three had masking effects, while two had synergistic effects. Recombination experiments showed that the addition of aldehydes lowered the odor threshold of aldehyde reconstitution (AR), thereby enhancing the aroma intensity of AR. These findings contribute to a better understanding of Kung Pao Chicken's aroma and can be used to improve its aroma quality.

A signal detection reminder methodology to evaluate effects of odor-taste-taste interactions to enhance the perceived saltiness

Currently, numerous attempts are made to increase the perceived saltiness of food without adding more NaCl. In the present study, a method based on a reminder design and signal detection theory was used to evaluate the effects of cheddar cheese odor, meat odor, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the perceived saltiness and preference of three intensities of NaCl through the d' and R-Index. A solution of 2 g/L NaCl combined with odorless air was the blind reference product, which was also tested as one of the test products. The reference sample was compared to the target samples. A total of twelve right-handed subjects (19-40 years; body mass index BMI 21-32; 7 females and 5 males) performed sensory difference tasks across six days. Cheddar cheese odor was more effective in increasing the perceived saltiness and preference of NaCl solutions than meat odor. When MSG was added to the NaCl solutions, the perceived saltiness and preference were increased. Overall, the signal detection reminder method could provide a comprehensive psychophysical framework to measure saltiness perception and preference of odor-taste-taste interactions using d' (a distance measure) and R-index (an area measure).

Recent advance in technological innovations of sugar-reduced products

Sugar is crucial as an essential nutrient for humans as well as for providing texture, sweetness and so on to food. But with the rise in people's pursuit of health, it is becoming increasingly clear that excessive consumption of sugar can locate a load on the body. It has been that excessive sugar is associated with many diseases, such as dental caries, obesity, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Therefore, researchers and industries are trying to reduce or substitute sugar in food without affecting the sensory evaluation. Substituting sugar with sweeteners is alternatively becoming the most traditional way to minimize its use. So far, the sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol have been are commercially applied. Several studies have shown that technological innovation can partially compensate for the loss in sweetness as a result of sugar reduction, such as cross-modal interactions that stimulate sweetness with aroma, nanofiltration that filters disaccharides and above, enzyme-catalyzed sugar hydrolysis, and microbial fermentation that turns sugar into sugar alcohol. This review summarizes these studies to enhance the safety and quality of sugar-reduced products, and will provide some theoretical frameworks for the food industry to reduce sugar in foods, meet consumers' needs, and promote human health.

Characterisation of the key volatile compounds of commercial Gouda cheeses and their contribution to aromas according to Chinese consumers’ preferences

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The aroma preference of Chinese consumers for Gouda cheese was evaluated.

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The volatile compounds in Gouda cheese were identified by GC–MS, OAV and GC–O.

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The correlation between and volatile aroma compounds were analyzed by PLS.

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Key aroma compounds were validated by aroma reorganization and omission tests.

A systematic flavoromics-based analysis of samples of 12 commercially available Gouda cheeses was performed to determine their key volatile components, the contribution of these components to the aromas of the cheeses, and which aromas were preferred by a panel of Chinese consumers. The sensory analysis results show that the Chinese consumers preferred young and medium cheeses, and that sensory attributes such as ‘milk’ and ‘cream’ were the most popular. Seventy-seven aroma compounds were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and 28 of these were determined to be aroma-active compounds by gas chromatography–olfactometry analysis and calculation of their odour activity values. Partial least-squares analysis revealed that compounds such as diacetyl and acetoin correlated with aromas preferred by the Chinese consumers, while isobutyric acid, hexanoic acid and valeric acid correlated with aromas disliked by the Chinese consumers. Finally, the flavour contribution of each aroma-active compound was validated through aroma reorganisation and omission experiments.

The role of viscosity in flavor preference: plasticity and interactions with taste

The brain combines gustatory, olfactory, and somatosensory information to create our perception of flavor. Within the somatosensory modality, texture attributes such as viscosity appear to play an important role in flavor preference. However, research into the role of texture in flavor perception is relatively sparse, and the contribution of texture cues to hedonic evaluation of flavor remains largely unknown. Here, we used a rat model to investigate whether viscosity preferences can be manipulated through association with nutrient value, and how viscosity interacts with taste to inform preferences for taste + viscosity mixtures. To address these questions, we measured preferences for moderately viscous solutions prepared with xanthan gum using 2-bottle consumption tests. By experimentally exposing animals to viscous solutions with and without nutrient value, we demonstrate that viscosity preferences are susceptible to appetitive conditioning. By independently varying viscosity and taste content of solutions, we further show that taste and viscosity cues both contribute to preferences for taste + viscosity mixtures. How these 2 modalities are combined depended on relative palatability, with mixture preferences falling in between component preferences, suggesting that hedonic aspects of taste and texture inputs are centrally integrated. Together, these findings provide new insight into how texture aspects of flavor inform hedonic perception and impact food choice behavior.

Use of strawberry and vanilla natural flavors for sugar reduction: A dynamic sensory study with yogurt

Yogurt is a food with great acceptance by consumers. However, this product often contains excessive added sugar content. A potential strategy to reduce sugar content without compromising sensory quality is the addition of flavors. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the relationship between flavors (vanilla and strawberry) and sweet taste, using a time-intensity analysis, temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and acceptance test to verifying the viability of sugar reduction in yogurt with the addition of flavors. The results showed that 25% sugar reduction in yogurt with 0.2% vanilla flavor did not affect the sweetness, as shown in temporal profiles, and hedonic perception. The yogurt with 25% sugar reduction and 0.2% strawberry flavor proved to be as well accepted as samples with ideal concentration. Therefore, study of the flavor-taste interaction for the reformulation of foods represents an important strategy to reduce sucrose concentration, maintaining a similar temporal sweetness profile.

Olfactory Cues of Restaurant Wait Staff Modulate Patrons' Dining Experiences and Behavior

Ambient scents at retail stores have been found to modulate customer perceptions and attitudes toward retail products and stores. Although ambient scent effects have also been observed in restaurant settings, little is known about the scent-related influences of restaurant wait staff on patron perception and behavior. This study aimed to determine whether olfactory cues from restaurant wait staff can affect patrons’ dining experiences and interpersonal behavior with respect to menu choice, flavor perception, overall liking of meal items, meal satisfaction, consumption amount, and tip amount for wait staff. A total of 213 adults with no olfactory impairments were asked to select and consume one of four chicken meat menu items: baked, broiled, fried, and smoked chicken, in a mock restaurant setting, under one of the three most likely scents of wait staff: congruent (smoky barbecue scent), fragrance (perfume scent), and no scent (control) applied to fabric aprons of wait staff. The results showed that menu choice and flavor perception of chicken meat items did not differ in the presence of the three scent conditions. The effects of wait staff scents on overall liking of chicken meat items, meal satisfaction, and tip amount for wait staff were found to differ as a function of patron gender. Female patrons gave higher ratings of overall liking and meal satisfaction under the fragrance scent condition than under the no scent condition, while male patrons showed no effect with respect to overall liking and an opposite result in the meal satisfaction. Female patrons gave larger tips to wait staff under the congruent scent condition than under the no scent condition, while male patrons exhibited no effect. Patrons also were found to consume chicken meat items the least under the congruent scent condition. In conclusion, this study provides new empirical evidence that wait staff scents at restaurants can affect patrons’ dining experiences and interpersonal behavior and that the effects of such scents vary as a function of patron gender.