Individual differences in the perception of orthonasal irritation induced by food.

Oral responsiveness to the burning/spicy sensation affects food behaviors and diet; therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the variation in nasal responsiveness to irritant foods may play a role in modulating food behaviors. This study explored the variation among individuals in orthonasal irritation induced by smelling food ingredients containing irritant compounds: mustard oil (2.0, 10.0, and 100.0% v/v mustard oil in corn oil; irritant compound: allyl isothiocyanate); vinegar (3.5, 42.3, and 98.6% v/v vinegar in water; irritant compound: acetic acid); and wasabi (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4% w/w wasabi powder in water; irritant compound: allyl isothiocyanate). Sixty-eight subjects (40% males; 19-87 years) smelled the nine samples and rated their perceived intensity of odor, irritation and liking. Wide individual variation in the perception of irritation and odor intensity was found, especially at the highest concentrations. Young individuals were the most sensitive to all stimuli. No significant differences were found between males and females. Fifty-seven percent of subjects were "HYPO" and 43 percent "HYPER" responsive to irritation, respectively. Perceived irritation was positively correlated with odor intensity and tended to be negatively correlated with liking, especially in familiar stimuli. The results suggest that the variation in nasal responsiveness to irritant foods may contribute to influencing food acceptance and therefore, to modulating food behaviors.

Healthy yogurt fortified with n-3 fatty acids from vegetable sources.

The concentration of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in yogurt was increased using 5 different vegetable oils obtained from flaxseed, Camelina sativa, raspberry, blackcurrant, and Echium plantagineum. The vegetable oils were added to partially skim milk before lactic fermentation at a concentration adequate enough to cover at least 10% of the recommended daily intake of 2 g/d of α-linolenic acid according to EC regulation no. 432/2012. Microbiological (lactobacilli and streptococci, yeast, and molds), chemical (pH, syneresis, proximate composition, fatty acids, oxidation stability), and sensory evaluations were assessed for all of the fortified yogurts after 0, 7, 14, and 21 d of storage at 4°C. Sensory evaluations were conducted at 21 d of storage at 4°C. Among the yogurts produced, those that were supplemented with flaxseed and blackcurrant oils exhibited the highest α-linolenic acid content (more than 200mg/100 g of yogurt) at the end of storage. The addition of oil did not influence the growth of lactic acid bacteria that were higher than 10(7) cfu/g at 21 d of storage. All of the yogurts were accepted by consumers, except for those supplemented with raspberry and E. plantagineum oils due to the presence of off flavors.