The sensory profiles of flatbreads made from sorghum, cassava, and cowpea flour used as wheat flour alternatives

Sorghum, cowpea, and cassava are underutilised gluten-free sources of flour that have the potential to be used in bread products in sub-Saharan Africa. Excessive wheat imports affect the economies of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, driving the search for wheat flour alternatives. To extend the use of sorghum, cowpea, and cassava flours toward bread production, it is vital that the sensory properties of these flours are better understood. A trained sensory panel evaluated and described the sensory properties of flatbread models prepared from red non-tannin sorghum, fractions (whole and dehulled) of two cowpea varieties, cassava starch, and designated flour composites. The composites were prepared using cassava starch and sorghum flour at 0%, 35%, and 70%, respectively, with 30% cowpea flour. The addition of sorghum intensified sorghum aroma in flatbread, while cowpea flours contributed a beany flavour. Flatbreads from cassava-cowpea composites had a chewier and rubberier mouthfeel, an intense fermented aroma and flavour, and a sour aftertaste compared to single flours, but were most similar to the wheat flatbread, with a residual beany flavour. Information from this study can guide food product developers toward developing new bread products from sorghum, cassava, and cowpea composite flours, thereby moving Africa towards a more sustainable food system. Further research on the effects of the sensory characteristics on consumer liking of the flatbreads is needed

Proof of Concept for Cell Culture-Based Coffee

The global coffee production is facing serious challenges including land use, climate change, and sustainability while demand is rising. Cellular agriculture is a promising alternative to produce plant-based commodities such as coffee, which are conventionally produced by farming. In this study, the complex process of drying and roasting was adapted for bioreactor-grown coffee cells to generate a coffee-like aroma and flavor. The brews resulting from different roasting regimes were characterized with chemical and sensory evaluation-based approaches and compared to conventional coffee. Roasting clearly influenced the aroma profile. In contrast to conventional coffee, the dominant odor and flavor attributes were burned sugar-like and smoky but less roasted. The intensities of bitterness and sourness were similar to those of conventional coffee. The present results demonstrate a proof of concept for a cellular agriculture approach as an alternative coffee production platform and guide future optimization work

The Individual Differences in the Perception of Oral Chemesthesis Are Linked to Taste Sensitivity

Chemesthesis is a part of the flavor experience of foods. Chemesthetic perception is studied to understand its effect on food-related behavior and health. Thus, the objective of this research was to study individual differences in chemesthetic perception. Our study involved sensory tests of three chemesthetic modalities (astringency, pungency, and cooling). Participants (N = 196) evaluated the intensity of samples in different concentrations using a line scale under sensory laboratory conditions. Aluminum ammonium sulfate, capsaicin, and menthol were used as the prototypic chemesthetic compounds. The participants were divided into sensitivity groups in different chemesthetic modalities by hierarchical clustering based on their intensity ratings. In addition, an oral chemesthesis sensitivity score was determined to represent the generalized chemesthesis sensitivity. The results showed that people can perceive chemesthesis on different intensity levels. There were significantly positive correlations between (1) sensitivity scores for oral chemesthesis and taste as well as (2) each chemesthesis and taste modalities. Moreover, based on the multinomial logistic regression model, significant interactions between oral chemesthesis and taste sensitivity were discovered. Our findings showed that people can be classified into different oral chemesthesis sensitivity groups. The methods and results of this study can be utilized to investigate associations with food-related behavior and health

Synergistic use of fermentation and extrusion processing to design plant protein-based sausages

The synergistic effect of lactic acid fermentation and high-moisture extrusion processing of pea protein on the microbiological and sensory properties of plant-based sausages was investigated. Plant-based sausages were formed by combining fermented pea protein concentrate (PPC) biomass with high-moisture extruded pea protein isolate (PPI). Pea protein concentrate (PPC) was fermented with Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum to improve the perceived structure, texture, and flavour (specifically via expression of glutamic acid which is connected to umami flavour) of plant-based sausages.The sausages were prepared by stuffing the mixture of extruded PPI and fermented PPC (addition level 70:30) inside vegetarian casings followed by steam cooking. After preparation and cooking of the sausages, a trained sensory panel evaluated the intensities of ten selected attributes defining the flavour, odour, colour, and texture. In addition, dry matter content, acidification, microbial quality, and glutamate contents were analysed.The results demonstrated that fermentation decreased the pea-like odour and improved the texture of the sausages. In addition, yeast-like odour and umami taste were observed. The study was able to demonstrate novel clean-label processing approaches by combined fermentation and extrusion to generate in-situ meat-like flavour and texture based on plant protein ingredients

Development and Consumer Perception of a Snack Machine Producing Customized Spoonable and Drinkable Products Enriched in Dietary Fiber and Protein

The aim of the study was to evaluate consumer perceptions toward customized snacks produced with a Healthy Snack Machine (HSM) prototype, at-site of the purchase and consumption. The present study had a multi-disciplinary approach including both snack product and HSM development (hardware and user interface). Snack development included both instrumental (viscosity, colloidal stability) and sensory characterization (by trained sensory (N = 10) and consumer (N = 55) panels) of spoonable and drinkable, oat- and dairy-based snack products, fortified with protein and/or dietary fiber. The protein and fiber addition reduced viscosity in spoonable products but did not affect the consistency of drinkable samples. Oat-based samples differed from dairy-based in multiple attributes in sensory profiling. In consumer sample testing, sample odor and taste were the most and least preferred aspects, respectively. In the snack machine testing, a qualitative consumer study (N = 33) showed that the HSM was easy to use, the user interface was clear, the ordering process was quick, and the participants were interested in using the HSM in the future. The snack choices (spoonable/drinkable and dairy/oat base) made by the consumers were distributed equally, but the berry-flavor was preferred over cocoa and vanilla. The most common HSM usage scenarios were “between work/school and hobbies” and “in transit from one place to another”

Factors explaining individual differences in taste sensitivity and taste modality recognition among Finnish adults

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors affecting interindividual variation in the sense of taste among Finnish adults. Two components of taste function were examined with five established taste modalities: taste sensitivity and capability to identify taste modalities. The potential explanatory factors for taste function included gender, age, BMI, and smoking. In total, 205 volunteers participated in the study at the sensory evaluation laboratory of Functional Foods Forum. Older age (>50 years) and male gender predicted a less sensitive sense of taste in general. For umami sensitivity, high BMI along with older age predicted lower sensitivity. Additionally, taste recognition and sensitivity were related in bitter and umami tastes. Older age was also associated with a poorer capability in taste recognition. Sour–bitter, umami–salty, and salty–umami were the most frequent taste confusions.</p