The influence of claims of appetite control benefits in those trying to lose or maintain weight: The role of claim believability and attitudes to functional foods.

Functional foods which enhance satiety and hence offer appetite control can support weight loss efforts, but consumers' perceptions of such products are not fully understood. Urban-dwelling Australian consumers (n = 1629) trying to lose or to maintain weight rated written product concepts offering appetite control benefits for purchase intent and believability. In general, all product concepts were rated moderately for purchase intent, although products that were more likely to be commonly consumed, and that were a solid format received significantly higher ratings. Believability of product concept statements was found to vary significantly depending on product category. Compared to consumers trying to maintain their weight, consumers actively trying to lose weight tended to rate product concepts higher for purchase intent, despite similar scores for believability of concept. Age, gender and a sceptical attitude towards functional foods did not tend to strongly influence purchase intent and believability of product concepts offering appetite control. Actively trying to lose or maintain weight also had little influence over the degree to which consumers believed the product concept would deliver the benefits it was claiming. The association between a positive attitude towards functional foods and both purchase intent and believability was significant across all product concept categories, although the impact on purchase intent was largely mediated through believability. In assessing information provided about the active ingredients and functionality of the products, consumers rated as the two most important attributes that the products were clinically tested and that the active ingredient was derived from fruits and vegetables. In a broader perspective, careful communication of the clinical efficacy and effective consumption of appetite control products to assist with weight loss seems warranted.

Flavor, glucosinolates, and isothiocyanates of nau (Cook's scurvy grass, Lepidium oleraceum) and other rare New Zealand Lepidium species.

The traditionally consumed New Zealand native plant nau, Cook's scurvy grass, Lepidium oleraceum, has a pungent wasabi-like taste, with potential for development as a flavor ingredient. The main glucosinolate in this Brassicaceae was identified by LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy as 3-butenyl glucosinolate (gluconapin, 7-22 mg/g DM in leaves). The leaves were treated to mimic chewing, and the headspace was analyzed by solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS. This showed that 3-butenyl isothiocyanate, with a wasabi-like flavor, was produced by the endogenous myrosinase. Different postharvest treatments were used to create leaf powders as potential flavor products, which were tasted and analyzed for gluconapin and release of 3-butenyl isothiocyanate. A high drying temperature (75 °C) did not give major glucosinolate degradation, but did largely inactivate the myrosinase, resulting in no wasabi-like flavor release. Drying at 45 °C produced more pungent flavor than freeze-drying. Seven other Lepidium species endemic to New Zealand were also analyzed to determine their flavor potential and also whether glucosinolates were taxonomic markers. Six contained mostly gluconapin, but the critically endangered Lepidium banksii had a distinct composition including isopropyl glucosinolate, not detected in the other species.