A consumer evaluation of salt-reduced tomato soup and vegetable juice made with grape pomace.

Obesity and obesity-related illness have become an increasingly prevalent problem and there is a critical need to combat this by reducing sugar, salt, and fat consumption. Due to this concern, the food industry has been developing salt-reduced foods, however, these products need to maintain their sensory appeal and flavors, which has proven to be a challenge. Grape pomace (GP), the solids left after pressing grapes for winemaking and consisting of grape seeds and skins, has been proposed as an environmentally friendly solution that can enhance the acceptability of salt-reduced food products. However, GP is associated with a large number of flavor compounds. As such, the objective of this research is to investigate the acceptability of GP addition in salt-reduced foods. Two trials were conducted using hedonic scales and temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA) to evaluate tomato soup (n = 88) and vegetable juice (n = 99). Each trial included a control and sample containing grape pomace. The addition of the GP decreased the consumers' overall liking and the liking of the flavor, as well as increasing consumers' perception of saltiness intensity. The samples made with GP were associated with bitterness, sourness, and wine flavor during the TCATA evaluations. The study identified that GP increased saltiness perception, however, it also adds other flavors to the food product, which decreased the acceptability of the food items. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is a consumer demand to create salt-reduced foods that do not have altered sensory properties. Furthermore, consumers are interested in sustainable and environmentally friendly ingredients. Grape pomace is a byproduct of the wine industry and has been proposed as an ingredient that can increase the saltiness perception of food products. Grape pomace was added to tomato soup and vegetable juice to evaluate its effect on consumer acceptability and saltiness perception. The grape pomace did increase saltiness perception, but also added bitterness, sourness, and wine flavor to the food products.

Sensory properties of thickened tomato soup enhanced with different sources of protein (whey, soy, hemp, and pea).

Thickened soup formulations were created with different proteins (hemp, soy, pea, and whey) to improve protein and fluid intake. The formulations consisted of a control soup, and soups with 6% whey protein, 6% hemp protein, 6% pea protein, and 6% soy protein by volume. The suitability of the samples for those living with dysphagia was evaluated using the international dysphagia diet standardization initiative (IDDSI) spoon tilt test and a sensory trial (51 older adults and 51 younger adults). The sensory trial used nine-point hedonic scales and check-all-that-apply to evaluate the different formulations. The sample with the whey addition was not significantly different than the control in terms of liking of flavor and texture, but it decreased the participants' overall liking. The hemp, pea, and soy decreased overall liking as well as liking of flavor and texture. They were associated with off-flavors, aftertaste, and astringency. The responses from the older and younger adults were compared and significant differences were found in their liking of the texture, with the older adults finding the formulations' texture significantly more acceptable. Overall, the study identified that hemp, pea, and soy did not create acceptable thickened soup formulations and the hemp and pea formulations did not achieve a consistency level that is acceptable for those living with dysphagia.

Consumer perception of collagen from different sources: An investigation using hedonic scale and check all that apply.

Consumers are adding collagen powder to their diets for its health benefits. However, few studies have investigated consumer perception of collagens produced from different sources. As such, the objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and sensory properties of commercially available collagen powders (bovine, marine, and mixed). Two different sensory trials were conducted. First, six different collagen powders were mixed with water and evaluated for their sensory properties and acceptability (n = 98; referred to as collagen-in-water). In the second trial, the collagen powders were mixed into strawberry smoothies and their sensory properties were assessed (n = 92; referred to as collagen-in-smoothie). Both studies used the 9-point hedonic scale and check all that apply to evaluate the collagen powders. The results indicated that the collagens could be grouped based on their source when evaluated in water and in a smoothie. Also, the aroma and taste of the marine collagens impacted their acceptability and were associated with fishy, sour, bitter, and salty attributes. Overall, collagen that was low in flavor was more acceptable to the participants in this study. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Recently, consumers have begun to purchase collagen powder for its health benefits, specifically its positive effects on skin appearance. Understanding the sensory properties of the different collagens can allow for the ingredients to be incorporated into different food products and help promote consumer purchases. Collagen should be mixed into beverages rather than be consumed in water alone to increase acceptability. Also, marine collagen incorporation into foods should be avoided unless off-aromas and flavors can be masked by other properties.