Use of JAR-Based Analysis for Improvement of Product Acceptance: A Case Study on Flavored Kefirs

User preferences and consumer acceptability of boiled plantain in rural and urban localities in Cameroon

BACKGROUND

An understanding of the preferences of different stakeholders in the plantain value chain in rural and urban segments in Cameroon is important for the selection and adoption of new plantain cultivars. Boiled plantain is one of the most commonly consumed food products from this crop in Cameroon. Gendered food mapping and consumer testing with two plantain landraces (Batard and Big Ebanga) and a plantain-like hybrid (CARBAP K74) was carried out in rural and urban areas in the West and Littoral regions of Cameroon.

RESULTS

Plantain users in these two regions were categorized into producers, traders, processors, and consumers. Preferences indicated that raw plantain should bear long and large fruits, with heavy bunches, and an orange pulp color, whereas boiled plantain should present with a yellow color and a soft and mealy pulp, with a good plantain aroma. Batard and Big Ebanga were liked moderately by consumers, whereas CARBAP K74 was liked slightly. CARBAP K74 was on par with Batard and Big Ebanga for some attributes, except for color and sweetness.

CONCLUSION

More emphasis should be given to attributes such as color, firmness, and taste for the development of new plantain clones to be adopted by end users consuming boiled green plantain. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Physicochemical and Sensory Parameters of "Petipan" Enriched with Heme Iron and Andean Grain Flours

Enrichment is the addition of nutrients to a food that does not contain them naturally, which is conducted in a mandatory manner and in order to solve a nutritional deficiency in the population. Enriched petipan are products that contain heme iron. The objective of this research was to evaluate the physical, chemical, mechanical and sensory characteristics of petipan produced with Andean grain flours and heme iron concentrate. A completely randomized design (CRD) with five experimental treatments was used with different levels of heme iron. The results show the direct influence of the heme concentration level on the chromatic, mechanical and textural characteristics of petipan. As the heme concentrate increases, its mechanical properties are considerably affected, with there being a correlation between the color intensity and a considerable reduction in its porosity. Samples without heme iron (T0) and 1% heme iron concentrate (T1) present the best mechanical and sensory characteristics; however, the incorporation of heme concentrate directly influences its nutritional, textural, and mainly chromatic components.

Nondestructive evaluation of baking parameters on pogácsa texture

This study aimed to investigate the potential application of image texture processing method on visible crumb structure of salty cake pogácsa, which was prepared with different baking times (5 and 7 min) and temperatures (200, 215, and 230°C). For this purpose, changes in gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features including energy, contrast, correlation, homogeneity, and entropy were monitored and their relationship with the instrumental texture parameters (hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness) were assessed. The pore ratios were also extracted and visualized using image processing technique. Texture profile parameters indicated strong correlation (p < .01) with the image pattern parameters in different pogácsa groups. Gumminess showed strong correlation with contrast (0.503), correlation (-0.498), and homogeneity (0.401). Hardness also exhibited correlation with contrast (0.517), entropy (0.341), and correlation (-0.476). The pore ratio showed marked variation in crumb structure when different times and temperatures were used. Baking at 230°C for 7 min maximized the pore ratio (0.56). Penalty analysis revealed that oiliness, pore structure, and color of products were linked with baking time and temperature. Overall, the results suggested that the GLCM-based technique had the potential to be used as a nondestructive method for rapid quality assessment of pogácsa.

Boiled yam end-user preferences and implications for trait evaluation

This study aimed to establish the quality characteristics of raw and boiled yam by involving stakeholders along the food chain using a methodology that includes a state of knowledge review, focus group discussion and individual interviews, participatory processing diagnosis with processors and consumer testing. Predictive characteristics of yam for producing a high- and low-quality boiled yam were related to morphological or physicochemical characteristics: peeled yam discoloration and mucilage content being negatively appreciated while the ease of peeling, viscous state of cooking water and the ease of breaking yam into pieces positively valued. High-quality boiled yam should be white or yellowish, sticky to the fingers, nonfibrous, easy to chew, crumbly/friable, with a sweet taste and a good smell. The overall liking of boiled yam is greatly penalised by a too dark colour, hard to the touch, no sweet taste and no friability while eating.

Understanding consumer perception of deep-fried battered and breaded coatings

This study aims to investigate three types of deep-fried battered and breadcrumb coatings (fine, medium, and coarse), each coating varying in breadcrumb size. Instrumental testing using X-ray micro-computerized tomography, texture analysis, and acoustic analysis confirms significant differences between each sample in terms of physical and mechanical properties. Four hedonic and 9 sensory attributes were evaluated by 185 consumers for preference and acceptance (9-point scale and just-about-right-scale). Penalty analysis confirmed significant mean drops within all three samples (p < .05), "coarse" having the most and "medium" having the least. This explains "medium" having the overall highest liking score (6.72) and coarse having significantly lower (5.88). Crispness is an important textural attribute representing freshness and quality of deep-fried coatings. However, penalty analysis shows "coarse" coatings with the highest crispness scores, resulting in the greatest significant mean drop (2.01) and lowest overall liking. A combination of flavor, appearance, and texture-related attributes significantly reduce hedonic score (p < .05). Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis confirms three clusters of consumers based on liking for either "coarse," "medium," or "fine." Each of these samples has a significant difference in the microstructure. Chi-square test confirms a significant difference in product quality, purchase intent, and met expectations between samples in each cluster group (p < .05). The findings in this research highlight how differences in microstructure of battered and breaded coatings influence textural properties and consumer preference. This can be applied to a wide battered and breaded goods.