Sensory milk properties at the farm level – the terroir dimension

In recent years, the Danish milk market has shown an increase in the consumption of organic milk as well as a growing variety of milk with specific features including farm milk. The production of milk from a single farm and pasture-based (PB) feeding regimes is of special interest as it implies a “sense of place” or terroir. The PB feeding regimes vary with season and might also vary on a day-to-day basis. It is therefore important to understand the impact of the feed on the sensory properties of the milk [1]. This study aims at demonstrating how analytical sensory analysis can provide important information about the influence of breed, season and variation in farm management from PB feeding regimes on the sensory properties of organic farm milk. The study was performed in 2007 and 2008 during two seasons (spring/autumn) representing 28 milk samples from 7 organic farms with either Holstein or Jersey cows. PB feeding regimes were based on pastures with varying amounts of white clover together with perennial ryegrass and supplement feeding with silage and concentrates. Significant results were found for season and breed with a larger variation in sensory flavour properties of spring milk and milk from Holstein cows. In general, there was a tendency of the milk being characterized as having a ‘greener’ odour, ‘sweet’ and ‘maize-like’ flavour in spring and a more ‘bitter’ taste in the autumn. The results show a distinct relation between sensory milk properties and the amount of pasture in the ration and white clover in the pasture. Relations to other production conditions such as composition of the supplement feed also tended to have an impact on the sensory characteristics of the milk. It is thus concluded, that a sensory analytical tool can provide important information about the sensory properties of organic farm milk, reflecting time and place. Seasonal variations appear to be an important factor in the terroir dimension of milk and may be more actively used in relation to communication of the sensory properties to the consumer

Performance of Flash Profile and Napping with and without training for describing small sensory differences in a model wine

Rapid sensory methods are a convenient alternative to conventional descriptive analysis suitable for quickly assessing sensory product differences. As these methods gain in popularity, assessments of their discriminability and reproducibility in food applications are increasingly needed. Moreover, it is of interest to explore whether small adjustments to the existing protocols could improve the results. In this study different variations of two rapid sensory methods, one based on holistic assessment – Napping, and one based on attribute evaluation – Flash Profile, were tested for the evaluation of the flavour in wine. Model wines were developed with control over the sensory differences in terms of sensory characters and sensory intensities (weak to moderate). Some modifications to the classical Napping and Flash Profile protocols were employed in order to improve discriminability, repeatability and accuracy. The results showed that conducting Napping with a panel training on either the method (training on how to arrange samples on the sheet) or the product (familiarisation with the sensory properties of the wines) improved the outcome compared to the classical Napping protocol. The classical Flash Profile protocol and its modified version including a Napping with subsequent attributes generation as the word generation step and limiting the number of attributes for ranking gave a similar sample space. The Napping method could best highlight qualitative sample differences, whereas the Flash Profile provided a more precise product mapping on quantitative differences between model wines

Gender and handedness effects on hedonicity of laterally presented odours

The effect of lateral presentation of odours on the hedonic evaluation is reported using a range of different substances. The hypothesis that hedonic evaluation of odours depends on stimulated nostril and on gender and handedness is tested using psychophysical methodology. A total of 51 untrained subjects evaluated 16 substances with different hedonic valences. Each odour substance was presented to the subjects four times, twice at each nostril using a balanced experimental design. Effects of gender and handedness, and interactions, are observed. Some parallels with the perception of visual emotional stimuli are suggested. Hedonic processing of odour stimuli is concluded to be an emotional, rather than an analytical task.</p

Maltodextrin-Based Carbohydrate Oral Rinsing and Exercise Performance:Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background Carbohydrates are an important fuel for optimal exercise performance during moderate- and high-intensity exercise; however, carbohydrate ingestion during high-intensity exercise may cause gastrointestinal upset. A carbohydrate oral rinse is an alternative method to improve exercise performance in moderate- to high-intensity exercise with a duration of 30–75 min. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively examine the isolated effect of maltodextrin-based rinsing on exercise performance. Objective The objective of this review was to establish the effect of a maltodextrin-based carbohydrate oral rinse on exercise performance across various modes of exercise. Furthermore, a secondary objective was to determine the effects of moderators [(1) participant characteristics; (2) oral rinse protocols; (3) exercise protocol (i.e. cycling, running etc.) and (4) fasting] on exercise performance while using a maltodextrin-based, carbohydrate oral rinse. Methods Five databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, SPORTDiscus and Global Health) were systematically searched for articles up to March 2021 and screened using Covidence (a systematic review management tool). A random effects robust meta-analysis and subgroup analyses were performed using Stata Statistical Software: Release 16. Results Thirty-five articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review; 34 of these articles were included in the meta-analysis. When using a conventional meta-analytic approach, overall, a carbohydrate oral rinse improved exercise performance in comparison with a placebo (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI 0.04, 0.27; p = 0.01). Furthermore, when implementing an adjusted, conservative, random effects meta-regression model using robust variance estimation, overall, compared with placebo, a carbohydrate oral rinse demonstrated evidence of improving exercise performance with a small effect size (SMD = 0.17, 95% CI − 0.01, 0.34; p = 0.051). Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that a maltodextrin-based carbohydrate oral rinse can improve exercise performance. When comparing the two meta-analytic approaches, although non-significant, the more robust, adjusted, random effects meta-regression model demonstrated some evidence of a maltodextrin-based carbohydrate oral rinse improving exercise performance overall. </jats:sec

Characterization of Roselle calyx from different geographical origins

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is considered an underexploited food crop with nutritional and large scale processing potential. Roselle can be utilized as a functional food, mainly due to being rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, other phytochemicals, and natural color. Although Roselle has been widely planted and consumed, little is known about the composition of aroma profiles. In this study, seventeen samples of dried Roselle calyx were collected from eight countries and the aroma profiles were determined by dynamic headspace sampling and GC–MS and GC-olfactometry. Furthermore, total soluble solids, pH, and color L* a* b* were determined, and sugars and acids were measured using ion chromatography. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences in all measured variables in physicochemical properties and non-volatile compounds. A total of 135 volatiles were identified mainly terpenes, aldehydes, esters, furans, and ketones. Thirty-seven odorants were reported as potentially important aroma compounds based on GC-olfactometry. This study provides valuable information for future commercial utilization of Roselle in the food industry