Analysis of the Sensory Profile and Physical and Physicochemical Characteristics of Amazonian Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Beans Produced in Different Regions.

The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) has seeds that after processing become a valuable agricultural commodity in the world. In Brazil, the state of Pará located in the Eastern Amazon is the main producer, accounting for more than 53% of the national production. Although the region is the largest producer, no studies are found in the literature containing data on the sensory quality of the beans. Thus, the purpose of this study is to establish the sensory profile of Amazonian cocoa from the main cocoa-producing regions of the Eastern Amazon (Lower Tocantins River, Northeast, West, Southeast and Trans-Amazon). The sensory profile was established from the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), in addition to using an affective test to verify consumer preference for the chocolates produced. Physical, physicochemical and bioactive compound evaluations were carried out. Beans from different regions had a similar sensory profile; however, it was possible to observe some differences in certain descriptor terms. In the physical evaluation, the samples presented an acceptable commercial standard, and the humidity was within the values established by the legislation. It was found that the post-harvest and/or processing parameters had no influence on the quality attributes of cocoa beans.

Zinc Supplementation Improves Texture, Oxidative Stability of Caciotta Cheese and Reduces Biogenic Amines Production.

Zinc is essential for animals, playing a vital role in enzyme systems and various biochemical reactions. It is crucial to ensure a sufficient intake of zinc through the diet to maintain efficient homeostasis. Only few studies on zinc effect in cow lactating diet evaluated the effects on milk and cheese quality, with conflicting findings. 24 cows of the Friesian breed were divided into two groups (CTR: control and TRT: treated group). Cows were selected for age, body weight, parity and phase of lactations (mid lactation, 140-160 days). CTR diet contained 38 mg/kg of Zn and TRT diet was supplied with 120 mg/kg of complete feed for 60 days. The objective of current investigation was to evaluate the impact of a dietary Zinc Oxide (ZnO) integration of lactating Friesian cows on chemical composition, zinc content, fatty acid and proteic profile, ammine content, pH, aw, texture, and sensory profile of cheese and to improve the chemical-nutritional quality of milk and cheese. The results showed that ZnO supplementation reduced mesophilic aerobic bacteria and Presumptive Pseudomonas spp. growth, proteolysis, biogenic amines content, lipid oxidation, odour intensity and sour and increased hardness, gumminess, chewiness, elasticity of cheese. Biogenic amines are considered an important aspect of food safety. ZnO integration in cow diet could represent a promising strategy for improving the quality, the safety and shelf-life of caciotta cheese.

Key umami taste contributors in Longjing green tea uncovered by integrated means of sensory quantitative descriptive analysis, metabolomics, quantification analysis and taste addition experiments.

Umami taste is a key criteria of green tea quality evaluation. The aim of this study was to comprehensively explore the key umami taste contributors in Longjing tea. The taste and molecular profiles of 36 Longjing green tea infusions were characterized by sensory quantitative descriptive analysis and LC-MS based metabolomics, respectively. By uni-/multi-variate statistical analysis, 84 differential compounds were screened among tea infusions with varied umami perceptions. Among them, 17 substances were identified as candidate umami-enhancing compounds, which showed significant positive correlations with umami intensities. Their natural concentrations were accurately quantified, and their umami taste-modifying effects were further investigated by taste addition into glutamic acid solution. Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glutamine, theanine, phenylalanine, histidine, theogallin, galloylglucose, 1,2,6-trigalloylglucose significantly enhanced the umami taste. This study uncovered for the first time of some bitter amino acids and galloylglucose homologous series as important umami-enhancers, which provided a novel perspective into the tea taste.

Study on the dynamic change of volatile components of white tea in the pile-up processing based on sensory evaluation and ATD-GC-MS Technology.

The pile-up processing has a great impact on the flavor of white tea. To investigate the effects of the volatile accumulation of white tea with different piling thickness treatments, tea leaves from different thickness treatments were subjected to sensory quantitative description analysis and ATD-GC-MS detection in this study. As a result, 122 volatile components were identified from white tea with different treatments. A total of 8 key compounds, including isovaleraldehyde, isobutyraldehyde, 2-methyl-butanal, 1-octene-3-ol, linalool, pentanoic acid, hexanal and 1-hexanol were screened out using multivariate statistical analysis, which were characteristic components of grassy, floral-fruity, pekoe aroma and sweet flavors. The results of the selected key characteristic volatile compounds were consistent with the sensory quantitative description. The aroma of mid-pile dried tea (MD) was exhibited a harmonious and pleasant overall flavor. This study provides a novel insight into the accumulation of volatile during the withering step of white tea production.

Decoding the Different Aroma-Active Compounds in Soy Sauce for Cold Dishes via a Multiple Sensory Evaluation and Instrumental Analysis.

Screening the suitability of soy sauce for specific cooking methods from various products is beneficial for the fine development of the soy sauce industry. Multiple sensory evaluation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O) analysis were combined to decode the suitability of soy sauces for cold dishes and characterize their differential aroma-active compounds. Thirty-two kinds of soy sauce with 42 sensory descriptors were determined via a check-all-that-apply analysis, and werefurther classified into six categories via a cluster analysis. The sensory evaluation results showed that seven soy sauce samples had the highest acceptance in each category. Solid-phase microextraction and solid phase extraction results combined with the GC-MS/O analysis results showed that a total of 38 aroma-active compounds were identified in seven soy sauce samples, among which 2-methoxy-phenol (6-93), ethyl acetate (2-48), 3-methyl-1-butanol (4-30), 3-methyl-butanal (5-24), methional (0-22), dimethyl trisulfide (5-19) and dimethyl disulfide (0-8) showed a higher relative odor activity value (ROAV). A partial least squares regression prediction combined with additional tests further confirmed that 2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine; 2,6-dimethyl-pyrazine; and 2-ethyl-6-methyl-pyrazine significantly contributed to the roasted attributes, methional significantly contributed to the sauce-like notes, ethanol significantly contributed to the alcoholic notes and 2-methoxy-phenol significantly contributed to the smoky notes. 2,5-Dimethyl-pyrazine; methional; 2,6-dimethyl-pyrazine and 2-ethyl-6-methyl-pyrazine significantly contributed to the caramel-like attributes.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Ten Actinidia arguta Wines Based on Color, Organic Acids, Volatile Compounds, and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis.

Actinidia arguta wine is a low-alcoholic beverage brewed from A. arguta with a unique flavor and sweet taste. In this study, the basic physicochemical indicators, color, organic acid, and volatile aroma components of wines made from the A. arguta varieties 'Kuilv', 'Fenglv', 'Jialv', 'Wanlv', 'Xinlv', 'Pinglv', 'Lvbao', 'Cuiyu', 'Tianxinbao', and 'Longcheng No.2' were determined, and a sensory evaluation was performed. The findings show that 'Tianxinbao' produced the driest extract (49.59 g/L), 'Kuilv' produced the most Vitamin C (913.46 mg/L) and total phenols (816.10 mg/L), 'Jialv' produced the most total flavonoids (477.12 mg/L), and 'Cuiyu' produced the most tannins (4.63 g/L). We analyzed the color of the A. arguta wines based on CIEL*a*b* parameters and found that the 'Kuilv' and 'Longcheng No.2' wines had the largest L* value (31.65), the 'Pinglv' wines had the greatest a* value (2.88), and the 'Kuilv' wines had the largest b* value (5.08) and C*ab value (5.66) of the ten samples. A total of eight organic acids were tested in ten samples via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and we found that there were marked differences in the organic acid contents in different samples (p < 0.05). The main organic acids were citric acid, quinic acid, and malic acid. The aroma description of a wine is one of the keys to its quality. A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified and characterized in ten samples with headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, including 24 esters, 12 alcohols, 9 aldehydes, 3 aldehydes, 2 terpenes, and 1 acid, with the highest total volatile compound content in 'Fenglv'. There were no significant differences in the types of volatile compounds, but there were significant differences in the contents (p < 0.05). An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on the odor activity value (OAV) showed that ethyl butanoate, ethyl pentanoate, ethyl crotonate, ethyl isobutyrate, butyl butanoate, 2-methylbutanal, ethyl isovalerate, and ethyl hexanoate were the main odorant markers responsible for flavor differences between all the A. arguta wines. Sensory evaluation is the most subjective and effective way for consumers to judge A. arguta wine quality. A quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) of the aroma profiles of ten grapes revealed that the 'fruity' and 'floral' descriptors are the main and most essential parts of the overall flavor of A. arguta wines. 'Tianxinbao' had the highest total aroma score. The flavor and quality of A. arguta wines greatly depend on the type and quality of the A. arguta raw material. Therefore, high-quality raw materials can improve the quality of A. arguta wines. The results of the study provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality of A. arguta wines and demonstrate the application prospects of HS-GC-IMS in detecting A. arguta wine flavors.

Sensory characterization of the perceived quality of East African highland cooking bananas (matooke).

BACKGROUND: It has recently become increasingly evident that banana projects in Uganda need to consider consumer preferences as part of the breeding process to increase the acceptability of new cultivars. A trained panel used quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) as a tool to assess the sensory characteristics of 32 cooking bananas (matooke). The aim was to investigate which sensory characteristics best describe matooke. RESULTS: Fourteen descriptors were generated. The preferred attributes of matooke were high-intensity yellow color, homogeneous distribution of yellow color, good matooke aroma, highly moldable by touch, moist and smooth in the mouth. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in the yellowness, homogeneity of color, firmness, moistness, smoothness, matooke aroma, hardness, and moldability across the genotypes (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed strong positive correlations between yellowness and homogeneity of the color (R = 0.92). Smoothness in the mouth and moldability by touch were strongly and positively correlated (R = 0.88). Firmness in the mouth was well predicted by hardness to touch (R2 = 0.85). The matooke samples were ranked into two sensory clusters by agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). CONCLUSION: The study showed attribute terms that could be used to describe matooke and also revealed that QDA may be used as a tool during the assessment and selection of new cooking banana hybrids to identify relevant sensory attributes because of its ability to discriminate among the banana hybrids. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of aroma compounds in Rosa roxburghii Tratt using solvent-assisted flavor evaporation headspace-solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-olfactometry.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT) has become popular owing to its high vitamin C content. Volatiles are important factors that affect the quality of RRTs and their processed products. In this study, volatile compounds were extracted using headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE); 143 volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and RRT from different origins were well distinguished based on principal component analysis. 45 odor-active components were identified using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). Through quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), there were prominent "grassy" and "tea-like" attributes in RRT. Partial least-squares regression (PLSR) revealed that Longli RRT was greatly related to "tea-like" and "woody" attributes. Among the volatiles identified, alcohols and esters were considered the dominant volatile compounds of RRT, 4-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone was the most prominent compound. This study enriches the flavor chemistry theory of RRT and provides a scientific basis for optimizing the aroma of RRT and its processed products.

The quality of selected raw and pasteurized honeys based on their sensory profiles and consumer preferences.

The purpose of this study was to determine the sensory profile of honeys based on the method of quantitative descriptive analysis and principal component analysis and assess consumer preferences of raw and pasteurized honeys. Samples of multi-floral honeys (from the store and apiary) were subjected to sensory analysis based on the method of ranking for taste preference, the method of scaling based on color, aroma, taste, and texture, and the method of differential descriptive analysis using 11 quality descriptors. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using the Principal Component Analysis method. The taste was found to be a descriptor that differentiates honey by origin. Consumers prefer the taste of pasteurized honeys. As a result of assessing the quality of honeys using the scaling method, it was found that: raw honeys are characterized by a lighter color than pasteurized honeys, store-bought honeys have a less noticeable aroma than honeys obtained from beekeepers, while samples of pasteurized honeys were judged to have a consistency more like that of typical honey. The sensory profiles obtained highlight the differences between pasteurized honeys and raw honeys.

Aroma classification and characterization of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus fermented milk.

The aroma of the fermented milk produced by twenty-eight Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains was evaluated via quantitative descriptive analysis. According to the sensory analysis results, the fermented milks were grouped into milky-type, cheesy-type, fermented-type and miscellaneous-type. The representative samples of cheese-type and fermented-type were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) and flavoromics. A total of 95 volatile compounds were identified and particularly, 12 aroma-active compounds were detected by using gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS). Among the different aroma types, 2,3-butanedione, δ-decalactone, acetaldehyde, butanoic acid, acetic acid and hexanoic acid were finally screened out as the key aroma-active compounds by quantitative and odor activity value (OAV) analysis combined with aroma recombination, omission and addition experiments. These findings were valuable in developing specific fermented milk products with different aroma profiles.

Effects of Microvibrations and Their Damping on the Evolution of Pinot Noir Wine during Bottle Storage.

Environmental conditions such as vibrations, temperature, and exposure to light can lower the quality of bottled wine, causing great economic and image losses for wineries. Even under optimal storage conditions, environmental microvibrations can be a constant source of energy transfer to the stored bottles, and little is known about their effects over time. In this study, the effects of microvibrations on a fine Pinot noir wine were evaluated over a storage period of one year under controlled conditions and compared with those obtained using natural magnetic levitation as a damping technique to reduce the power transmitted by the vibrations. The wines were subjected to the treatments according to the following experimental set-up: (A) wines not exposed to microvibrations, but to natural magnetic levitation; (B) wines placed on a shelf in contact with the floor, and exposed to microvibrations; (C) controls, a shelf in direct contact with the floor, without the application of microvibrations; (D) wines on a shelf with natural magnetic levitation and exposed to microvibrations. Phenolic and volatile compounds were not significantly different between treatments, which is in line with the reduced energy stress applied. In contrast, the storage time significantly influenced these chemical profiles. Through the sensory analysis performed after 0 and 12 months of storage, it was possible to distinguish the wines, as the overall quality improved, especially for the microvibration-treated samples. After 12 months of storage: (a) the overall sensory quality improved for all wines compared to the samples at T0; (b) the damping of microvibrations reduced the rate of wine evolution; (c) treatment with microvibration up to 6 months was useful for improving the quality of wine not yet ready for the market. Therefore, modulation of wine evolution can be achieved by applying a combination of microvibrations and their damping, depending on the enological objective.

Biscuits Enriched with Monofloral Bee Pollens: Nutritional Properties, Techno-Functional Parameters, Sensory Profile, and Consumer Preference.

Bee pollens are potential functional food ingredients as they contain essential nutrients and a wide range of bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of enrichment with monofloral bee pollens on the nutritional properties, techno-functional parameters, sensory profile, and consumer preference of biscuits. Biscuits were prepared according to the AACC-approved method by substituting wheat flour with pollens of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) at 2%, 5% and 10% levels. The macronutrient composition of the biscuits was determined: crude protein content (Kjeldahl method), crude fat content (Soxhlet extraction), ash content (carbonization), moisture content (drying), carbohydrate content (formula). Their total phenolic content (TPC) and in vitro antioxidant capacity (FRAP, TEAC, DPPH) were determined spectrophotometrically. The colour of the biscuits was measured using a tristimulus-based instrument, and their texture was characterized by using a texture analyser. Sensory profile of biscuits was determined by qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA). The consumer acceptance and purchase intention of the biscuits were also evaluated, based on the responses of 100 consumers. Additionally, an external preference map was created to illustrate the relationship between consumer preference and the sensory profile of the biscuits, and penalty analysis was conducted to identify directions for product development. Phacelia pollen appeared to be the most effective for improving the nutritional quality of biscuits. The addition of phacelia pollen at the 10% substitution level increased the protein content and TPC of the control biscuit by 21% and 145%, respectively. Significant changes (p < 0.05) were also observed regarding the colour and texture of biscuits. The results of the QDA revealed that biscuits containing pollens of different botanical sources have heterogeneous sensory attributes. The biscuit containing sunflower pollen at the 2% substitution level was preferred the most (overall liking = 6.9 ± 1.6), and purchase intentions were also the highest for this product. Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended to use sunflower pollen for developing pollen-enriched foods in the future.

Textural properties and consumer preference of functional milk puddings fortified with apricot kernel extracts.

Both the demand for functional foods and their consumption have increased rapidly in recent years. Apricot kernels, originated in China, are rich in dietary protein, fat, fiber, and exhibit high antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The effects of the agar-gelatin ratio and milk volume on the texture of apricot kernel milk puddings were evaluated. Texture profile analysis indicated that increasing volumes of agar and milk contributed to the hardness and gumminess but reduced the cohesiveness of puddings. The pudding sample S2 (250 ml of milk, 200 ml of water, 60 g of raw apricot kernels, 30 g of sugar, 5 g of gelatin, and 2 g of agar) was ultimately determined as the essential texture matrix prototype for further development of puddings. The effects of the ratio of raw apricot kernels to roasted apricot kernels and cream content in puddings on consumer preference were determined by quantitative descriptive analysis and consumer testing. Both quantitative descriptive analysis and external preference mapping of all puddings (12 samples) indicated that the pudding sample P6 (250 ml of milk, 200 ml of water, 40 g of raw apricot kernels, 20 g of roasted apricot kernels, 40 g of cream, 30 g of sugar, 5 g of gelatin, and 2 g of agar) showed enhanced consumer acceptance. The properties driving preference for P6 were oral smoothness, overall flavor, degree of roast, and milky taste. P6 was ultimately selected as the prototype to incorporate apricot kernels for the development of functional milk puddings with fortified essential nutrients.

Correlation between instrumental and sensory properties of texture-modified carrot puree.

This study was undertaken to determine the correlation between instrumental and sensory evaluation on texture-modified carrot puree. Texture-modified foods (TMFs) are prescribed to dysphagia individuals to aid in the oral manipulation and facilitate swallowing of food. There is a lack of correlation between instrumental measurements and sensory attributes on TMF. Understanding this correlation will aid in the formulation of safe foods with desired sensory properties for dysphagia patients. Instrumental measurements of carrot purees were performed by back extrusion method using a texture analyzer and the attributes obtained were firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, and adhesiveness. Quantitative descriptive analysis with eight trained panelists was employed to characterize the texture of the carrot puree based on seven sensory attributes: firmness, viscous, adhesive (mouth), smoothness, adhesive (throat), rate of breakdown, and difficulty to swallow. Five thickeners, namely gellan gum, xanthan gum, Suberakaze, UNI-PURE® Dys-sperse instant thickener, and ULTRA-SPERSE® M Starch, were evaluated against carrot puree without any thickener as control. The correlation results obtained from texture analysis and sensory evaluation were statistically significant (p < .05). The firmness attributes from instrumental and sensory results were positively correlated. The consistency parameter was positively correlated to sensory attribute viscous and negatively correlated to smoothness. The sensory attribute rate of breakdown was negatively correlated to instrumental parameter of cohesiveness. Lastly, instrumental adhesiveness was positively correlated to sensory attributes adhesive to mouth and throat, and difficulty to swallow. The correlation results showed a well-designed instrumental technique can be used to understand the impact of thickeners on TMF for dysphagia subjects.

Sensory and Olfactometry Chemometrics as Valuable Tools for Assessing Hops' Aroma Impact on Dry-Hopped Beers: A Study with Wild Portuguese Genotypes.

Sensory, olfactometry (using the sums of odour intensities for each class of compounds) and chemometric analyses were used to evaluate Portuguese wild hops' sensory characteristics and the aroma that those hops impart to dry-hopped beer. CATA analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering was applied for the sensory characterization of 15 wild hops of Portuguese genotypes, clustering them in two groups: one more sulphurous, floral, and fruity, and another more earthy, resinous, floral, and non-citrus fruits. Two hops representative of each group were selected for the production of four dry-hopped beers using the same base beer style (Munich Helles). Beers were analysed by quantitative descriptive analyses and quantification of hop-derived key volatile compounds. Multivariate statistical treatment of the data was performed. Results indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) in fruity, resinous, earthy, floral, and sulphurous attributes of hops, but the dry-hopped beers only have a significant increase (p < 0.05) in fruity and spicy notes when compared with non-dry-hopped Munich-style Helles beer. Hop olfactometry explained the sensory perception that the 11 hops not used for brewing (employed as supplementary observations) are placed into the space of the odour-active compounds profile of the four hops selected for brewing. These 11 hop samples have more spiciness than fruitiness potential.

Comparison of methodological proposal in sensory evaluation for Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) by data mining and sensory panel.

Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) needs sensory evaluation for grading. This study compared data mining (DM) and sensory panel evaluation (SPE), using data visualization (DV) and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), respectively. Results showed that Yangcheng Lake Crab (YLC) was the most welcomed for "umami" and "sweet" according to DV; and QDA (7-scale) showed similar results of the highest "aroma-sweet" (Average Score 4.5) and "taste-umami" (Average Score 4.6) in YLC. The difference was that, DV was fast based on big data (1.4 million words); while QDA quantified detailed attributes (principle components > 85.3% averagely) based on highly-trained sensory panel of good distinguishing- and repeating- ability that F value showed 76.4% of all attributes > 5% for panelist averagely, and mean square error < 0.500 except one panelist. In conclusion, DM was quick but qualitative; while SPE was laborious but informative.

Sensory Analysis and Consumer Research in New Product Development.

Sensory analysis examines the properties (texture, flavor, taste, appearance, smell, etc [...].

Characterization of key odor-active compounds in sweet Petit Manseng (Vitis vinifera L.) wine by gas chromatography-olfactometry, aroma reconstitution, and omission tests.

Petit Manseng (Vitis vinifera L.) has become a popular variety in China for the production of semisweet and sweet wines. However, few studies focused on investigating the molecular odor code of its key odorants. In this study, the key odor-active compounds of Chinese sweet Petit Manseng wine were identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fifty-five odorous zones were sniffed and identified by application of aroma extraction dilution analysis on a distillate prepared by liquid-liquid extraction and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation. Among them, isoamyl alcohol, ethyl octanoate, isovaleric acid, (E)-ß-damascenone, and phenylethanol particularly displayed with highest flavor dilution factors above 1024. The quantification of volatiles by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with GC-MS and GC coupled with triple quadrupole MS/MS and a calculation of odor activity values (OAVs) indicated 23 volatiles with OAVs above 1. Ethyl hexanoate showed the highest OAV with 208.8, followed by (E)-ß-damascenone (189.0), 3-mercaptohexanol (60.3), isoamyl acetate (45.4), and furaneol (40.1). The aroma of the sweet wine was successfully reconstituted by combining 42 aroma compounds in a model wine solution. 3-Mercaptohexanol, (E)-ß-damascenone, furaneol, γ-octalactone + γ-decalactone + γ-hexalactone, and ethyl cinnamate had important influence on the aroma of sweet Petit Manseng wine assessed by omission tests. Moreover, the discrimination of wines from three regions was successfully achieved by partial least squares discriminant analysis based on quantitative results of key odorants. 3-Mercaptohexanol was considered as the most responsible for the region discrimination and had highest concentrations in Petit Manseng wines from Jiaodong Peninsula. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Understanding of the knowledge in key odorants of Petit Manseng wines could be useful to improve wine quality through viticultural and enological practices.

Sensory Analysis and Consumer Research in New Meat Products Development.

This review summarises the main sensory methods (traditional techniques and the most recent ones) together with consumer research as a key part in the development of new products, particularly meat products. Different types of sensory analyses (analytical and affective), from conventional methods (Quantitative Descriptive Analysis) to new rapid sensory techniques (Check All That Apply, Napping, Flash Profile, Temporal Dominance of Sensations, etc.) have been used as crucial techniques in new product development to assess the quality and marketable feasibility of the novel products. Moreover, an important part of these new developments is analysing consumer attitudes, behaviours, and emotions, in order to understand the complex consumer-product interaction. In addition to implicit and explicit methodologies to measure consumers' emotions, the analysis of physiological responses can also provide information of the emotional state a food product can generate. Virtual reality is being used as an instrument to take sensory analysis out of traditional booths and configure conditions that are more realistic. This review will help to better understand these techniques and to facilitate the choice of the most appropriate at the time of its application at the different stages of the new product development, particularly on meat products.

Effects of marbling on physical and sensory characteristics of ribeye steaks from four different cattle breeds.

OBJECTIVE: Marbling or intramuscular fat (IMF) has been widely reported to directly impact the sensory acceptance of meat. This study was carried out to determine the physical and sensory characteristics of ribeye, Longissimus dorsi steaks obtained from four different cattle breeds namely Wagyu, Angus, Brahman, and Malaysian local beef, the Kedah-Kelantan (KK). METHODS: The degree of marbling was determined by using an established combined camera-image analysis technique while instrumental texture determination was carried out by using Warner-Bratzler shear force analysis. Sensory evaluation of the beef steaks was performed following a quantitative descriptive analysis incorporating 10 trained consumer panelists. RESULTS: Wagyu was found to possess the highest (p<0.05) percentage of IMF at 33.90% and the lowest shear force (raw = 5.61 N/mm2; cooked = 14.72 N/mm2) followed by Angus (20.87%), Brahman (12.17%), and KK (p<0.05, 6.86%). The difference in sensory properties of the four steaks was evident, with Wagyu appearing to be highly correlated with most sensory attributes measured namely sustained buttery, tooth-packing, chewiness, juiciness, tenderness, mouthfeel, oiliness, and overall acceptability. The Malaysian local beef, KK was found to be less acceptable (p<0.05), although most of its sensory attributes were found similar (p>0.05) in appearance, aroma, texture, juiciness, and flavour to the cooked steak from Angus and Brahman. CONCLUSION: This present study demonstrated the role of IMF in determining the quality and sensory acceptance of beef from different cattle breeds. These data have provided new information and further understanding on the physical and sensory quality of Malaysian local beef.