SENSORY LEXICON OF BREWED COFFEE FOR JAPANESE CONSUMERS, UNTRAINED COFFEE PROFESSIONALS AND TRAINED COFFEE TASTERS

Proof of Concept for Cell Culture-Based Coffee

The global coffee production is facing serious challenges including land use, climate change, and sustainability while demand is rising. Cellular agriculture is a promising alternative to produce plant-based commodities such as coffee, which are conventionally produced by farming. In this study, the complex process of drying and roasting was adapted for bioreactor-grown coffee cells to generate a coffee-like aroma and flavor. The brews resulting from different roasting regimes were characterized with chemical and sensory evaluation-based approaches and compared to conventional coffee. Roasting clearly influenced the aroma profile. In contrast to conventional coffee, the dominant odor and flavor attributes were burned sugar-like and smoky but less roasted. The intensities of bitterness and sourness were similar to those of conventional coffee. The present results demonstrate a proof of concept for a cellular agriculture approach as an alternative coffee production platform and guide future optimization work.

Sensory descriptors for three edible Chilean seaweeds and their relations to umami components and instrumental texture

Although seaweeds exhibit many benefits as a food source, few studies have characterized their sensory attributes. An expert nine-member panel developed a vocabulary with 25 descriptors to describe the appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and aftertaste of raw and cooked seaweeds consumed in Chile: Durvillaea antarctica, Pyropia spp., and Ulva lactuca. Subsequently, the vocabulary was used in a ranking descriptive analysis (RDA) to evaluate the sensory properties and relate them with physicochemical and physical data. Sensory attributes of the three seaweeds were very different from each other but similar between treatments (raw and cooked). Pyropia spp., both cooked and hydrated, had the highest glutamate content (310 and 324 mg (100 g) ^-1 d.w., respectively), and was perceived by the sensory panel as having the most umami taste. Cooked D. antarctica was perceived as sweeter, had more caramel notes than the hydrated seaweed and was sensed as cartilaginous and hard in accordance with its mechanical properties. Generalized Procrustes analysis revealed that D. antarctica exhibited most of the desirable descriptors, such as caramel, umami and marine aromas while U. lactuca was described as bitter and moldy. This primary vocabulary can assist food scientists and chefs in the development of seaweed products and dishes for the consumer market.

Consumer Perception of Milk and Plant-Based Alternatives Added to Coffee

Consumers have begun to use plant-based alternatives (PBAs) in their coffee instead of dairy products. PBAs can include soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, and hemp milk. The objective of this study was to investigate consumer acceptability and sensory perception of coffee with added dairy milk and added oat, soy, and almond PBAs. Consumers (n = 116) that frequently add milk to their coffee (n= 58) and consumers that usually use PBAs (n = 58) were recruited to participate in the study. They evaluated four different coffee samples with the addition of dairy milk as well as soy, almond, and oat PBAs. Overall, the consumers liking increased when they perceived sweetness in their coffee. The plant consumers (usually added PBAs to their coffee) liked the milk addition significantly less than the dairy consumers (usually added dairy to their coffee). In addition, the plant consumers were able to differentiate between the almond and soy PBAs, while the dairy consumers grouped them together. More studies need to be completed to investigate a wider range of PBAs, dairy products, and varieties of coffee.

Impact of 'free-from' and 'healthy choice' labeled versions of chocolate and coffee on temporal profile (multiple-intake TDS) and liking

Product reformulation for obtaining "free-from" or "healthy choice" versions may confer significant changes in sensory characteristics which could not meet consumer expectations in terms of sensory perception. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the influence of formulations of different product categories on their dynamic sensory profile and consumer acceptability. A sensory panel of 23 semi-trained assessors evaluated two product categories, chocolate and milk coffee, using Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) over three consecutive intakes/sips (multiple-intake TDS) on two replications. TDS allowed us to describe the dynamic profile of classic products over the three intakes and to identify differences in the sensory temporal profile compared to their 'healthier choice' reformulated versions. For the chocolate category, increasing the cocoa and the reduction of lactose content mainly influenced the dominance of sweetness, dairy, cocoa, crunchy and bitterness attributes. No sugar addition and absence of caffeine (decaffeinated version) in ready to drink milk coffee beverage modified temporal perception of sweetness, bitterness, coffee flavor and smoothness texture. Higher overall liking averages were associated with the dominant attributes of chocolate with a higher level of cacao and milk coffee decaffeinated. The obtained results of the present work suggest that the multiple-intake TDS technique can be applied for the evaluation of different food categories, helping to develop healthier products and predicting the liking.

Coffee Flavor: A Review

Flavor continues to be a driving force for coffee’s continued growth in the beverage market today. Studies have identified the sensory aspects and volatile and non-volatile compounds that characterize the flavor of different coffees. This review discusses aspects that influence coffee drinking and aspects such as environment, processing, and preparation that influence flavor. This summary of research studies employed sensory analysis (either descriptive and discrimination testing and or consumer testing) and chemical analysis to determine the impact aspects on coffee flavor.

Roasting Conditions and Coffee Flavor: A Multi-Study Empirical Investigation

This research investigates the relative importance of two roasting parameters—colour (i.e., roast degree) and time—on the sensory properties of coffee. The paper draws on data from eight studies conducted using sensory descriptive analysis with trained (in six studies) or semi-trained (in two studies) assessors, focusing on a common set of attributes. The results indicated that, while both parameters significantly affected coffee flavour, colour was the stronger predictor of the two. The effects direction for both colour and time were similar and related to the rate of non-enzymatic browning, with darker roasts/longer roasting times associated with an increase in bitterness and a decrease in acidity, fruitiness, and sweetness. With respect to roasting time, we distinguished two phases, “time to first crack”, corresponding to the time between the onset of roasting and the moment where the accumulated steam pressure causes the beans to crack, and “development time”, corresponding to the time elapsed from the first crack to the end of the roasting process. The results clearly indicated that, under the same colour, time variation also influenced flavour, and in particular, development time, rather than time to first crack, had the largest effect on coffee flavour.

Sensory attributes of coffee beverages and their relation to price and package information: A case study of Colombian customers' preferences

Sensory analysis is a powerful tool for creating profiles of food and beverages based on information perceived by the human senses. This paper investigates 18 of the most popular Colombian coffees. Individuals from nine different cities assessed products in two different ways: degree of presence (absence) of sensory properties and degree of acceptance (liking). The results focused on identifying variations in sensory evaluations due to the city, as well as classification of the products according to their degree of acceptance or rejection, and investigating associations between sensory attributes, price, and label-package information. A correspondence analysis allowed us to investigate the variation introduced by the factor city. The most preferred/rejected products were identified through preference mapping. The level of intensity of the smelling sensory attribute positively affects the price and the information presented at the product´s label-package. However, tasting attributes negatively affects price and perceptions of the product´s label-package information. We conclude that smelling sensory attributes has greater impact on purchase intentions than tasting attributes. Decision-makers should manage scent, price, and label-package characteristics wisely because they are part of the first experience of the customer.

Quantification of volatile compounds released by roasted coffee by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

The major objective of this exploratory study was to implement selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, SIFT-MS, as a method for the on-line quantification of the volatile organic compounds, VOCs, in the headspace of the ground roasted coffee.

METHODS

The optimal precursor ions and characteristic analyte ions were selected for real-time SIFT-MS quantification of those VOCs that are the most abundant in the headspace or known to contribute to aroma. NO⁺ reagent ion reactions were exploited for most of the VOC analyses. VOC identifications were confirmed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, GC/MS, coupled with solid-phase microextraction, SPME.

RESULTS

Thirty-one VOCs were quantified, including several alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters and some heterocyclic compounds. Variations in the concentrations of each VOC in the seven regional coffees were typically less than a factor of 2, yet concentrations patterns characteristic of the different regional coffees were revealed by heat map and principal component analyses. The coefficient of variation in the concentrations across the seven coffees was typically below 24% except for furfural, furan, methylfuran and guaiacol.

CONCLUSIONS

The SIFT-MS analytical method can be used to quantify in real time the most important odoriferous VOCs in ground coffee headspace to sufficient precision to reveal some differences in concentration patterns for coffee produced in different countries.

Impact of roasting time on the sensory profile of arabica and robusta coffee

Roasted coffee samples of the two major trade species (Coffea arabica and C. canephora) were studied to identify sensory descriptors that might be used to determine blends production and evaluation, following the expectations of consumers. Coffee beans were roasted at 220 + 10 °C, for 7, 9, and 11 min, and the sensory profiles of the beverages were assessed. From descriptive analysis the eigenvalues allowed the identification of two principal components (PCs), being the variance between samples 68.9% and 21.1%. In the first PC the characteristic odor, astringency, body, bitter flavor, burned aroma, and residual, typical, and burned tastes prevailed. The correlation coefficient between the second PC and citric acid flavor and aroma reached 0.96 and 0.78, respectively. It was concluded that in beverages of these species, the descriptors of both components can be separated according to bean roasting time. Considering roasting time, the overall quality was also rated.