Influence of Peanut Varieties on the Sensory Quality of Peanut Butter

Probiotic Bacteria Survival and Shelf Life of High Fibre Plant Snack - Model Study

The study aimed to develop plant-based model snacks that are high in fibre, contain probiotic bacteria and are convenient for long-term storage. The research focused on selecting a suitable form of probiotic bacteria (active biomass, microencapsulated, freeze-dried), inoculation method (in the base mass or in the filling of a snack) and appropriate storage conditions (4°Cor 20 °C). The potential synbiotic properties were evaluated. The microencapsulated bacteria had the highest survival rate at 4 °C, while the freeze-dried bacteria showed better survival rates at 20 °C. Probiotics had a higher survival rate when enclosed inside snacks with a low water activity (aw = 0.27) peanut butter filling than in snacks without filling (aw = 0.53). Enclosing the probiotics in a low aw filling ensures their survival at ambient temperature for 5 months at a count higher than 6 log CFU/g. The snacks exhibited high antioxidant capacity (average 300 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/100 g), polyphenol content (average 357 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g) and high fibre content (average 10.2 g/100 g). The sensory analysis showed a high overall quality of the snacks (average 7.1/10 of the conventional units). Furthermore, after six months of storage, significant changes were observed in the antioxidant properties, polyphenol content and texture of the snacks, while their sensory quality remained unchanged. Moreover, a potential synbiotic effect was observed. The method used to assess bacterial growth indicated significantly higher values in the model snacks compared to a control sample. Therefore, this study has effectively addressed the gap in knowledge regarding the survival of probiotics in snacks of this nature.

Application of encapsulated flavors in food products; opportunities and challenges

Flavors are considered among the most important components of food formulations since they can predominantly affect the consumer acceptance and satisfaction. However, most flavors are highly volatile and inherently sensitive to pH, light, thermal processes, and chemical reactions such as oxidation and hydrolysis. Encapsulation is used as an effective strategy for protecting flavors from environmental conditions and extending their shelf life. Moreover, release characteristics of flavors can be modified via application of appropriate carriers and wall materials. This review focuses on the use of encapsulated flavors in various food products. Various factors affecting flavor retention during encapsulation, flavor release mechanisms, profiles and kinetics are discussed. Finally, the challenges associated with the use of encapsulated flavors in food products (in situ) and to model systems (in vitro), their storage stability, product requirements and problems related to the market are presented.

Analysis of roasted peanuts based on GC-MS combined with GC-IMS

The present study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) to separate and identify the characteristic volatile flavor substances in 30 roasted peanut samples. GC-MS identified 59 volatile compounds, and GC-IMS detected 61 volatile flavor substances. The 30 peanut varieties were then divided into four groups on the basis of their volatile flavor substances using principal component analysis (PCA), and a fingerprint profile of the varieties' volatile characteristics was established from information peaks identified in the spectra. Descriptive sensory analysis (DSA) was performed to distinguish differences in flavor attributes between roasted peanut varieties. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was performed with the volatile flavor content of roasted peanuts as the independent variable and the flavor attribute score as the dependent variable. These findings provide a basis for predicting the appeal of roasted peanuts based on their composition and demonstrate a potential avenue for improving food flavor quality.

Flavor Characteristics of Ten Peanut Varieties from China

To investigate the flavor characteristics of peanuts grown in Jiangsu, China, ten local varieties were selected. The amino acids, 5'-nucleotides and volatile substances were detected, and the flavor and odor characteristics of these varieties were estimated using an electronic tongue and nose. The results showed that the fat and protein contents of ten peanut varieties changed significantly (p < 0.05), and may have been negatively correlated with those of the Taihua 6 variety-in particular, having the highest protein content and the lowest fat content. The amino acid contents of the peanuts were 20.08 g/100 g (Taihua 4)-27.18 g/100 g (Taihua 6). Taihua 6 also contained the highest bitter (10.41 g/100 g) and sweet (6.06 g/100 g) amino acids, and Taihua 10 had the highest monosodium glutamate-like amino acids (7.61 g/100 g). The content of 5'-nucleotides ranged from 0.08 mg/g (Taihua 9725) to 0.14 mg/g (Taihua 0122-601). Additionally, 5'-cytidylate monophosphate (5'-CMP) and 5'-adenosine monophosphate (5'-AMP) were the major 5'-nucleotides detected in the peanuts. A total of 42 kinds of volatile flavor compounds were detected, with both Taihua 4 and 6 showing the most (18 kinds) and the highest content being in Taihua 4 (7.46%). Both Taihua 9725 and 9922 exhibited the fewest kinds (nine kinds) of volatile components, and the lowest content was in Taihua 9725 (3.15%). Formic acid hexyl ester was the most abundant volatile substance in peanuts, and the highest level (3.63%) was detected in Taihua 7506. The electronic tongue and nose indicated that the greatest taste difference among the ten varieties of peanuts was mainly related to sourness, and Taihua 4 and Taihua 9922 had special taste characteristics. On the other hand, the greatest smell difference among the ten varieties of peanuts was mostly for methane and sulfur organic substances, and Taihua 0605-2 had a special and strong smell characteristic. In conclusion, the content and composition differences of the flavor substances of ten peanut varieties were responsible for their divergences in taste and smell. These results will provide guidelines for the further use (freshly consumed or processed) of these ten peanut varieties.