Crispness, the Key for the Palatability of “Kakinotane”: A Sensory Study with Onomatopoeic Words

Crispness is among the most important food textures that contribute significantly to palatability. This study investigated the association between the perceived crispness and palatability of five types of Japanese rice crackers known as “kakinotane.” Two experiments were conducted using the temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and temporal drivers of liking (TDL) methods. As descriptors for the TDS evaluation, we used 10 Japanese onomatopoeias to indicate various attributes of crispness. We also measured the mastication sounds and electromyography (EMG) activity during mastication. Principal component analysis data revealed that principal component 1, representing moisture characteristics, contributed more than 60% in both experiments. The palatability of the stimulus, which was described as having a very soft, moist, and sticky texture, BETA-BETA, was significantly lower than the others. However, there was no significant relationship between the amplitude of mastication sound or EMG activity and palatability. We demonstrated that naïve university students can discriminate the fine nuances of the crispness of “kakinotane” using the TDS and TDL methods. Our findings also suggested that the onomatopoeias used as descriptors in the TDS method had a greater influence on describing the nuances of food texture than the physiological data.

Identifying Marketable Attributes of Fresh-market Blackberries through Consumer Sensory Evaluations

Breeding and release of new fresh-market blackberries (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson) is vital for competitive markets to address evolving changes and production challenges. Physical, composition, and sensory attributes of six University of Arkansas (UA) System Division of Agriculture blackberry cultivars (Caddo, Natchez, Osage, Ouachita, Ponca, and Prime-Ark® Traveler) were evaluated to identify marketable attributes. The consumer sensory study (n = 81) had two elements: a visual evaluation of displayed blackberries and an appearance, tasting, and firmness evaluation of the six cultivars using a 9-point verbal hedonic liking scale and a 5-point just about right (JAR) scale. Consumers preferred large blackberries when presented with individual berries of varying sizes and clamshells filled with equal weights of small or large blackberries. The largest of the six cultivars, Natchez and Caddo, were scored favorably for size and shape. Consumers also preferred clamshells with little to no red drupelet reversion, a postharvest disorder where black drupelets on the blackberry turn red during or after cold storage. Consumers did not detect differences in the appearance or firmness of the cultivars and rated the firmness of all cultivars favorably on the JAR scale. The physical and composition attributes of the six cultivars were within commercially acceptable ranges (soluble solids = 9% to 10%, pH = 3.1–3.8, titratable acidity = 0.6% to 1.4%, and berry weight = 6–10 g). ‘Ponca’, ‘Osage’, ‘Caddo’, and ‘Natchez’ were all rated highly for sweetness, sourness, overall flavor, and overall impression. ‘Ponca’ was rated high for sweetness, overall flavor, and overall impression and had 10.4% soluble solids, 0.82% titratable acidity, and a 12.8 soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio. The identification of these marketability attributes of fresh-market blackberries will provide information to advance breeding efforts for fruit with commercial potential.

The Effect of Pasteurization and Shelf Life on the Physicochemical, Microbiological, Antioxidant, and Sensory Properties of Rose Apple Cider during Cold Storage

Rose apple fruits (Syzygium agueum Alston cv. Taaptimjan) were used to produce cider to overcome their limitation of short shelf life. Following fermentation, alternative pasteurization conditions at 63 °C for 15 s and at 71 °C for 6 s were compared. The effects of pasteurization conditions on physicochemical properties, microbial safety, antioxidant capacity, and sensory properties of the cider were investigated during storage for 6 months at refrigerated temperature. The unpasteurized cider had 5.9% ethanol content with TSS of 4.1 °Brix. Alcohol content of this treatment group increased while TSS decreased during storage, as effects of continuing fermentation. Pasteurization at 63 or 71 °C effectively prolonged cider shelf life to 3 and 6 months, respectively. Nonetheless, the processing significantly decreased contents of ascorbic acid and antioxidants and affected sensory profile of the cider. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated storage time as the dominant factor determining cider quality. Trained panelists in the sensory study perceived more intense sweetness, less sourness, and less flavor in the pasteurized samples compared to the control group. The pasteurization conditions 71 °C for 6 s achieved microbiological safety and resulted in desirable sensory quality for up to 6 months of shelf life.

Art and Еsthesis. Ontologization and deontologization of the sensations

This article discusses the problem of overcoming the stereotypical patterns imposed by the aesthetics of modernity. The idea of separating an interdisciplinary field of knowledge, including science and artistic practice, is defended. Interdisciplinary connections are based on the sensory study of being and the immediate exploitation of the sensations and sensory sensations of the human body, interpreted as a kind of artistic material in an extended (multisensory) field. Equality of all sensory channels in the creative act is upheld, including the tactility, smell, taste neglected by aesthetics.

Correlation between sensory and instrumental measurements of saltiness in Queso Molido Narinense

A sensory study was conducted at the Universidad Santiago de Cali with Queso Molido Nariñense. To determine the preferred levels of concentration acceptable by consumers, samples were made with different concentrations of NaCl (C1 = 0.62%, C2 = 0.87%, C3 = 1.05%, C4 = 1.74%, C5 = 2.71%, and C6 = 5.34%). The results show that sample C4 had the highest degree of acceptance, followed by C2, C3, and C5, while C1 and C6 had the lowest acceptance. Consumers were able to distinguish salt differences above 0.27%. It was possible to predict consumer reaction regarding their levels of acceptability and perception using the Sensory-Instrumental correlation. This result showed that either an extremely low or a very high level of concentration of salt in cheese could result in a low acceptance by consumers.

Microbial β-glucan Incorporated into Muffins: Impact on Quality of the Batter and Baked Products

Microorganisms can be a promising source of bioactive food ingredients derived from unconventional agricultural farms. The quality of batter and final products in which 20%–80% of the fat has been replaced by β-glucan, obtained from microorganisms, was analyzed. The instrumental texture measurements showed that β-glucan batter and muffins were harder than the control sample. Fat substitution over 40%, while enriching muffins with yeast β-glucan (over 2%), led to a decrease in the quality of products after baking and during 14-day storage. The incorporation of 3% or more β-glucan into the composition increased the hardness of the batter and deteriorated the quality of the muffin crumb, after baking and during storage. The sensory study revealed that fat replacement up to 40% with β-glucan provided acceptable biscuits, but higher replacement decreased the overall acceptability.

Determining Which Cooking Method Provides the Best Sensory Differentiation of Potatoes

There are many ways to prepare potatoes that each provide a unique set of sensory properties. However, when conducting a descriptive sensory study, it is important to utilize a cooking method that will highlight, and not distract from, the sensory differences among potato samples due to factors such as variety or growing conditions. This study aimed to determine which of five cooking methods results in the best differentiation among potato varieties to recommend a single method for use in future descriptive sensory studies. Five different potato varieties were each prepared using boiling, mashing, baking, frying, and air frying methods. The samples were provided to six highly trained descriptive panelists and evaluated by consensus using a modified high identity traits (HITs) method. Panelists evaluated the aroma, flavor, and texture to develop a list of up to five total HITs per sample. Additionally, panelists scored each sample for degree of difference (DOD) from the control. Based on the HITs profiles and DOD scores, mashing, baking, and air frying methods were all effective in differentiating the samples. Frying and boiling methods introduced too much variation and are not recommended for sample differentiation. Ultimately, the method chosen for future research would depend on the study objectives.

Effect of slaughter age and finishing diet on sensory evaluation and consumers’ preference of foal meat

Aim of study: This study focused on the sensory evaluation and consumer preferences of foal meat depending on the animal slaughter age (13 and 26 months) and finishing diet (standard and linseed concentrate).Area of study: It was developed in two localities in the north of Spain: Orense and Pamplona.Material and methods: The sensory study was conducted by a 10-member trained and a 474-consumer panel.Main results: The trained panel described meat from both, 13 and 26-months old foals similar between each other. On the contrary, consumers considered meat from the younger group to be juicier and tenderer, being juiciness and tenderness (p<0.05), the most important clues for their global acceptance. No differences were found in either the trained or the consumer panel due to the finishing diet. The consumers test was carried out in two Spanish cities (Pamplona and Orense. Two scenarios were considered: without and with supplementary information about the foal meat production. The additional information disclosed about foal meat had a positive effect on Pamplona consumers’ assessments.Research highlights: City and information level are essential factors to introduce foal meat in the market. The lack of knowledge about foal meat and its low presence in meat markets make it necessary to develop further sensory studies; to obtain foal meat description patterns, and to get to know consumers’ likings.