Exploring the effects of structure and melting on sweetness in additively manufactured chocolate.

In view of the health concerns associated with high sugar intake, this study investigates methods to enhance sweetness perception in chocolate without increasing its sugar content. Using additive manufacturing, chocolate structures were created from masses with varying sugar and fat compositions, where hazelnut oil served as a partial cocoa butter replacement. The study found that while variations in sugar content minimally affected the physical properties of the chocolate masses, hazelnut oil significantly modified melting behavior and consumption time. Chocolate masses with higher hazelnut oil content but similar sugar content exhibited a 24% increase in sweetness perception, likely due to accelerated tastant (i.e., sucrose) release into saliva. Multiphase structures, designated as layered, cube-in-cube, and sandwich structures, exhibited less sensory differences compared to the homogeneous control. Nonetheless, structures with hazelnut oil-rich outer layers resulted in an 11% increase in sweetness perception, even without sugar gradients. This suggests that tastant release plays a more critical role than structural complexity in modifying sweetness perception. This research highlights the efficacy of simpler multiphase structures, such as sandwich designs, which offer sensory enhancements comparable to those of more complex designs but with reduced manufacturing effort, thus providing viable options for industrial-scale production.

Inkjet-based surface structuring: amplifying sweetness perception through additive manufacturing in foods.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is creating new possibilities for innovative tailoring of food properties through multiscale structuring. This research investigated a high-speed inkjet-based technique aimed to modify sweetness perception by creating dot patterns on chocolate surfaces. The dots were formulated from cocoa butter with emulsified water droplets containing the sweetener thaumatin. The number and surface arrangement of dots, which ranged from uniformly distributed patterns to concentrated configurations at the sample's center and periphery, were varied while maintaining a constant total amount of thaumatin per sample. A sensory panel evaluated sweetness perception at three consumption time points, reporting a significant increase when thaumatin was concentrated on the surface. Specifically, an amplification of sweetness perception by up to 300% was observed, irrespective of dot pattern or consumption time, when compared to samples where thaumatin was uniformly distributed throughout the bulk. However, when thaumatin was concentrated solely at the sample center, maximum sweetness perception decreased by 24%. Conclusively, both the proximity of thaumatin to taste receptors and its spatial distribution, governed by different dot arrangements, significantly influenced taste responsiveness. These findings present a more effective technique to substantially enhance sweetness perception compared to traditional manufacturing techniques. This method concurrently allows for sensorial and visual customization of products. The implications of this study are far-reaching, opening avenues for industrially relevant AM applications, and innovative approaches to study taste formation and perception during oral processing of foods.

Mixing plant-based proteins: Gel properties of hemp, pea, lentil proteins and their binary mixtures.

One of the challenges in substituting dairy products by alternative proteins is that the properties of mixed protein gels cannot necessarily be predicted by those of single protein gels, whereas the need of mixing is often driven by nutritional aspects. However, mixing plant proteins could also open a door to new textures. The main goal of this study was to investigate the impact of binary mixing of hemp (H), yellow pea (P), and brown lentil (L) protein concentrates/isolates on their gel and water-holding properties. Dispersions of reconstituted proteins and mixtures thereof were gelled using glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), transglutaminase (TG), and temperature (T) at a protein content of 12% (w/w). Mixtures of pea and lentil proteins showed gel strengths for TG- and T-induced gels that are proportional to the ratio of the mixture constituents (linear mixing behavior), whereas synergistic effects were observed for GDL-induced gelation. In contrast, all mixtures containing hemp exhibited a non-linear mixing behavior for the three gelation methods, usually resulting in lower gel strengths compared to theoretically expected values. The study showed that mixing plant-based proteins of different protein sources can lead to very different mixing behaviors in terms of gel properties, showing either a reinforcing, an indifferent or a weakening effect compared to the theoretically expected properties. The results can help developing more targeted plant protein-based soft gel products such as yogurt alternatives with specific techno-functional properties, while adjusting the nutritional characteristics.

Aroma of peas, its constituents and reduction strategies - Effects from breeding to processing.

Peas as an alternative protein source have attracted a great deal of interest from the food industry and consumers in recent years. However, pea proteins usually do not taste neutral and exhibit a distinct flavor, often characterized as "beany". This is usually contrasted by the food industry's desire for sensory neutral protein sources. In this review, we highlight the current state of knowledge about the aroma of peas and its changes along the pea value chain. Possible causes and origins, and approaches to reduce or eliminate the aroma constituents are presented. Fermentative methods were identified as interesting to mitigate undesirable off-flavors. Major potential has also been discussed for breeding, as there appears to be a considerable leverage at this point in the value chain: a reduction of plant-derived flavors, precursors, or substrates involved in off-flavor evolution could prevent the need for expensive removal later.