Sustainable pig diets: partial grain replacement with former food products and its impact on meat quality.

This study investigated the effects of salty and sugary former foodstuff products (FFPs) on the quality traits and meat composition of 36 male castrated pigs (Swiss Large White breed) as well as sensory characteristics of the loins. The animals were fed three different diets for both the growing (G) and finishing (F) phases: (1) a standard diet (ST), 0% FFPs; (2) a diet with 30% of sugary FFPs (e.g., chocolate, biscuits, cakes) as a replacement for traditional ingredients (SU); and (3) a diet with 30% of salty FFPs (e.g., bread, pasta, and breadsticks) as a replacement for traditional ingredients (SA). For a comprehensive assessment of meat quality, protein and fat content in the LD were analyzed. AA and FA profile were determined both in the LD and backfat. Meat quality traits such as pH and temperature, thawing, cooking and drip losses, and shear force have been evaluated. Then, pork loins have been assessed for sensory attributes by a trained sensory panel. The SA diet decreased 20:5 n-3 levels (P < 0.001) in the muscle and 22:5 n-3 levels (P < 0.05) in both muscle and backfat but increased (P < 0.05) the ratio of mono-unsaturated to saturated fatty acids compared to the ST group. Both the SU and SA diets elevated (P < 0.001) the n-6:n-3 fatty acids ratio compared to the ST diet. Dietary treatments did not affect other meat quality traits. Regarding sensory attributes, the loin from pigs fed with SU and SA diets were sweeter (P < 0.001). Loins of SA pigs were more tender (P < 0.001), had a more intense pork aroma (P < 0.001) and had more flavor (P < 0.01) compared to ST loins. Overall, the use of FFPs affected the fatty acid profile of pork while improving the sensory quality of the loins, with no negative effects observed on the technological and nutritional quality of the meat.

Pigs are ideal species to convert food losses, also named former food products (FFPs), into animal proteins. The present study investigated the impact of incorporating sugary and salty FFPs into the diets of growing and finishing pigs on meat quality and its sensory characteristics. Our study showed that, while technological meat quality remained largely unaffected, the dietary treatments led to slight alterations of meat and backfat fatty acids profile. Moreover, a panel test for sensory analyses revealed that loins from both the sugary and salty ingredients-fed pigs were perceived as sweeter, and loins from pigs fed salty ingredients were noted for increased tenderness, intense pork aroma, and flavor. Overall, FFPs inclusion into pig diets had no detrimental effects on technological or nutritional aspects of the meat, confirming their potential use as alternative animal feed.

Impact of 4-week of a restricted Mediterranean diet on taste perception, anthropometric, and blood parameters in subjects with severe obesity.

Introduction: The study of taste functionality and its relation to human health is receiving growing attention. Obesity has been reported to cause alterations in sensory perception regarding system functionality and preferences. However, a small body of research addresses tastes perception and its modification with the achievement of body mass reduction through surgical intervention. Much fewer efforts have been made to evaluate the impact of mild restrictive nutritional intervention on gustatory functions. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine if a dietary intervention of 4 weeks following a restricted balanced Mediterranean diet would affect the sweet and salty taste thresholds of subjects with severe obesity and could influence their anthropometric and blood parameters. Methods: Fifty-one patients with severe obesity (F: 31; age: 43.7 ± 12.5; BMI = 47.6 ± 1.0) were enrolled in the study. The recognition threshold for sweet and salty taste and anthropometric and blood parameters were assessed before and after the 4-week weight loss program. Results and Discussion: The Mediterranean diet has proven to be an effective treatment, significantly improving all anthropometric and blood parameters (p < 0.05) after 4 weeks of intervention. Moreover, the hypo-sodium treatment associated with the diet significantly improved the salty threshold (p < 0.001). No changes were detected for the sweet threshold. Collectively, these data highlight that dietary treatment might impact taste perception differently. Therefore, a taste-oriented nutritional intervention could represent a novel approach to developing more individualized, taste-oriented follow-up interventions to maintain sustainable and long-term weight loss.

Alteration of taste perception, food neophobia and oral microbiota composition in children with food allergy.

Currently, the mechanisms underlying sensory perception and sensory performance in children with food allergies are far from being understood. As well, only recently, single research afforded the oral host-commensal milieu, addressing oral microbial communities in children with peanut allergies. To bridge the current gaps in knowledge both in the sensory and microbial fields, a psychophysiological case-control study was performed in allergic children (n = 29) and a healthy sex-age-matched control group (n = 30). Taste perception, food neophobia, and liking were compared in allergic and non-allergic children. The same subjects were characterized for their oral microbiota composition by addressing saliva to assess whether specific profiles were associated with the loss of oral tolerance in children with food allergies. Our study evidenced an impaired ability to correctly identify taste qualities in the allergic group compared to controls. These results were also consistent with anatomical data related to the fungiform papillae on the tongue, which are lower in number in the allergic group. Furthermore, distinct oral microbial profiles were associated with allergic disease, with significant down-representations of the phylum Firmicutes and of the genera Veillonella spp., Streptococcus spp., Prevotella spp., and Neisseria spp. For the first time, this study emphasizes the link between sensory perception and food allergy, which is a novel and whole-organism view of this pathology. Our data indicated that an impaired taste perception, as regards both functionality and physiologically, was associated with food allergy, which marginally influences the food neophobia attitude. It is also accompanied by compositional shifts in oral microbiota, which is, in turn, another actor of this complex interplay and is deeply interconnected with mucosal immunity. This multidisciplinary research will likely open exciting new approaches to therapeutic interventions.

Replacement of SO2 with an Unripe Grape Extract and Chitosan during Oak Aging: Case Study of a Sangiovese Wine.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of a Sangiovese wine aged in barrique with the addition of an unripe grape extract (UGE) as an alternative to sulfur dioxide. Three samples were considered: control wine (TQ) with free SO2 of approximately 15 mg/L; sample A with chitosan (100 mg/L) and UGE (200 mg/L); and sample B with UGE (400 mg/L). The results achieved in this work demonstrated that the UGE, either alone or in combination with chitosan, was able to maintain the color characteristics of the Sangiovese wine and its sensory quality. Moreover, the addition of UGE contributed to an early and better stabilization of the color through the formation of polymeric pigments. The microbiological stabilization was comparable to SO2 when UGE was used at 200 mg/L in combination with chitosan. The market survey conducted in the present study confirmed how the use of UGE as an alternative to sulfitation was positively accepted by consumers, who are increasingly attentive not only to the quality of the wines they select but also to the sustainability of the production processes from which they derive and to the fact that they are not harmful to human health.

Effect of enrichment of rice snacks with pulse seed coats on phenolic compound content, product features and consumer hedonic response.

This study investigated the impact of seed coats from peas (PC) and chickpeas (CC) (at 15 % and 30 % levels) on rice-based co-extruded snacks. Using PC and CC reduced the content of soluble (29 %) and cell-wall bound phenolic acids (21 %), but it enhanced the amount and the profile of flavonoids of rice-based snacks (up to 16 times with PC), resulting in significantly higher antioxidant activity (134 %). Snacks with 15 % CC showed a higher section area (about 335 versus 191 mm2) and a lower average pore radius (20.1 versus 23.9 mm) than PC-snacks; however, such features did not affect either texture or porosity. At 30 % level, PC resulted in a more porous structure (porosity: 73.1 versus 66.7 %) with smaller pores (17.2 versus 27.3 mm) and high firmness (55.9 versus 40.1 N). Consumers' acceptability evaluation revealed that samples containing pulse seed coat were comparable and preferred to the control (i.e., 100 % polished rice).

Correction: Endrizzi et al. Relationships between Intensity and Liking for Chemosensory Stimuli in Food Models: A Large-Scale Consumer Segmentation. Foods 2022, 11, 5.

In the original publication [1], there was a mistake in "Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, and Figure 5" as published [...].

Changes in smell and taste perception related to COVID-19 infection: a case-control study.

The main aim of the present study was to psychophysically evaluate smell and taste functions in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and to compare those results with a group of healthy subjects. Another aim of the study was to assess the relationship of changes in patients' smell and taste functions with a number of clinical parameters, symptoms, and other physiological signs as well as with severity of disease. Olfactory and gustatory functions were tested in 61 hospitalized patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and in a control group of 54 healthy individuals. Overall, we found a significant impairment of olfactory and gustatory functions in COVID-19 patients compared with the control group. Indeed, about 45% of patients self-reported complaints about or loss of either olfactory or gustatory functions. These results were confirmed by psychophysical testing, which showed a significantly reduced performance in terms of intensity perception and identification ability for both taste and smell functions in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, gustatory and olfactory impairments tended to be more evident in male patients suffering from more severe respiratory failure (i.e., pneumonia with need of respiratory support need during hospitalization).

The Influence of Common Noncommunicable Diseases on Chemosensory Perception and Clinical Implications in Children and Adolescents.

An increased incidence of noninfectious chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and allergies, has been noted in the last century, especially in the last 2 to 3 generations. Evidence suggested that the interrelation among these chronic conditions in pediatric age (e.g., children and adolescents aged 4-16 y) is complex and still unknown, reinforcing the interest of pediatricians in these diseases. Of interest is the need to better understand the link between these pathologies and sensory perception, since the chemical senses of taste and smell, together with chemesthesis, are reported to have a role in food choices and may provide a novel target for intervention in the treatment of these pathologies. This review aims to explore the current evidence on the link between these chronic conditions and chemosensory perception (i.e., taste and smell). In addition, the putative role that chemosensory perception may have on food choices and eating behavior of children and adolescents affected by these diseases are highlighted. Furthermore, the review addresses the unexplored issues that need to be investigated in this area. The literature data search suggested that no clear relation between taste and smell perception and the aforementioned diseases in young population yet exists. However, some possible trends have been highlighted in the adult population, in whom the duration of disease might have affected the relation. There is a need for further, high-quality, hypothesis-led research, with robust measures of taste and smell functions as the primary outcomes, to strengthen or deny this evidence.

Tartary Buckwheat: A New Plant-Based Ingredient to Enrich Corn-Based Gluten-Free Formulations.

Tartary buckwheat is a pseudocereal receiving increasing attention as a minor crop interesting for agrobiodiversity conservation and sustainability. It is rich in bioactive substances which, however, may lead to sensory properties undesirable to the consumer, such as bitterness and astringency. The aim was to evaluate consumers' perception and overall liking of food products enriched with tartary or common buckwheat. A total of 120 consumers (56% women) aged 20-60 years (mean age ± SD: 38.8 ± 13.0 years) evaluated six samples of a corn-based gluten-free formulation enriched by increasing concentrations (20%, 30%, 40%) of either common (CB) or tartary buckwheat (TB) flour for overall liking and appropriateness of sensory properties. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.0001) in liking among samples. Considering all subjects, liking decreased with the increase of tartary buckwheat additions, although TB20 and TB30 samples were well accepted and comparable to all CB samples. TB40 was the least liked product. Two clusters of consumers showing opposite behaviours according to liking were found. One cluster (30%) showed an increased liking with the increasing amount of tartary buckwheat. These results show that by keeping the concentration of tartary buckwheat up to 30%, it is possible to develop new products accepted by consumers.

Odor-Taste-Texture Interactions as a Promising Strategy to Tackle Adolescent Overweight.

The adolescence period is characterized by a considerable risk to weight gain due to the high consumption of food rich in sugar. A promising strategy to reduce sugar consumption may lie in exploiting the ability of our senses to interact to each other (cross-modal interactions). The aims were to investigate the cross-modal interactions and gustatory function in normal-weight and overweight adolescents. Fifty adolescents (25 overweight and 25 normal-weight) were involved. Subjects rated liking and attribute intensity in pudding samples obtained by adding vanilla aroma (0.1%; 0.3%), butter aroma (0.05%; 0.1%) or a thickener agent (1%; 1.5%) to a base formulation. The gustatory function was also measured through the "taste strips" methodology. Overweight adolescents were found to have a significantly (p < 0.001) worse ability to correctly identify all tastes. Cross-modal interactions occurred differently according to their body mass index, with a significant increase (p < 0.05) in sensory desirable characteristics (e.g., sweet and creaminess) due to aroma addition, especially in overweight subjects. Furthermore, butter aroma significantly increased hedonic responses only in overweight subjects. Tricking our senses in the way of perceiving sensory attributes could be a promising strategy to develop innovative food formulations with a reduced sugar amount, which will lead to a potential decrease in caloric intake and help to tackle the obesity epidemic.

Relationships between Intensity and Liking for Chemosensory Stimuli in Food Models: A Large-Scale Consumer Segmentation.

This study, which was conducted as part of the Italian Taste project, was aimed at exploring the relationship between actual liking and sensory perception in four food models. Each food model was spiked with four levels of prototypical tastant (i.e., citric acid, sucrose, sodium chloride, capsaicin) to elicit a target sensation (TS) at an increasing perceived intensity. Participants (N = 2258; 59% women, aged 18-60) provided demographic information, a stated liking for 40 different foods/beverages, and their responsiveness to tastants in water. A food-specific Pearson's coefficient was calculated individually to estimate the relationship between actual liking and TS responsiveness. Considering the relationship magnitude, consumers were grouped into four food-specific clusters, depending on whether they showed a strong negative (SNC), a weak negative (WNC), a weak positive (WPC), or a strong positive correlation (SPC). Overall, the degree of liking raised in parallel with sweetness responsiveness, fell as sourness and pungency perception increased, and showed an inverted U-shape relationship with saltiness. The SNC clusters generally perceived TSs at higher intensities, except for sourness. Clusters were validated by associating the level of stated liking towards food/beverages; however, some unexpected indications emerged: adding sugar to coffee or preferring spicy foods differentiated those presenting positive correlations from those showing negative correlations. Our findings constitute a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of food preferences.

Legume Flour or Bran: Sustainable, Fiber-Rich Ingredients for Extruded Snacks?

The impact of using legume flour and bran on both sensory and texture properties in extruded, sustainable snack formulations was investigated. Sensory attributes determining consumer preference or rejection of legume-based snacks, as well as food neophobia and food technology neophobia were also explored. Seven samples of extruded snacks (R = 100% rice flour; C = 100% chickpea flour; P = 100% green pea flour; C30 = 30% chickpea bran and 70% rice flour; C15 = 15% chickpea bran and 85% rice flour; P30 = 30% green pea bran and 70% rice flour; P15 = 15% green pea bran and 85% rice flour) were subjected to the three-point bend method using a TA.XT plus texture analyzer. Seventy-two subjects (42 women; aged = 29.6 ± 9.3 years) evaluated the samples for liking and sensory properties by means of the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method. The sample made with 100% rice flour obtained the lowest liking scores, and it was not considered acceptable by the consumers. Samples P, C, C15, and P15 were the preferred ones. Crumbliness and mild flavor attributes positively influenced hedonic scores, whereas stickiness, dryness, hardness, and to a lesser extent, visual aspect affected them negatively. Neophilic and neutral subjects preferred the snacks compared with the neophobic ones, while no differences in liking scores were found regarding food technology neophobia. Extruded snacks with legume flour and bran were moderately accepted by consumers involved in the present study, albeit to a lesser extent for neophobic subjects, and could represent an interesting sustainable source of fiber and high-value proteins, as well as a valuable alternative to gluten-free foods present on the market.

Comparison of manual and machine learning image processing approaches to determine fungiform papillae on the tongue.

Human taste perception is associated with the papillae on the tongue as they contain a large proportion of chemoreceptors for basic tastes and other chemosensation. Especially the density of fungiform papillae (FP) is considered as an index for responsiveness to oral chemosensory stimuli. The standard procedure for FP counting involves visual identification and manual counting of specific parts of the tongue by trained operators. This is a tedious task and automated image analysis methods are desirable. In this paper a machine learning image processing method based on a convolutional neural network is presented. This automated method was compared with three standard manual FP counting procedures using tongue pictures from 132 subjects. Automated FP counts, within the selected areas and the whole tongue, significantly correlated with the manual counting methods (all ρs ≥ 0.76). When comparing the images for gender and PROP status, the density of FP predicted from automated analysis was in good agreement with data from the manual counting methods, especially in the case of gender. Moreover, the present results reinforce the idea that caution should be applied in considering the relationship between FP density and PROP responsiveness since this relationship can be an oversimplification of the complexity of phenomena arising at the central and peripherical levels. Indeed, no significant correlations were found between FP and PROP bitterness ratings using the automated method for selected areas or the whole tongue. Besides providing estimates of the number of FP, the machine learning approach used a tongue coordinate system that normalizes the size and shape of an individual tongue and generated a heat map of the FP position and normalized area they cover. The present study demonstrated that the machine learning approach could provide similar estimates of FP on the tongue as compared to manual counting methods and provide estimates of more difficult-to-measure parameters, such as the papillae's areas and shape.

Profiling Individual Differences in Alcoholic Beverage Preference and Consumption: New Insights from a Large-Scale Study.

Alcoholic beverage consumption plays an important role in European culture, and in many contexts drinking alcohol is socially acceptable and considered part of the diet. Understanding the determinants of alcohol preference and consumption is important not only for disease prevention, intervention, and policy management, but also for market segmentation, product development, and optimization. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of individual responsiveness to various oral sensations on self-reported liking and intake of 14 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including beers, wines, spirits, and cocktails) considering gender, age, and oral responsiveness (measured through response to 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil -PROP, basic tastes, astringency, and pungency) in a large sample of Italian consumers. Data were collected from 2388 respondents (age range 18-60 years; mean age = 37.6, SD = 13.1; 58.2% women). These results indicate that notwithstanding the strong gender difference, with women generally liking and consuming fewer alcoholic beverages than men, liking patterns in the two genders were similar. Three liking patterns for different alcoholic beverages largely driven by orosensory properties were identified in both genders. "Spirit-lovers" constituted the smallest group (12%), consumed alcoholic beverages of any kind (not only spirits) more than the other segments, and were mainly men aged 30-45. "Beer/wine lovers" (44%) were the oldest group with no difference by gender. "Mild-drink lovers" (44%) liked alcoholic drinks with intense sweet taste and/or mixers that moderate ethanol perception. They were mainly women, aged 18-29, had a lower consumption of alcohol, and a higher orosensory responsiveness than the other two groups. The results also suggest the opportunity to develop personalized recommendations towards specific consumer segments based not only on socio-demographics but considering also perceptive variables. Finally, our data suggest that increased burning and bitterness from alcohol may act as a sensory hindrance to alcoholic beverage overconsumption.

Winemaking Byproducts as Source of Antioxidant Components: Consumers' Acceptance and Expectations of Phenol-Enriched Plant-Based Food.

One of the food industry's priorities is to recover byproducts and move towards more sustainable systems. Among wine-chain byproducts, unripe grapes represent a promising source of antioxidants. However, the development of new foods enriched using phenol-rich ingredients is challenging due to their sensory attributes. The aims of the present study were to (1) use phenol-rich extract from unripe grapes to enrich a model plant-based food (beetroot puree-BP); (2) evaluate consumers' acceptance and expectations for the beetroot purée samples. The effect of information about the sustainability and pro-health activity of value-added ingredients on consumers' responses was also investigated. Four beetroot purees with increasing concentrations of phenol extract (0-1.93 g/kg) added were evaluated by 101 participants in three tasting conditions (blind: only samples; expected: only information without tasting; real: both samples and information).Liking slightly decreased with increasing concentrations of phenol extract, even if all the samples were considered acceptable. The health and sustainability information increased the hedonic expectations, although it was not assimilated by all consumers involved. The development of new phenol-enriched foods using functional ingredients from unripe grapes is challenging. However, it is also promising, since all the samples were generally accepted by the consumers and they presented phenol levels that were stable over time and that could have positive health effects when consumed.

Gender, Age, Geographical Area, Food Neophobia and Their Relationships with the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet: New Insights from a Large Population Cross-Sectional Study.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with many health benefits. The association between the MD and food neophobia (FN) is still unexplored in adults. The present cross-sectional study was aimed to explore the relationships between adherence to the MD, FN, and sociodemographic variables in a large Italian cohort. Familiarity and frequency use (FFI) of prototypical and non-prototypical Mediterranean foods were used to calculate a new adherence index: the Italian Taste Mediterranean Index (ITMI). The FFI of all Mediterranean foods increased with age, while butter, soft drinks, red/cured meat, and sweets were more common in younger people. Accordingly, ITMI increased with age (F2,2384 = 54.11; p < 0.0001). Women recorded a higher ITMI (6.70) than men (6.10). Individuals with high FN showed higher FFI for soft drinks and sweets and lower ones for most typical MD foods, than individuals with low FNs. A decrease of ITMI was recorded with the increase of the FN(F2,2384 = 22.84; p < 0.0001). With ageing, ITMI increased even in individuals with a high FN. The results suggest that FN may negatively affect adherence to the MD, lowering its potential health benefits, in the adult population. Monitoring of food habits, dietary education, and anxiety management, may be valuable tools to control FN and support the adherence to the MD.

Functional and sensory properties of phenolic compounds from unripe grapes in vegetable food prototypes.

Unripe grapes (UGs) from thinning are an unexploited source of phenols useful as functional ingredient. However, phenols may negative affect sensory quality of food. Chemical and sensory properties of UG phenols in plant-based foods were not investigated before. With this aim, an extract from UGs, obtained by a green extraction technique, was used to fortify three plant-based food models: carbohydrates/acidic pH/sweet - beetroot purée, proteins/neutral pH/sweet - pea purée and starch/neutral pH - potato purée. Functional and sensory properties of phenol-enriched foods varied as a function of their composition and original taste. The amount of UG phenols recovered from potato purée was higher than that recovered from beetroot and pea purée, while the antioxidant activity detected in beetroot purée was higher than that in potato and pea purée. Significant variations of sourness, saltiness, bitterness and astringency were induced by UG phenols added to food models. Beetroot purée resulted more appropriate to counteract the negative sensations induced by UG phenols.

Associations Among Taste Perception, Food Neophobia and Preferences in Type 1 Diabetes Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common systemic diseases in childhood which predisposes the patient to serious short-term and long-term complications, affecting all body systems. Taste and olfactory impairments were first described a long time ago in adult patients affected by diabetes (both type 1 and type 2 diabetes). However, studies evaluating taste perception, behavioral attitudes (e.g., food neophobia), and preferences toward foods in children and adolescents affected by T1D are globally lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess taste sensitivity, food neophobia, and preferences among children and adolescents affected by T1D and healthy controls in a cross-sectional study. T1D patients presented a significantly lower ability in general to correctly identify taste qualities, especially bitter and sour tastes. Moreover, they were characterized by fewer fungiform papillae compared to controls, as well as a lower responsiveness to the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). There were no significant differences in food neophobia scores between the two groups, but differences were observed in the mean hedonic ratings for some product categories investigated. Diabetic patients showed a greater liking for certain type of foods generally characterized by sourness and bitterness, an observation probably linked to their impaired ability to perceive taste stimuli, e.g., sourness and bitterness. These results may help to enhance the understanding of these relationships in populations with elevated diet-related health risks.

Effect of Vitamin D2 Fortification Using Pleurotus ostreatus in a Whole-Grain Cereal Product on Child Acceptability.

Vitamin D2 deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient insufficiencies among children. Few foods, mainly those derived from animal sources, naturally contain this vitamin. The basidiomycete mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus could be used as an innovative and sustainable ingredient for food fortification with vitamin D2. This study was aimed at exploring children's acceptance of a whole-cereal-based product (breadsticks) combined with increasing concentrations of P. ostreatus powder rich in vitamin D2. The food neophobia trait (fear of trying unfamiliar and new food) on sample acceptability was also investigated. One hundred and three children (47 girls and 56 boys, aged 9-11 years) were recruited, and breadstick-liking was studied in relation to gender and neophobic traits. Results showed that the samples enriched in vitamin D2 were well accepted by children even if liking decreased with increasing concentration of mushroom powder. Generally, neophilic subjects gave higher liking scores compared with the neophobic ones, especially for the modified samples. New, well-accepted fortified products could be developed using an adequate concentration of mushroom powder to deal with the increasing vitamin D2 deficiency among children.

Acceptance of a New Food Enriched in ß-Glucans among Adolescents: Effects of Food Technology Neophobia and Healthy Food Habits.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate adolescents' acceptability of a novel flat bread modified by substituting a part of the wheat flour content with a Pleurotus ostreatus powder rich in ß-glucans, which can potentially provide health benefits. The effects of food technology neophobia and adolescents' food habits on hedonic perception of the developed product was also investigated. Two hundred and two adolescents (age range: 13-18 years; girls: 49.5%; boys: 50.5%) evaluated their liking of two flat breads, one with mushroom powder added and one control sample with only wheat flour. Sample acceptance was studied in relation to age, gender, neophobic traits and healthy food habits. The results showed that, even if the sample with mushroom powder added was generally well accepted, there were different hedonic responses among adolescents according to their food technology neophobia level and healthy habits. In particular, adolescents with a low food technology neophobia level and healthy eating behavior mostly appreciated the sample with mushroom powder added, whereas subjects with neophobic and unhealthy eating behavior gave comparable hedonic scores to the two samples. Moreover, a negative correlation was found between food technology neophobia level and healthy food habits. In conclusion, it is possible to develop a ß-glucan-enriched product appreciated by adolescents using a sustainable ingredient. The developed product may be used to achieve the daily recommended intake of ß-glucans by adolescents.