Antimicrobial screening of pecan shell extract and efficacy of pecan shell extract-pullulan coating against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Staphylococcus aureus on blueberries.

Pecan shell is considered an agricultural waste; however, it contains various bioactive compounds with potential inhibitory effect against microorganisms. This study evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of pecan shell extract (PSE) in vitro using disc-diffusion method and in vivo on blueberries as an antimicrobial coating using pullulan. For in vitro study, 5 and 10 % of aqueous (A-PSE) or ethanol pecan shell extract (E-PSE) incorporated into pullulan film were tested against different bacterial and fungal strains. Pullulan film disc was used as control. The diameter of growth inhibition (mm) around discs was measured. For in vivo study, PSE-P (5 % w/v aqueous pecan shell extract+5 % w/v pullulan), P (5 % w/v pullulan) or control (water) were spray coated on blueberries inoculated (∼5 log CFU/g) with Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica or Staphylococcus aureus; and stored at 4 °C, 50 ± 10 % RH for 15 days. The effect of antimicrobial coating against pathogens and its impact on quality during storage were determined. A-PSE and E-PSE films were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria and showed no antifungal effect at tested concentrations when evaluated in vitro. Immediately after coating on blueberries, PSE-P significantly reduced Listeria monocytogenes by 2 log CFU/g and lowered survival until day 5 than control or P. Native aerobic microbial population was reduced (P < 0.05) by 0.7 log CFU/g immediately after coating. PSE-P coating or storage time had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the survival of S. enterica, S. aureus and native fungal population. PSE-P maintained the firmness of blueberry with no significant effect on its color, TSS, and pH during 15 days storage. PSE-P significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the spoilage rate by 21 % than control (28.5 %) and P (37 %); and minimized (P < 0.05) weight loss during storage. Pecan shell extracts show promise as a potential antimicrobial compound whose application on various food products or packaging material could be further explored.

Effects of Teosinte Flour (Dioon mejiae) on Selected Physicochemical Characteristics and Consumer Perceptions of Gluten-Free Cocoa Cookies Formulated with Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) Flour.

Dioon mejiae, or teosinte, is a living fossil tree discovered in Olancho, Honduras, whose seeds have a desirable nutritional profile that can provide health benefits. As a result, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of teosinte flour obtained from seeds on selected physicochemical characteristics and consumer perceptions of gluten-free cocoa cookies formulated with mung bean (Vigna radiata) flour. Gluten-free cocoa cookies were prepared with different levels of teosinte flour (0%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% by weight of mung bean flour) in substitution of mung bean flour. The cookies were evaluated for texture hardness, color (L*, a*, b*), moisture content, and water activity. Sensory acceptability of appearance, color, texture, aroma, flavor, and overall quality of cocoa cookies was rated by 175 consumers using a "yes/no" binomial scale. Overall liking was evaluated using a 9-point hedonic scale. Purchase intent was evaluated with a "yes/no" binomial scale. The levels of teosinte flour did not significantly affect the acceptability of appearance, color, texture, flavor, aroma, and overall quality, and neither the overall liking nor the purchase intent responses. However, the texture attribute had the lowest % acceptability response among all sensory attributes. The addition of teosinte flour did not affect water activity and color (L*, a*, b*), whereas it decreased the texture hardness (g force), producing softer cookies. Cocoa cookies stayed acceptable even at 100% teosinte flour addition (70% acceptability; mean overall liking = 5.69). Teosinte flour has an excellent nutritional profile that could be practically applied in baked goods.

Influence of Hesperidin on the Physico-Chemical, Microbiological and Sensory Characteristics of Frozen Yogurt.

Frozen yogurts contain yogurt culture bacteria, which might impart health benefits to their consumers. Global frozen yogurt market sales are expected to grow by 4.8% by 2028, which represents an important opportunity for the industry, consumers and researchers. Polyphenols are metabolites found in plants which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and might prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of the polyphenol hesperidin on the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of frozen yogurts. Hesperidin was incorporated into frozen yogurt at three concentrations (125, 250 and 500 mg/90 g of product), while yogurt with no hesperidin was used as a control. The viscosity and overrun of the frozen yogurt were analyzed on day 0. The hardness, pH, color and Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus counts were determined after 0, 30 and 60 d. The melting rate was determined at 60 and 90 min after 0, 30 and 60 d. The bile and acid tolerances of both S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus were measured after 7 and 60 d. A hedonic scale of nine points was used to measure sensory attributes. Data were analyzed at α = 0.05 with an ANOVA with Tukey's adjustment, and McNemar's test was used to analyze purchase intent. Hesperidin did not influence the pH, overrun or microbial characteristics. Polyphenol addition compared to the control decreased the melting rate but increased the hardness and bile tolerance of L. bulgaricus, as well as the L* and b* values. The sensory characteristics were not influenced by the lowest concentration of hesperidin, as it was not statistically different from the control. Moreover, consumers were interested in purchasing frozen yogurt with added hesperidin after learning about the health claim. This study can assist in the development of a healthier frozen yogurt in an increasingly competitive market.

The Impact of Information Presentation on Consumer Perceptions of Cricket-Containing Chocolate Chip Cookies.

As a source of protein and other nutrients for a growing population, edible insect production offers environmental and sustainability advantages over traditional meat production. Although around 2 billion people consume insects worldwide, Western consumers are still reluctant to practice entomophagy, hindered largely by neophobia and negative emotions. In addition to sensory quality and safety, an informational component may be crucial to consumers' decision making involving insect consumption. In this study, three different information types, namely text, image, and a tangible product, were used to convey information about chocolate chip cookies (CCCs) containing cricket flour. The nature of the information was related to the ingredient usage level (5%), the type of insect (cricket), nutritional values, sustainability benefits, packaging, celebrity endorsement, and/or visual appearance of an actual product. Consumers' willingness to consume (WTC), acceptance, and purchase intent (PI) were measured in response to each informed condition. Once informed of the insect ingredient, all scores significantly (α = 0.05) dropped. The lowest WTC (1.97 ± 1.06, Text), acceptance (3.55 ± 2.23, Image), and PI (1.85 ± 1.05, Text) scores were found after identifying cricket as the insect ingredient. Compared to other informed conditions, the presentation of a real chocolate chip cookie containing insects achieved the highest scores on all affective scores (WTC: 3.4 ± 1.04, acceptance: 6.17 ± 1.89, PI: 3.07 ± 1.09). The greatest improvement in scores was observed after information about nutrition and sustainability benefits (based on ANOVA), which was more impactful for males than females (based on a t-test). Celebrity endorsement did not have a significant effect. The presentation of the actual CCC containing cricket flour (for visual observation only) significantly increased WTC, acceptance, and PI compared to presenting text and images alone. Acceptance, WTC, and certain information cues were significant predictors of PI for CCCs containing cricket flour.

Food-Evoked Emotion, Product Acceptance, Food Preference, Food Choice and Consumption: Some New Perspectives.

Food is more than just a source of nutrients-it is a source of basic pleasure and aesthetic experiences [...].

Development of Gluten-Free Bread Using Teosinte (Dioon mejiae) Flour in Combination with High-Protein Brown Rice Flour and High-Protein White Rice Flour.

Gluten-free bread is an important product that is under development using different sources, such as rice and starchy plants. Teosinte seeds are utilized by ethnic groups in Honduras to produce gluten-free flour to prepare traditional baked goods and beverages. The quality of gluten-free products could vary depending on flour properties, such as amylose content, particle size, and water absorption capacity. A good strategy for developing baked goods is to mix different cereal grain sources to optimize their physicochemical properties. As a result, the current study aimed to develop bread from novel flours including teosinte (TF), high-protein brown rice (BRF), and high-protein white rice (WRF). Breads were analyzed for hardness, specific volume, and color utilizing a Simplex-Centroid mixture design coupled with the desirability function. Pasting, and rheological characteristics of the flours, were also analyzed. For flour characteristics, TF addition to BRF or WRF decreased the peak, trough, breakdown, setback, and final viscosities, which would result in a more stable bread and decrease the flow index of rice flour dispersions. BRF and WRF had similar pasting properties, except that BRF had a lower breakdown viscosity. For bread characteristics, TF addition to BRF or WRF increased the specific volume and hardness of the bread compared to rice flour alone. L* of the crust and crumb a* values were increased with greater TF in the mixture, whereas TF decreased the crust a*and b* values and crumb L* values when mixed with BRF or WRF compared to rice flours alone. WRF and BRF were similar in crumb color (L* and a*), except that BRF had greater crumb yellowness (b*). Teosinte flour can be used in combination with rice flour to produce bread with good quality.

Swollen-state preparation of chitosan lactate from moulted shrimp shells and its application for harvesting marine microalgae Nannochloropsis sp.

Chitosan lactate (CSS) has been widely used for academic and industrial applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and high biological activity. Unlike chitosan, which is generally soluble only in acid solution, CSS can be directly used by dissolving in water. In this study, CSS was prepared from moulted shrimp chitosan at room temperature by a solid-state method. Chitosan was first swollen in a mixture of ethanol and water, making it more susceptible to reacting with lactic acid in the next step. As a result, the prepared CSS had a high solubility (over 99 %) and zeta potential (+ 99.3 mV) and was comparable to the commercial product. The preparation method of CSS is facile and efficient for a large-scale process. In addition, the prepared product exhibited a potential flocculant for harvesting Nannochloropsis sp., a marine microalga widely used as a popular food for larvae. In the best condition, the CSS solution (250 ppm) at pH 10 showed the highest recovery capacity (∼ 90 % after 120 min) for harvesting Nannochloropsis sp. Besides, the harvested microalgal biomass showed excellent regeneration after 6 culture days. This paper's findings suggest a circular economy in aquaculture by producing value-added products from solid wastes, which can minimize the environmental impact and move towards sustainable zero-waste.

Consumers' Acceptance, Emotions, and Responsiveness to Informational Cues for Air-Fried Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Skin Chips.

Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) skins, as filleting byproduct, were developed into a crispy snack food via air-frying. Consumers rated catfish skin chips (CSC) across sensory modalities (9-point hedonic scales, a just-about-right scale, and "yes/no" for purchase intent, PI) for Plain-, Lemon & Pepper-, and Barbecue-flavored samples during two consumer studies (N = 115 each). Paprika- flavored CSC were excluded from Study 2 due to inferior acceptance and emotional ratings. CSC-elicited emotions were evaluated using a 25-term lexicon with CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) scaling (Study 1) and refined with an abbreviated lexicon containing food-evoked sensation-seeking emotions (5-point intensity scale). The two consumer studies differed in delivery format of product benefit information (a health/protein message and a food waste/sustainability message). Presenting two separate cues (Study 1) significantly increased overall liking (by 0.5 units) and PI (by 15%) for CSC compared to a single integrated message (Study 2), perhaps due to consumers' mode of information processing. Magnitude of increases was less for Barbeque CSC despite performing best overall (overall liking reaching 6.62 and PI reaching 61.7%). CSC generated mostly positive emotions, and informational cues increased sensation-seeking feelings, which can motivate trial of new foods. Accordingly, acceptance of CSC improved for 25 repeat-exposure consumers who participated in both Studies 1 and 2. In combination, sensory, cognitive, and emotional data showed favorable responses for flavored CSC as an appropriate application of this seafood byproduct.

Factors Influencing Consumers' Willingness-to-Try Seafood Byproducts.

With increasing global demand for seafood, seafood byproducts (SB) utilization can contribute to a more sustainable food supply chain through waste-to-value food product development. However, consumer perceptions of SB (e.g., fish skin and bones) are underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate some factors influencing consumers' willingness-to-try seafood byproducts. An online survey was conducted in the USA regarding intervention of SB informational cues with N = 904 adult seafood consumers internationally. The proportion of consumers willing to try SB increased significantly (McNemar's test, α = 0.05) from 47% to 68% after SB safety and health claims had been presented in the questionnaire. Gender, race, SB knowledge, and previous SB consumption were significant predictors of trial intent (based on logistic regression), as were emotional baseline scores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Males were more open to SB consumption than females, and racial identity was associated with differential responsiveness to SB information. Higher levels of "bored" and "unsafe" feelings, and lower levels of "free" were associated with increased SB trial intent. Potential SB consumers identified fish products (82% willingness-to-try); seasoning mix, sauces, and dressing (71% willingness-to-try); and soup and gravy products (62% willingness-to-try) as most appropriate for SB incorporation. Predominant reasons for SB avoidance were concerns about sensory quality, safety, and nutrition. These consumer-driven data could guide SB product development concepts to encourage trial and overcome aversions through new consumption experience.

High-protein rice flour in the development of gluten-free pasta.

Cahokia Rice, a new biofortified high-protein (10%-12%) variety of rice, was used to develop and analyze a gluten-free pasta. Different pastas were made with high-protein white rice flour (HPWRP), high-protein brown rice flour (HPBRP), commercial white rice flour (CWRP), commercial brown rice flour (CBRP), and wheat flour (WP). Cooking quality of the pasta was evaluated by measuring pasting properties, cooking time, water absorption capacity, and cooking loss. Proximate analysis, color, and texture were done on dry and cooked pasta. Sensory testing was done to determine consumer acceptability and purchase intent of HPWRP and HPBRP in comparison to WP. HPWRP and HPBRP had higher pasting temperatures and lower peak viscosity than commercial rice flour pastas, which was related to the higher protein content. HPWRP and HPBRP had less cooking loss than CWRP and CBRP; all treatments had similar water absorption capacity (∼130%) except for WP that was higher (140%). White rice pastas along with WP took more time to cook than brown rice pastas. HPWRP and HPBRP had higher protein (around 7.5%) and fat content, creating a firmer cooked pasta (138.23 g HPBRP, 179.82 g HPWRP) than commercial rice pastas. Consumers' overall liking of HPBRP (5.37), HPWRP (6.00), and WP (6.81) was acceptable. Color, firmness, and stickiness attributes negatively affected the overall liking of HPWRP and HPBRP. Cooked high-protein rice flour pastas had improved firmness and cooking loss closer to wheat resulting in an acceptable product in overall liking. It is recommended to further improve the color, firmness, and stickiness of the pasta to reach higher sensory acceptability. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research provides a possible use for a new high-protein rice flour that can be used in gluten-free products. This will help the rice industry by adding value to the product. Those persons who are Celiac or who desire more nutritional gluten-free products will have a healthier gluten-free pasta option.

Effects of other people's facial emotional expression on consumers' perceptions of chocolate chip cookies containing cricket protein.

Edible insects are recognized as a potential alternative and sustainable source of high-quality protein for the human diet. Entomophagy is highly related to negative emotions that may cause reluctance to adopt insects as food in Western countries. During human interaction, a person's facial emotional expression (FEE) may influence other people's emotional responses. A person's emotional state may affect his/her food preference and food choice. Understanding how other people's FEE would affect consumers' emotional profiles, liking, and subsequent willingness to try (WTT) and purchase intent (PI) toward insect-containing food products may help increase the acceptance of entomophagy. This study identified emotional responses toward chocolate chip cookies containing cricket protein using valence and arousal scales in order to explore the effects of other people's FEE (positive, negative, and/or sensation seeking) and to find the correlation between consumers' emotional and overall liking (OL) responses for cricket-containing chocolate chip cookies. Predicting PI for such cookies was also performed. For consumers who perceived positive emotion from other people's FEE after watching a short video clip, their emotional feeling was raised on both valence and arousal dimensions, while negative FEE stimulus imparted the opposite effects. The OL scores and emotional intensities after watching the three FEE videos were highly related to consumers' PI. Males compared to females rated the cricket-containing cookies higher on positive emotion intensity, OL, and PI. Among the three FEEs evaluated, the positive emotional stimulus would be beneficial in increasing acceptance, WTT, and PI of insect-containing foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Edible insects are potentially alternative and sustainable sources of high-quality protein for the human diet. Entomophagy is highly related to negative emotions that cause reluctance to adopt insects as food in Western countries. Other people's facial emotional expressions (FEEs) may affect consumer food-evoked emotional profiles, overall liking (OL), and purchase intent (PI). For consumers who perceived positive emotion from other people's FEE, their emotional feeling was raised on both valence and arousal dimensions, and OL scores and emotion intensities were highly related to consumers' PI. Exploiting positive emotional stimuli as demonstrated in this study would be beneficial in increasing acceptance of insect-containing food.

The Influence of Whey Protein Heating Parameters on Their Susceptibility to Digestive Enzymes and the Antidiabetic Activity of Hydrolysates.

The inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and the release of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) could normalize blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. This study evaluated the susceptibility of whey proteins to enzyme hydrolysis and the antidiabetic properties of protein hydrolysates from ß-lactoglobulin (ß-LG) and α-lactalbumin (α-LA) solutions compared with whey protein isolate (WPI) solution treated at different heating temperatures (65, 75, and 85 °C). α-LA hydrolysate provided the lowest degree of hydrolysis (DH). Those heating temperatures did not significantly affect the DH of all protein hydrolysates. α-LA hydrolysate significantly increased GLP-1 levels and DPP-IV inhibitory activity more than ß-LG hydrolysate. WPI hydrolysate inhibited DPP-IV activity less than an α-LA hydrolysate, but they were no significant differences for GLP-1 release activity. Heat treatment could affect the antidiabetic properties of all protein hydrolysates. Heating at 75 °C resulted in greater inhibition of the activity of DPP-IV than at 65 and 85 °C. The highest increase in GLP-1 release was also observed by heating at 75 °C. The recently obtained information is useful for the utilization of α-LA, heated at 75 °C for 30 min, in the preparation of antidiabetic food supplements.

Effects of Tasting and Ingredient Information Statement on Acceptability, Elicited Emotions, and Willingness to Purchase: A Case of Pita Chips Containing Edible Cricket Protein.

Sustainable and nutritious alternatives are needed to feed the ever-increasing world population. The successful incorporation of edible-cricket protein (ECP) into foods needs deeper consumer insights. Treatments (plain, Italian, and Cajun pita chips containing 6.9% w/w ECP) were evaluated by subjects for overall liking (OL), emotions, and purchase intent (PI) in three different moments: (1) before tasting, (2) after tasting/before ECP statement, and (3) after tasting/after ECP statement. Attributes' liking scores were evaluated only after tasting/before ECP statement. Liking scores (mixed-effects ANOVA), emotions, and PI across moments within treatments/across treatments within moments were evaluated. Emotion-based penalty-lift analyses for OL within moments were assessed using two-sample t-tests (p < 0.05). Random forest model analyzed after-tasting informed PI and variables' importance. Although formulations' OL and PI were similar across moments, plain and Italian chips had higher after-tasting (before and after ECP statement) OL than the Cajun chips. Moments indirectly affected OL via emotions elicitation. Valence and activation/arousal emotions discriminated across moments for the plain treatment whereas valence and mostly activation/arousal terms discriminated across moments for the Italian and Cajun treatments, respectively. For either formulation or moment, "interested" and "adventurous" positively affected OL. Before and after-tasting attribute liking, "satisfied," and "enthusiastic" emotions were critical in predicting after-tasting informed PI.

Emotion and Wellness Profiles of Herbal Drinks Measured Using Different Questionnaire Designs.

The emotion and wellness profiles of herbal drinks were assessed using six different questionnaire designs. The questionnaire designs were constructed from two formats of questionnaire items, including words and sentences, and three types of measuring scales, including a rating scale (5-point intensity; 1 = 'not at all', 5 = 'extremely'), a checklist scale (check-all-that-apply, CATA), and a combination of CATA and rating scales (rate-all-that-apply, RATA; 5-point intensity; 1 = 'slightly', 5 = 'extremely'). The 39 emotional terms of the EsSense Profile® and the 45 wellness terms of the WellSense ProfileTM were translated into Thai, then screened for relevance to herbal drinks. The seven positive emotional terms (active, energetic, good, happy, polite, satisfied, and warm), three negative emotional terms (bored, disgusted, and worried), and five wellness terms (comforted, healthy, invigorated, relaxed, and refreshed) were selected and included in the questionnaire. A central location test was performed to determine the emotion and wellness profiles of five herbal drinks: roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) drink, chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat) drink, ginger (Zingiber officinale) drink, Jubliang (a mixture of eight herbs) drink, and Krachai Dam (Kaempferia parviflora) drink. For herbal drinks, measuring emotion and wellness with a questionnaire using full sentences did not show increased benefit over questionnaires using words alone. All three measuring methods-a rating scale, CATA, and RATA-produced similar emotion and wellness profiles. However, each method has different advantages and limitations, which researchers should carefully consider.

Effects of Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Bone Powder on Consumers' Liking, Emotions, and Purchase Intent of Fried Catfish Strips.

Catfish are the predominant U.S. aquacultural product. However, byproducts from filleting, including bones that are high in calcium, typically go to waste or are sold as a low-valued feed. This research evaluated the potential use of catfish bone powder (CBP; 21.07% calcium) as a food ingredient. Catfish fillet strips were dredged with a breading mix (CBPM) containing 0% (0CBPM), 10% (10CBPM), and 20% (20CBPM) CBP before frying. Consumers (N = 211) evaluated sensory liking (nine-point hedonic scale) and attribute intensity (JAR scale), emotions (check-all-that-apply), and purchase intent (PI, yes/no) of samples. Color and texture were measured instrumentally. CBP did not show any negative effects on liking scores, although crispiness was scored higher for 20CBPM (mean = 6.88) than 10CBPM (mean = 6.43). Positive emotions were most relevant to CBP-containing samples, with significantly higher rates of adventurous and understanding. Information about calcium fortification using CBP increased PI to 81.04% for the 10CBPM and 83.89% for the 20CBPM samples and showed a greater effect on Latin Americans/Hispanics than U.S. Americans. Consumers were not averse to the consumption of CBP which can contribute to sustainable nutrition through waste reduction. Successful calcium fortification of fried catfish dredged with 20% CBP did not compromise sensory liking and may be feasible in other products.

Sensory Drivers of Consumer Acceptance, Purchase Intent and Emotions toward Brewed Black Coffee.

The link between coffee aroma/flavor and elicited emotions remains underexplored. This research identified key sensory characteristics of brewed black coffee that affected acceptance, purchase intent and emotions for Thai consumers. Eight Arabica coffee samples were evaluated by eight trained descriptive panelists for intensities of 26 sensory attributes and by 100 brewed black coffee users for acceptance, purchase intent and emotions. Results showed that the samples exhibited a wide range of sensory characteristics, and large differences were mainly described by the attributes coffee identity (coffee ID), roasted, bitter taste, balance/blended and fullness. Differences also existed among the samples for overall liking, purchase intent and most emotion terms. Partial least square regression analysis revealed that liking, purchase intent and positive emotions, such as active, alert, awake, energetic, enthusiastic, feel good, happy, jump start, impressed, pleased, refreshed and vigorous were driven by coffee ID, roasted, ashy, pipe tobacco, bitter taste, rubber, overall sweet, balanced/blended, fullness and longevity. Contrarily, sour aromatic, sour taste, fruity, woody, musty/earthy, musty/dusty and molasses decreased liking, purchase intent and positive emotions, and stimulated negative emotions, such as disappointed, grouchy and unfulfilled. This information could be useful for creating or modifying the sensory profile of brewed black coffee to increase consumer acceptance.

Effect of calcium hydroxide mixed with preservatives on physicochemical characteristics and sensory shelf-life of corn tortilla.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and shelf-life of corn tortilla stored at room temperature (25 °C) using aw modifiers (propylene glycol and glycerol) and pH modifiers (fumaric acid and sodium benzoate) as preservatives combined with calcium hydroxide. Detection thresholds were used to determine the maximum preservative concentration and calcium hydroxide. Physicochemical characterization and sensory evaluation were used to determine the stability and sensory shelf-life of tortillas. RESULTS: Control, calcium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide + fumaric acid, calcium hydroxide + glycerol, calcium hydroxide + propylene glycol, and calcium hydroxide + sodium benzoate treatments had rounded half-lives of 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, and 2 days respectively. Glycerol combined with calcium hydroxide resulted in tortillas with lower pH variations over time. Mold presence was the critical attribute causing tortilla rejection. CONCLUSION: The use of aw modifiers had a better effect in preserving corn tortilla, as the concentration of pH modifiers at detection threshold levels was not able to reach an optimum performance when combined with calcium hydroxide. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of COVID-19 on sensory and cognitive perception of mild and severe diagnosed and recovered patients versus healthy consumers.

The objective of this research was to analyze the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the sensory and cognitive perception of mild and severe COVID-19 diagnosed and recovered consumers versus healthy consumers. Three groups of 50 consumers each (healthy vs. mild and severe COVID-19 diagnosed with 30 days after recovery) were used for the evaluation of instant coffee stimuli in concentrations: 4.40, 2.93, 2.20, 1.76, and 1.47% weight (w)/volume (v) and determine their discriminating power, emotions, and memories. Sensory tests were performed remotely. Results indicated that healthy consumers perceived higher intensities in most of the sensory attributes (with the exception of Burnt-A, Bitter-T, Acid-T, and Astringent-T attributes) compared to consumers who presented mild and severe COVID-19. Therefore, consumers diagnosed with mild and severe COVID-19 had a higher discrimination power in the attributes smell, basic tastes, and flavor. Healthy consumers could only discriminate two attributes that correspond to basic flavors. Consumers with mild and severe COVID-19 diagnosis elicited the highest number of negatives emotions (such as bored, disgusted, worried, guilty, wild, and aggressive) and negative memories (disease, pain, death, hurt, obesity, conflict personal, addiction, stench poverty, and accident) than healthy consumers. It is concluded that there were no significant differences between the consumer panels for the identification of sensory attributes. However, P-Healthy consumers perceived the highest intensities in most sensory attributes compared to those in the PCOVID19-Mild and PCOVID19-Severe panels. Finally, consumers diagnosed with mild or severe COVID-19 used a higher number of emotions and memories than those of the healthy panel. Practical applications: Investigating the effects of COVID-19 on sensory and cognitive perception can be useful for industry and researchers in the sensory field who wish to understand the effects of the disease in order to generate new protocols for the selection and training of people, as well as the possible development and innovation of new products focused on perception of consumers recovered from COVID-19.

Exploring Text Mining for Recent Consumer and Sensory Studies about Alternative Proteins.

Increased meat consumption has been associated with the overuse of fresh water, underground water contamination, land degradation, and negative animal welfare. To mitigate these problems, replacing animal meat products with alternatives such as plant-, insect-, algae-, or yeast-fermented-based proteins, and/or cultured meat, is a viable strategy. Nowadays, there is a vast amount of information regarding consumers' perceptions of alternative proteins in scientific outlets. Sorting and arranging this information can be time-consuming. To overcome this drawback, text mining and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are introduced as novel approaches to obtain sensory data and rapidly identify current consumer trends. In this study, the application of text mining and NLP in gathering information about alternative proteins was explored by analyzing key descriptive words and sentiments from n = 20 academic papers. From 2018 to 2021, insect- and plant-based proteins were the centers of alternative proteins research as these were the most popular topics in current studies. Pea has become the most common source for plant-based protein applications, while spirulina is the most popular algae-based protein. The emotional profile analysis showed that there was no significant association between emotions and protein categories. Our work showed that applying text mining and NLP could be useful to identify research trends in recent sensory studies. This technique can rapidly obtain and analyze a large amount of data, thus overcoming the time-consuming drawback of traditional sensory techniques.

Reduced-sodium Vienna sausage: Selected quality characteristics, optimized salt mixture, and commercial scale-up production.

Sodium reduction influences the quality of processed meat products that, in turn, affect consumer acceptance. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the texture, color, and sensory acceptability of reduced-sodium Vienna sausage. A three-component mixture design (0-65% NaCl; 35-100% KCl; 0-20% glycine [Gly]) was performed to obtain an optimal salt mixture based on 14 sausage formulations. Mixture response surface plots revealed the optimal reduced-sodium Vienna sausage containing 20.13-65.00% NaCl, 35.00-60.15% KCl, and 0.00-20.00% Gly (this salt mixture constituted 1.35% of the formulation). One optimal laboratory-scale sausage, formulated with 21.43% NaCl, 59.71% KCl, and 18.86% Gly, was further selected for commercial scale-up production (a 25-kg batch). Both laboratory-scale and scale-up products were comparably acceptable (5.9-6.6 vs. 5.9-6.7) for overall liking, flavor, saltiness, and texture, and contained 315.4-333.5 mg sodium/100 g, hence having >25% sodium reduction compared to the control (569.5 mg/100 g) according to US Food and Drugs Administration regulation. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a scale-up production of acceptable reduced-sodium Vienna sausage formulated with a salt mixture of NaCl/KCl/Gly. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Processed meat products are one of the major sources of daily dietary sodium in the form of sodium chloride. Recently, there is an increased demand by consumers for healthier meat products. Of particular interest is finding solutions for sodium reduction in meat products while maintaining sensory properties and consumer acceptance. This study demonstrated that a mixture of KCl and Gly could be used as partial NaCl substitution in the commercial scale-up of Vienna sausages without drastically compromising sensory acceptability.