Development of sensory tools for green rooibos (Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R.Dahlgren) and changes in quality attributes during shelf-life storage.

BACKGROUND: Green rooibos (Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R.Dahlgren) herbal tea is popular due to its health-promoting properties. Information on its characteristic sensory profile is scarce and sensory tools to define product variation are needed. The storage conditions and time during its shelf-life are hypothesized to affect the product quality. RESULTS: Production batches from two producers spanning 5 years (n = 57) were analyzed using descriptive sensory analysis. Primary attributes (>30 median intensity; 100% occurrence frequency) included 'hay/dried grass', 'cooked oats', 'tobacco', 'honey' and 'caramel' aromas, and astringent mouthfeel. 'Cooked vegetables', 'green grass', 'stewed fruit', 'rooibos-woody', 'marmalade' and 'cardboard' aromas, sweet taste and bitter taste were secondary attributes (10-20 median intensity; 100% occurrence frequency). The same flavor attributes were present, except for sweet-associated and fruity notes. A sensory lexicon and sensory wheels for aroma and palate attributes were constructed from the data. The shelf-life stability of green rooibos was evaluated in moisture-impermeable (pouches) and moisture-permeable (sachets) packaging at 25 and 40 °C at 60% relative humidity over 24 weeks. Green rooibos samples stored in pouches at 4 °C were also evaluated. Storage in sachets led to moisture uptake (~10 g (100 g)-1 dry basis) and an increase in water activity (>0.6), causing degradation of chlorophyll and dihydrochalcones. Changes in color and sensory profile (decreased vegetal, cereal and cardboard aromas and increased sweet-associated and fruity aromas) were evident and more pronounced at the higher storage temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Storage at ≤25 °C in moisture-impermeable packaging material is recommended for green rooibos herbal tea. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Follow your nose - Traveling the world of odorants in new cars.

Volatile organic compounds of the vehicle interior are well investigated, but only limited information is available on the odorants of the passenger cabin. To close this gap, we aimed at specifically elucidating the odor, as a general proof of principle, of two new cars with different seat upholstery in a controlled environment using a targeted odorant analysis. In a first step, odor profiles were evaluated by a descriptive sensory analysis. Then, potent odorants of the passenger cabins were characterized by gas chromatography-olfactometry and ranked according to their odor potency via odor extract dilution analysis. Using this approach, 41 potent odorants were detected, and 39 odorants were successfully identified by two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry. In a third step, important odorants of the vehicle interior were quantified by means of internal standard addition. The most dominant odorants could be assigned to several specific substance classes comprising esters, saturated and unsaturated aldehydes, unsaturated ketones, rose ketones, phenolic and benzene derivatives, and pyrazines, occurring in a concentration range between 0.05 and 219 ng/L in air. Of these potent odorants, the aldehydes 2-butylhept-2-enal, 2-propyloct-2-enal, and (Z)-2-butyloct-2-enal are reported here for the first time as odorants in the environment of a passenger cabin.

Smells like new car or rather like an old carriage? - Resolution of the decay behavior of odorants in vehicle cabins during usage.

The typical new car smell is not only perceived directly after vehicle delivery. Vehicle interiors maintain their characteristic odors for a period of time during use even though the gas composition of the vehicle interior changes due to external influences. To obtain deeper insights into the odorant composition of a passenger cabin, this study aimed at characterizing the gas phase of two vehicle interiors at defined time intervals after vehicle delivery, and use by a customer in a controlled environment using a targeted odorant analysis. Thereby, the decrease in the general emissions in the cars did not coincide with the decay behavior of the odorants due to the chemical characteristics such as polarity of the odorants. Identification of the odorants in the vehicle interior during use revealed three groups of odor contributors exhibiting different decay behaviors: (i) odorants vaporizing rapidly via elevated temperature; (ii) odorants released by continued diffusion from materials; and (iii) fragrance chemicals of the customer. After 23 weeks of vehicle use, octanal, p-chloro-m-cresol, nonanal, p-tert-butylphenol, γ-nonalactone, and unsaturated aldehydes and ketones represented the most important odorants in the vehicle interior constituting the investigated car odor. The results of a descriptive sensory analysis corresponded with the identified odorants.

Sensory guided selection criteria for breeding consumer-preferred sweetpotatoes in Uganda.

Prioritizing sensory attributes and consumer evaluation early in breeding trials to screen for end-user preferred traits could improve adoption rates of released genotypes. In this study, a lexicon and protocol for descriptive sensory analysis (DSA) was established for sweetpotato and used to validate an instrumental texture method for which critical values for consumer preference were set. The study comprised several phases: lexicon development during a 4-day workshop; 3-day intensive panel training; follow-up virtual training, evaluation of 12 advanced genotypes and 101 additional samples from two trials in 2021 by DSA and instrumental texture analysis using TPA double compression; and DSA, instrumental texture analysis and consumer acceptability tests on 7 genotypes in on-farm trials. The established sweetpotato lexicon comprising 27 sensory attributes enabled characterization and differentiation of genotypes by sensory profiles. Significant correlation was found between sensory firmness by hand and mouth with TPA peak positive force (r = 0.695 and r = 0.648, respectively) and positive area (r = 0.748, r = 0.715, respectively). D20, NAROSPOT 1, NASPOT 8, and Umbrella were the most liked genotypes in on-farm trials (overall liking = 7). An average peak positive force of 3700 gf was proposed as a minimum texture value for screening sweetpotato genotypes, since it corresponded with at least 46 % of consumers perceiving sweetpotatoes as just-about-right in firmness and a minimum overall liking of 6 on average. Combining DSA with instrumental texture analysis facilitates efficient screening of genotypes in sweetpotato breeding programs.

Flavor impartment of mushroom on egg whites and sensory properties of egg whites with mushroom topping using quantitative descriptive analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mushroom possesses desirable aroma, taste, texture, health-promoting and disease-preventing dietary components, making it an ideal ingredient, especially for animal-based food substitution. Nevertheless, no study has replaced egg whites partially with mushrooms and investigated their sensory quality. This study aimed to investigate flavor impartment of mushroom on egg whites and the sensory quality of roasting and steaming egg whites replaced by white and crimini mushrooms at 0%, 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively, using a panel trained with aroma chemical references for 31 sensory attributes with 0-10 line scales. RESULTS: Roasted and steamed egg whites possessed major sensory attributes of sulfury and egg-like aroma and flavor (intensities > 3). After mushroom topping was added, the dominant sensory attributes shifted to mushroom-based flavor characteristics, including mushroom-like, earthy, dark meat, roasted, hay, soybean, potato, woody, umami, bitter, astringent and firmness texture. Mushroom variety showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) impacts on egg white sensory quality, with crimini introducing more intense flavor. The higher the mushroom proportion with egg whites, the more intense was the flavor associated with mushroom. Mushroom could enhance egg-like flavor in multiple dimensions, including aroma, taste and texture, according to partial least square regression. CONCLUSION: White and crimini mushrooms enriched roasted and steamed egg white sensory quality with introduction of characteristic sensory attributes from mushrooms. Mushroom variety and proportion with egg whites displayed significant impacts on egg white sensory properties. The study contributed to understanding the impact of mushrooms on egg white sensory profile and served as a guide in incorporating mushroom in product development. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Salt and Aroma Compound Distributions Influence Flavour Release and Temporal Perception While Eating Hot-Served Flans.

To counteract the negative effect of salt overconsumption on health, strategies have been developed to reduce the salt content in food products. Among them, two promising strategies based on odour-induced saltiness enhancement and the heterogeneous distribution of flavour compounds were combined and assessed in four-layer cream-based snacks. To investigate the relationship between saltiness enhancement, temporal release and perception of flavour compounds in hot snacks with heterogeneous distribution of salt and aroma compounds, complementary techniques were used: nose space PTR-Tof-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry) to assess the release of aroma compounds in vivo, and ATI (Alternate Time-Intensity) and TDS Temporal Dominance of Sensations) to evaluate perception as a function of time. The obtained results confirmed that the strategy of concentrating salt in the outer layer of a multilayer product was the optimal solution with respect to taste intensity. Heterogeneous salt distribution decreased aroma compound release and consequently aroma intensity but in different ways according to both salt and added aroma distribution in the food matrix. The salty taste enhancement could be due to the initial strong dominance of the salty sensation at the very beginning of the eating process. The involved mechanisms rely on a combination of physico-chemical and perceptual effects which are not clear yet.

Determination of aquacultured whiteleg shrimp (Litopanaeus vannemei) quality using a sensory method with chemical standard references.

BACKGROUND: Fresh shrimp are highly perishable seafood and a reliable spoilage assessment method is necessary to ensure sufficient quality control. The current quality evaluation method employed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses subjective terms 'odor of decomposition' to reject shrimp shipments, which lacks reference standards to anchor the concept and can cause ambiguity. The present study aimed to develop chemical reference standards to assist in a more objective and consistent sensory evaluation of shrimp quality. RESULTS: Chemical references were developed and used by the descriptive panel to demonstrate the aroma quality indicators of shrimp. The most important aroma attributes describing shrimp quality changes were 'salty water-like', 'natto water-like' and 'sour milk-like' based on the results of multiple linear regression analysis. The overall rating consistency of the key quality indicators was confirmed by trained a descriptive panel such that the intensity scores in two separated evaluation sessions (30 days apart) were not significant different (P > 0.05). The sensory ratings also corresponded well with presumed FDA/NOAA grades of shrimp. An untrained panel also confirmed 'salty water-like' as the main indicator of freshness and 'natto water-like' as the main indicator of spoilage, whereas the discriminative capacity was lower compared to the trained panel. CONCLUSION: The developed chemical references of key aroma quality indicators allowed the trained and untrained panels to distinguish shrimp of different freshness levels. The results indicate the potential of using chemical references as a new evaluation tool for on-site quality inspection or industrial quality assurance/quality control of shrimp with improved objectivity and consistency. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of steam treatment on shelf-life stability of a xanthone-rich green herbal tea (Cyclopia maculata Andrews Kies) - identifying quality changes during storage.

BACKGROUND: Steam treatment of shredded, fresh C. maculata (honeybush) plant material improves the aroma of this green herbal tea with a slight impact on color and phenolic content, but the effect on storage stability is not known. RESULTS: Steam-treated (60 s before drying) and untreated (control) dried plant material was stored under normal storage conditions in semi-permeable sachets at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity. Reference samples of treated (steamed) and untreated (control) material were stored at 0 °C in impermeable pouches for maximum retention of quality. The stability of the herbal tea was assessed in terms of sensory profile, phenolic composition and color over a storage period of 6 months. Normal storage conditions resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in green color, especially in steamed samples. Intensities of fruity and sweet-associated aroma attributes increased progressively during storage, while the opposite was observed for vegetal and cereal-like attributes. These changes in the aroma profile were more pronounced in untreated (control) samples. Individual phenolic content remained stable during storage. CONCLUSIONS: Storage of 3 to 6 months may result in a more appealing aroma profile and enhanced product quality, despite loss of green color. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dynamics of volatile compounds in TSH 565 cocoa clone fermentation and their role on chocolate flavor in Southeast Brazil.

The effects of indigenous fermentation on volatile compound profiles in a Theobroma cacao L, TSH565 clone, resistant to Moniliophtora perniciosa and Phytophthora spp. were evaluated in Southern Brazil. Sixty-three volatile flavor compounds in pulp and 36 in grains were identified by SPME-HS/GC-MS and classified as terpenes, alcohols, esters, ketones and aldehydes, among others. The relative amount of these compounds and their evolution until the end of the fermentation process were assessed in both fresh and fermented grains/pulp masses. ß-myrcene and ß-cis-ocimene, among terpenes, were detected in high amounts and are associated to a fine chocolate aroma. The sensory evaluation of chocolates manufactured from the fermented cocoa was performed by trained panelists, which defined 15 sensory descriptors. Chocolates from the TSH565 cultivar were characterized by a rich, fruity, intense cocoa flavor and bitterness, which are valuable sensorial and commercial attributes.

Volatile composition and sensory profile of shiitake mushrooms as affected by drying method.

BACKGROUND: One of the best preservation method for long-term storage is drying. In this work, the influence of different drying methods on aroma and sensory profile of shiitake mushroom was evaluated. The drying methods tested were: convective drying (CD), freeze-drying (FD), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD), and a combination of convective pre-drying and vacuum-microwave finish-drying (CPD-VMFD). RESULTS: The volatile composition of fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms was analysed by SPME, GC-MS and GC-FID, and showed the presence of 71 volatile compounds, most of them present in all dried samples but with quantitative variation. The major volatile compounds in fresh shiitake were 1-octen-3-ol (20.2%), 2-octanone (20.7%), 1,2,4-trithiolane (9.8%), and 1,2,3,5,6-pentathiepane (8.2%). Drying of shiitake mushrooms caused significant losses of C8 compounds and cyclic sulfur compounds, such as 1,2,4-trithiolane (V31) and 1,2,4,5-tetrathiane (V57). Samples dried at CD 80 °C implied a relative short drying time (120 min), had the highest contents of total volatiles (1594 µg 100 g-1 ) and cyclic sulfur compounds (e.g. V57 126 µg 100 g-1 ), and the highest intensity of most of the key positive sensory attributes, such as inner colour (7.0), fresh shiitake flavour (6.7), and sponginess (6.2). CONCLUSION: The best dehydration methods, resulting in the highest total concentrations of volatile compounds and high intensity of key sensory attributes were FD (if vacuum and liquid nitrogen facilities are available) and CD at 80 °C (for companies with vacuum and liquid nitrogen facilities). © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quality of pomegranate pomace as affected by drying method.

During the industrial manufacturing of pomegranate juice, large amounts of pomace are produced. The aim of this work was to find the effective method to dry pomegranate pomace to open new commercial applications for this co-product. The effects of three drying methods: (i) convective drying (CD) at 50, 60, and 70 °C; (ii) vacuum microwave drying (VMD) at 240, 360, and 480 W, and (iii) a combined method (CPD-VMFD); convective pre-drying (60 °C) followed by vacuum microwave finish drying (360 W), on drying kinetics and quality of PomP (pomegranate pomace obtained after preparing pomegranate juice by squeezing only arils) were evaluated. The shortest treatments were VMD at 240 and 360 W (52 and 33 min, respectively); besides, these treatments led to interesting values of the green-red coordinate, a*, (12.2 and 4.1, respectively), total phenolic content (4.0 and 4.1 mg eq gallic acid g-1 dry weight, respectively), and antioxidant activity (30.8 and 29.0 µmol g-1 dry weight, respectively). On the other hand, this study demonstrated that this co-product is a rich source of punicic acid (average value = 66.4%), being a good opportunity for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Moreover, no significant changes in the fatty acid profile was observed as affected by the drying treatments, and no off-flavors were generated by any of the drying methods.

Volatile composition and sensory profile of Cantharellus cibarius Fr. as affected by drying method.

BACKGROUND: In this work, the influence of different drying methods on the aroma composition and sensory quality of chanterelle mushrooms (Cantharellus cibarius Fr.) was evaluated. The drying methods tested were convective drying (CD), freeze drying (FD), vacuum microwave drying (VMD) and a combination of convective pre-drying and vacuum microwave finish drying (CPD-VMFD). RESULTS: Analyses of fresh and dried chanterelle samples by HS-SPME and GC/MS and GC-FID showed the presence of 39 volatile compounds at different concentrations. The most abundant compounds in fresh chanterelle were 1-hexanol (33.4 µg per 100 g dry basis (db)), 1-octen-3-ol (80.2 µg per 100 g db) and 2-octen-1-ol (19.3 µg per 100 g db). The results showed that fresh and dried chanterelle contained very low levels of aroma compounds; however, the highest contents of volatile compounds were found in samples after (i) CD at 80 °C (129 µg per 100 g db), (ii) CPD-VMFD at 70 °C-480/240 W (136 µg per 100 g db) and (iii) CPD-VMFD at 80 °C-480/240 W (136 µg per 100 g db). CONCLUSION: The best dehydration methods, which resulted in high contents of volatile compounds and appropriate sensory quality, according to descriptive sensory analysis and PCA tools, were CD at 70 and 80 °C. Besides, these methods led to spongy dried mushrooms with high intensities of fresh, mushroom ID, with proper color and without intense shrinkage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Irrigation dose and plant density affect the volatile composition and sensory quality of dill (Anethum graveolens L.).

BACKGROUND: Two independent field experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of (i) three irrigation treatments (ID0 = 1585 m3 ha-1 , considered as a control; ID1 = 1015 m3 ha-1 ; and ID2 = 2180 m3 ha-1 ) and (ii) three plant density treatments (PD0 = 5.56 plants m-2 , considered as a control; PD1 = 4.44 plants m-2 ; and PD2 = 7.41 plants m-2 ) on the production, volatile composition of essential oil, and sensory quality of dill. RESULTS: The highest plant yield was obtained with intermediate conditions of both irrigation dose (ID0) and plant density (PD0). The main compounds of the essential oil were α-phellandrene, dill ether and ß-phellandrene. The highest irrigation dose (ID2) produced the highest concentrations of most of the main compounds: α-phellandrene (49.5 mg per 100 g), ß-phellandrene (6.89 mg per 100 g) and limonene (2.49 mg per 100 g). A similar pattern was found for the highest plant density (PD2): α-phellandrene (71.0 mg per 100 g), dill ether (16.7 mg per 100 g) and ß-phellandrene (9.70 mg per 100 g). The use of descriptive sensory analysis helped in reaching a final decision, and the dill plants with the highest sensory quality were those of the ID2 and PD0 treatments. CONCLUSION: The final recommendation is to use the irrigation dose ID2 and the plant density PD2 if the objective is to produce dill samples with the highest aromatic and sensory quality; however, if the only objective is to produce high amounts of dill, the best options are ID0 and PD0. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Physico-chemical, nutritional, and volatile composition and sensory profile of Spanish jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruits.

BACKGROUND: Jujube fruit is eaten mostly fresh, but may be dried (Chinese dates and tea) or processed into confectionary recipes in bread, cakes, compotes, and candy. Given that the quality of jujube available on the market differs on account of various factors such as geographical environment, cultivar, processing conditions, and storage conditions, and that, for consumers, flavour and nutrition properties of jujube represent the major parameters in determining the quality of jujube, the main goal of this study were to determine the main physico-chemical properties of jujube fruits, sugars and organic acids profiles, protein, mineral constituents, volatile composition and sensory profile of jujube fruits. This would allow breeders to select cultivars with higher levels of nutrients and also enable increasing dietary intake by consumers. RESULTS: Investigations showed that jujube fruit weight ranged from 4.8 to 29.3 g fruit(-1) . Four sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose and sorbitol) and four organic acids (citric, malic, ascorbic and succinic acids) were identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography in jujube fruits. Potassium, calcium and magnesium were the major mineral constituents in jujube fruits. Fifteen volatiles compounds were found in the aroma profile of jujube fruits (nine were aldehydes, three terpenes, one ester, one ketone and one linear hydrocarbon). CONCLUSION: The results showed that Spanish jujube cultivars studied are a good source of vitamin C, and they have a low content of Na. The jujube cultivar with the most appreciated quality by consumers was GAL; the GAL fruits were sweet, crunchy, and had high intensities of jujube ID and apple flavour a long after-taste. Therefore, jujube grown in Spain has a great potential to be exploited for functional foods. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Flavour characterisation and free radical scavenging activity of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) foliage.

The primary objective was to characterize Indian Coriandrum sativum L. foliage (Vulgare alef and Microcarpum DC varieties) and its radical scavenging activity. Foliage of Vulgare alef and Microcarpum DC contained ascorbic acid (1.16 ± 0.35 and 1.22 ± 0.54 mg/g), total carotenoids (1.49 ± 0.38 and 3.08 ± 1.2 mg/g), chlorophyll 'a' (8.23 ± 2.4 and 12.18 ± 2.9 mg/g), chlorophyll 'b' (2.74 ± 0.8 and 4.39 ± 1.3 mg/g) and total chlorophyll (10.97 ± 2.6 and 16.57 ± 3.2 mg/g). The polyphenol content was 26.75 ± 1.85 and 30.00 ± 2.64 mg/g in Vulgare alef and Microcarpum DC, respectively. Ethanol extracts (200 ppm) of alef and Microcarpum DC showed higher radical scavenging activity of 42.05 ± 2.42 % and 62.79 ± 1.36 % when compared with 95 % butylated hydroxyanisole. The principal component analysis results indicated that e-nose can distinguish the volatiles effectively. Quantitative descriptive sensory analysis showed that Microcarpum DC variety is superior to Vulgare alef variety. Nearly 90 % of the flavour compounds present were identified by GC-MS in both varieties. The principal component identified in both the varieties were decanal (7.645 and 7.74 %), decanol < n- > (25.12 and 39.35 %), undecanal (1.20 and 1.75 %), dodecanal (7.07 and 2.61 %), tridecen-1-al < 2E > (6.67 and 1.21 %), dodecen-1-ol < 2E- > (16.68 and 8.05 %), 13-tetradecenal (9.53 and 8.60 %), tetradecanal (5.61 and 4.35 %) and 1-octadecanol (1.25 and 3.67 %).

Molecular and oenological characterization of Touriga Nacional non-Saccharomyces yeasts.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate non-Saccharomyces yeasts isolated from spontaneous fermenting musts of Touriga Nacional (TN), one of the most important Portuguese red grape variety, to improve and diversify TN wines. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy nine isolates were assigned to 11 yeast species by conventional molecular and growth tests. Starmerella bacillaris was the most frequently detected yeast species, followed by Hanseniaspora guilliermondii and Hanseniaspora uvarum. Twenty-three isolates from 10 species were selected for oenological study, namely fermentation performance, physicochemical and quantitative descriptive sensory analysis of the wines produced. A significant species effect was observed for most of the variables evaluated, some species generating wines with quite interesting aromas. CONCLUSIONS: Candida diversa and S. bacillaris isolates produced wines with higher overall quality, higher balance and more intense and diverse aroma. Furthermore, S. bacillaris isolates generated wines with enhanced TN typical aroma, such as bergamot, violet and rock-rose, and were thus regarded as the most promising for improving TN wines. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: This study revealed the diversity of wine aroma profiles generated by non-Saccharomyces yeast isolates. This knowledge is particularly important given the growing trend from industry to use non-Saccharomyces yeasts as a tool for improving and diversifying the sensory characteristics of wine.

Culinary preparation of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.): the impact on sensory quality and appropriateness.

BACKGROUND: Beetroot is a diverse vegetable available in different shapes and colours. The objectives of this study were to evaluate sensory qualities, and sugar and dry matter content of five beetroot varieties in relationship to the appropriateness for raw, boiled and pan-fried preparation. RESULTS: Sensory evaluation by descriptive sensory analysis and consumer tests showed clear distinctions between red varieties Taunus, Rocket and Pablo, and the pink-white striped Chioggia and yellow Burpee's Golden in raw preparations. However, variety delimination was more difficult after boiling and pan-frying. Different sensory qualities were important for beetroot appropriateness in raw, boiled and pan-fried preparations. Appropriateness of raw beetroots was associated with high sensory scores in beetroot flavour, crispness and juiciness, and low scores in bitterness. Appropriateness of boiled beetroots was related to high scores in beetroot and earthy flavours. Pan-fried beetroot appropriateness was associated with high scores in beetroot flavour, colour intensity and crispness. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the quality of raw materials is integral in culinary preparations. These results can be used to guide consumers in the use of beetroot in culinary preparations and subsequently increase consumption.

Relationships between Descriptive Sensory Attributes and Physicochemical Analysis of Broiler and Taiwan Native Chicken Breast Meat.

Unique organoleptic characteristics such as rich flavors and chewy texture contribute to the higher popularity of native chicken in many Asian areas, while the commercial broilers are well-accepted due to their fast-growing and higher yields of meat. Sensory attributes of foods are often used to evaluate food eating quality and serve as references during the selection of foods. In this study, a three-phase descriptive sensory study was conducted to evaluate the sensory attributes of commercial broiler (BR) and Taiwan native chicken (TNC) breast meat, and investigate correlations between these sensory attributes and instrumental measurements. The results showed that for the first bite (phase 1), TNC meat had significantly higher moisture release, hardness, springiness, and cohesiveness than BR meat. After chewing for 10 to 12 bites (phase 2), TNC meat presented significantly higher chewdown hardness and meat particle size, whereas BR meat had significantly higher cohesiveness of mass. After swallowing (phase 3), TNC meat had higher chewiness and oily mouthcoat and lower residual loose particles than BR meat. TNC meat also provided more intense chicken flavors. This study clearly demonstrates that descriptive sensory analysis provides more detailed and more objectively information about the sensory attributes of meats from various chicken breeds. Additionally, sensory textural attributes vary between BR and TNC meat, and are highly correlated to the shear force value and collagen content which influence meat eating qualities greatly. The poultry industry and scientists should be able to recognize the sensory characteristics of different chicken meats more clearly. Accordingly, based on the meat's unique sensory and physicochemical characteristics, future work might address how meat from various breeds could best satisfy consumer needs using various cooking methods.

A comparison of the flavor of green teas from around the world.

BACKGROUND: Green teas can be grouped based on their flavor profiles. The country of origin appears to have a strong influence on the flavor of green tea probably because similar processing methods are widely used within each particular country and flavor is dependent, in part, on processing. The aim of this article is to determine what flavor differences exist among a wide range of green teas (n = 138) produced in various countries. RESULTS: In this study we found that roast-processed teas were mostly responsible for brown-related flavors and steam-processed teas were responsible for green-related flavors. The prices of the green teas did not differentiate the flavors of the samples. Often highly priced green teas were grouped with low-priced green teas from the same manufacturer or country of origin according to their flavor attributes. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the tea plant varieties or cultivars likely affects flavors in green tea. However, those were not known for many samples in this research and more study will be needed to determine the effects of specific differences in varieties or cultivars.

Antioxidant activity, volatile composition and sensory profile of four new very-early apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.).

BACKGROUND: Very-early apricot cultivars are interesting owing to the fact that they will be available in markets before any other cultivar. In order to achieve good fruit quality, very-early apricots require appropriate size, weight and color, good balance of sugars and organic acids, proper content of bioactive compounds, relatively strong apricot aroma as well as acceptable sensory quality. RESULTS: Physical, chemical, antioxidant and sensory properties showed important variations among apricot cultivars. These differences were basically attributed to genetic reasons. Four very-early apricot cultivars were studied, namely 'Mirlo Blanco', 'Mirlo Anaranjado', 'Colorao' and 'Mogador'. All of them showed proper size and weight, but their contents of organic acids, sugars and bioactive compounds were low and the number of volatile compounds was also low. However, very-early apricots showed an appropriate sensory profile for fresh consumption. CONCLUSION: Regarding physical, chemical and volatile composition and sensory properties, very-early apricot cultivars could be recommended for fresh consumption. However, future research must be focused on increasing their contents of sugars, organic acids and bioactive and volatile compounds, perhaps via cultural practices such as deficit irrigation and/or mulching.