Quantification of volatile flavor compounds in off-flavor and commercial reduced-fat milk samples

Various chemical compounds contribute to the naturally pleasant flavor of milk. Over time, however, and with unwanted chemical reactions, loss of flavor is inevitable. This study was conducted to identify and quantify volatile flavor compounds associated with off-flavored and commercial reduced-fat milk products. Fresh milk was used for the preparation of altered milk samples having off-flavors such as light-oxidized and high-acid. Milk lacking freshness (i.e., milk produced two weeks before sampling and maintained at 40oF in the dark) also was compared with fresh unaltered milk and two commercial milk samples. For headspace analysis, milk samples were subjected to SPME-GC for volatile compound identification. In addition, the composition and aerobic and coliform microbial counts for all milk samples were analyzed. The milk samples did not differ in the concentrations of volatile flavor constituents. When comparing light-oxidized milk samples (200 lx exposure for 1 or 3 hr), 2-butanone and pentanal concentrations tended to increase as light exposure time increased. All milk samples had similar fat and total solids contents. High-acid milk had a greater total aerobic microbe count than the other milk samples. Fresh milk had a greater octanal concentration than the offflavored reduced-fat milk samples did. This might indicate that octanal is an important contributor to fresh milk flavor and deserves further study.; Dairy Day, 2004, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2004

Serving temperature effects on milk flavor, milk aftertaste, and volatile-compound quantification in nonfat and whole milk

Many people seem to prefer to drink milk when it is cold. Research describing flavor and aftertaste of milk, and then correlating these traits with their chemical composition, has not previously been done. The objectives of this study were to describe milk flavor and aftertaste by using a descriptive sensory panel and to quantify the headspace volatiles of nonfat and whole milk as a function of serving temperature. Headspace volatile compounds of milk samples served at 40°F and 60°F were quantified by using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) analysis, with a 75-μm Carboxen- PDMS fiber, sampling milk at 140oF for 30 minutes, and then analyzing by gas chromatography, flame ion detection (GCFID) for quantification. Descriptive-panel results indicated that serving temperature did not affect the milk flavor. Nonfat milk flavor and texture were rated to have greater sour aromatics, and to be slightly chalky, flat, and bitter, but less sweet, than whole milk. Characterization of milk aftertaste at 15 seconds after swallowing indicated that nonfat milk had very slight sour and cooked attributes. Characterization of milk aftertaste at 90 seconds after swallowing indicated that nonfat milk had very slight cooked attributes and was less sweet than whole milk. Serving temperature did not affect concentrations of volatile compounds, but nonfat milk had a greater concentration of hexanal and lesser (P \u3c 0.05) concentrations of benzaldehyde, ethyl caproate, heptanal, 2-heptanone, and nonanal than whole milk did. These data provide evidence that fat contributes to the flavor and aftertaste attributes of milk more than serving temperature does.; Dairy Day, 2004, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2004

Motivations for Food Consumption during Specific Eating Occasions in Turkey

Citation: Chambers, D., Phan, U. T. X., Chanadang, S., Maughan, C., Sanchez, K., Di Donfrancesco, B., . . . Esen, E. (2016). Motivations for Food Consumption during Specific Eating Occasions in Turkey. Foods, 5(2), 14. doi:10.3390/foods5020039Several studies in different countries have been conducted to investigate factors affecting food choices. The objective of this study was to understand the motivations of specific food and beverage choices for different eating occasions in a typical diet of the Turkish people. A convenience sample of 141 respondents from seven different geographical regions in Turkey completed an online survey questionnaire that included questions about demographic information and details about their latest eating occasion. Respondents reported all of their motivations for choosing each food/beverage item reported for that specific eating occasion. Results indicated that different motivations played different roles in food choices of people in Turkey. Liking was a key characteristic for all eating occasions, but key natural concerns were even more important at breakfast, and need and hunger were more important for a mid-afternoon snack. Lunch involved additional motivations such as Sociability, Variety Seeking, and Social Norms. In addition to Liking, choices of different food groups were also driven by other motivations such as Habits, Convenience, Need and Hunger, Natural Concerns, and Health. This study helped better understand the current dietary patterns of Turkish people as well as the motives underlying their choices of foods and beverages for different meals and snacks. These findings could be useful for dietary campaigns that aim to improve eating behaviors in Turkey

Comparison of the sensory properties of UHT milk from different countries

Shelf-stable milk, also known as ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is the most common form of milk in many parts of the world. This study compared the differences in flavor and texture of 37 commercially available UHT and sterilized milk samples including whole, 2% reduced-fat, and low-fat milk obtained from markets in seven countries: France (n = 2), Italy (n = 11), Japan (n = 1), Korea (n = 2), Peru (n = 3), Thailand (n = 13), and the U.S. (n = 5). Five highly trained panelists used flavor and texture profiling to describe the sensory properties of each milk sample. Data were analyzed by principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Higher levels of processed, chalky, brown, and cooked flavor notes generally corresponded to lower levels of fresh dairy flavor characteristics. In general, samples did not vary consistently within a country. Fat content did not correlate with dairy fat flavor or with viscosity. This research suggests that companies’ manufacturing processes for UHT milk may have more impact than country or fat content in determining sensory properties of UHT milk

Flavor description and classification of selected natural cheeses

Intensities of 30 flavor attributes were measured for 42 cheeses. Rated intensities of flavor characteristics generally fell in the low to moderate range for all cheeses. Some of the flavor characteristics (dairy fat, dairy sour, dairy sweet, sharp, astringent, bitter, salty, sour, and sweet) were present in all cheeses, and some (cooked milk, animalic, goaty, fruity, moldy, mushroom, and nutty) were specific to only a few of the cheeses evaluated in this study. The flavor of each of the 42 cheeses is described. Similarities in flavor were observed among many of the individual cheeses. Therefore, a clustering scheme was developed to show the overall flavor relationships among the cheeses. Those relationships are schematically represented by a tree diagram. Proximity on the tree diagram indicates a high degree of flavor similarity among the types of cheese

Sensory characteristics of ice cream produced in the United States and Italy

This study was conducted to define and compare sensory characteristics of high quality Italian gelati to ice creams produced in the United States. Trained descriptive sensory panelists evaluated gelato samples in Italy, purchased direct from local gelaterias, and ice cream samples in the U.S., purchased from grocery stores and local shops. In general, gelati obtained higher overall fruity and fruit ID scores, chocolate gelati higher chocolate and cocoa notes, and vanilla gelati higher vanilla and lower vanillin intensities than most U.S. ice creams. Gelati were consistently associated with higher density, lower firmness, and slower meltdown. When compared to U.S. ice creams, Italian gelati are characterized by specific sensory properties: “true to type” flavors: high intensity flavors considered to be typical to that flavor category or specific fruit and are combined with a dense, smooth texture that allows for the development of flavor, body and bloom, enhancing the perception of flavors

Effects of Shiitake (Lentinus edodes P.) Mushroom Powder and Sodium Tripolyphosphate on Texture and Flavor of Pork Patties

Increasing consumer desire for functional food ingredients, including such PRODUCTS as shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes P.) powder (SM), demands that the sensory impact of such ingredients be tested in an appropriate food system. Pork patties are a common food in many Asian countries. Pork patties in this study were prepared with and without SM, an ingredient that is gaining popularity around the world. A lexicon for describing the texture and flavor of cooked pork patties, with and without 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a typical additive to meat, and with varying amounts of SM (0% to 6%) was developed by a highly trained panel to compare sensory properties for each type of patty. The attributes evaluated were juiciness, toughness, rubberiness, mealiness, pork identity (pork ID), meatiness, mushroom, onion, garlic, black pepper, heat/burn, soapy, chemical, animal hair, fatty, salty, sour, bitter, slick, and astringent. An addition of 0.5% STP produced more intense ratings for soapy, salty, sour, and astringent attributes. Without STP, patties containing shiitake mushroom powder had a more mealy consistency but more pork ID than they did with STP

Generating New Snack Food Texture Ideas Using Sensory and Consumer Research Tools: A Case Study of the Japanese and South Korean Snack Food Markets

Food companies spend a large amount of money and time to explore markets and consumer trends for ideation. Finding new opportunities in food product development is a challenging assignment. The majority of new products launched in the market are either copies of existing concepts or line extensions. This study demonstrates how the global marketplace can be used for generating new texture concepts for snack foods. One hundred and twenty-three prepacked snack foods from South Korea (SK) and ninety-five from Japan (JP) were purchased for this study. Projective mapping (PM) was used to sort the snacks on a 2-dimensional map (texture and flavor). Sensory scientists grouped snacks on similarities and dissimilarities. PM results showed, 65% (JP) and 76% (SK) snacks were considered as hard textures, ranging from moderate to extremely hard. Sixty-five percent of JP snacks were savory, whereas 59% of SK snacks had a sweet flavor. The PM 2-dimensional map was used to find white spaces in the marketplace. Thirty-two diversified snacks from each country were screened and profiled using descriptive sensory analysis by trained panelists. Attributes such as sustained fracturability, sustained crispness, initial crispness, and fracturability were the main sensory texture characteristics of snacks. Results showed how descriptive analysis results can be used as initial sensory specifications to develop prototypes. Prototype refinement can be performed by doing multiple developmental iterations and consumer testing. The study showed how white spaces are potential opportunities where new products can be positioned to capture market space. Practical Application: The methodology produced in this study can be used by food product developers to explore new opportunities in the global marketplace

Development of a Consumer-Based Quality Scale for Artisan Textiles: A Study with Scarves/Shawls

Modern textile consumers are increasingly becoming more watchful of the quality of the textiles that they purchase. This has increased the need for textile producers, especially artisan textile makers (e.g., knitters, tailors, dressmakers, seamstresses, and quilters), to improve the quality of their textile products. Information on several analytical tools that are commonly used for assessing the quality of textiles is abundant, but consumer-based tools for evaluating the quality of textiles remain limited. A consumer-based artisan textile-quality scale was developed using data collected from two focus groups (Phase 1) and a consumer quantitative study, n = 196 (Phase 2). Ten scarves and shawls were evaluated in the quantitative study and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the differences between the mean textile ratings for all the statements. Coefficient alpha (final raw alpha = 0.87) was also used to assess if the statements were consistent in the way they measured the quality of the textiles. Pearson correlation tests were used to validate the six-statement quality scale that included statements such as overall attention to detail, the fabric is durable, and stitching is even and consistent. Artisan textile makers in the USA can use this scale to better meet the functional needs of their customers. Additionally, the process that was employed in the development of the six-statement quality scale can be used by researchers in other countries to understand better the key quality characteristics of artisan as well other textile products