Effect of dairy, season, and sampling position on physical properties of Trentingrana cheese: application of an LMM-ASCA model

7openInternationalItalian coauthor/editorTrentingrana hard cheese is a geographic specification of the PDO Grana Padano. It is produced according to an internal regulation by many cooperative dairy factories in the Trentino region (northern Italy), using a semi-artisanal process (the only allowed ingredients are milk, salt, and rennet). Within the PSR project TRENTINGRANA, colorimetric and textural measurements have been collected from 317 cheese wheels, which were sampled bi-monthly from all the consortium dairies (n = 15) within the timeframe of two years, to estimate the effect on physical properties related to the season of the year and the dairy factory implant. To estimate the effect of the dairy and the time of the year, considering the internal variability of each cheese wheel, a linear mixed-effect model combined with a simultaneous component analysis (LMM-ASCA) is proposed. Results show that all the factors have a significant effect on the colorimetric and textural properties of the cheese. There are five clusters of dairies producing cheese with similar properties, three different couples of months of the year when the cheese produced is significantly different from all the others, and the effect of the geometry of the cheese wheel is reported as well.openRicci, Michele; Gasperi, Flavia; Endrizzi, Isabella; Menghi, Leonardo; Cliceri, Danny; Franceschi, Pietro; Aprea, EugenioRicci, M.; Gasperi, F.; Endrizzi, I.; Menghi, L.; Cliceri, D.; Franceschi, P.; Aprea, E

Multivariate data analysis strategy to monitor Trentingrana cheese real-scale production through volatile organic compounds profiling

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cheese, as result of the chemical, physical and microbiological properties of the raw milk, are related to its sensory properties and consumer's acceptability. Measurement of VOCs can be related to the quality of the production process, highlighting changes in the raw materials or the process conditions. In the present study, we tested the suitability of ANOVA-Simultaneous Component Analysis (ASCA) to extract useful information from volatile organic compound data measured over two years of production of Trentingrana cheese in a real production context where several confounding factors are present. A total of 317 cheese wheels were collected from the 15 cooperative dairy factories every two months. The ASCA analysis indicates that the milk collection affects the VOC profiles. To deeper investigate this factor, an Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) model was developed to estimate the associations between VOCs and process characteristics of the dairy factory. Results showed that the milk collection procedure affects the content of organic acids, esters, and ketones of the cheese

Correction: Endrizzi et al. Relationships between Intensity and Liking for Chemosensory Stimuli in Food Models: A Large-Scale Consumer Segmentation (Foods 2022, 11, 5)

This study, which was conducted as part of the Italian Taste project, was aimed at exploring the relationship between actual liking and sensory perception in four food models. Each food model was spiked with four levels of prototypical tastant (i.e., citric acid, sucrose, sodium chloride, capsaicin) to elicit a target sensation (TS) at an increasing perceived intensity. Participants (N = 2258; 59% women, aged 18–60) provided demographic information, a stated liking for 40 different foods/beverages, and their responsiveness to tastants in water. A food-specific Pearson’s coefficient was calculated individually to estimate the relationship between actual liking and TS responsiveness. Considering the relationship magnitude, consumers were grouped into four food-specific clusters, depending on whether they showed a strong negative (SNC), a weak negative (WNC), a weak positive (WPC), or a strong positive correlation (SPC). Overall, the degree of liking raised in parallel with sweetness responsiveness, fell as sourness and pungency perception increased, and showed an inverted U-shape relationship with saltiness. The SNC clusters generally perceived TSs at higher intensities, except for sourness. Clusters were validated by associating the level of stated liking towards food/beverages; however, some unexpected indications emerged: adding sugar to coffee or preferring spicy foods differentiated those presenting positive correlations from those showing negative correlations. Our findings constitute a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of food preference

Sensory determinants of stated liking for vegetable names and actual liking for canned vegetables: A cross-country study among European adolescents.

Sensory properties are reported as one of the main factors hindering an appropriate vegetable intake by the young. In the present work the sensory determinants of likings for vegetables were explored in adolescents of four European countries (Denmark, n = 88; France, n = 206; Italy, n = 110 and United Kingdom, n = 93). A questionnaire was designed to study cross country differences in stated liking for and familiarity with a list of vegetables popular among European markets (between-vegetable approach). A within-vegetable comparison approach with actual tasting was used to analyze differences and similarities in liking for canned pea and sweet corn samples across the countries. A close positive relationship between stated liking and familiarity was found. Irrespective of the country, one group of highly liked vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, green salad) was identified, characterized by innately liked tastes (sweet, umami), delicate flavour and bright appealing colour. A second group of highly disliked vegetables consists of cauliflowers and broccoli, characterized by disliked sensations such as bitter taste and objectionable flavour. Internal Preference Maps from actual liking scores indicate that the generally disliked tastes (bitter, sour), are clearly correlated with a negative hedonic response for both peas and sweet corn. The hedonic valence of a generally well accepted taste such as salty and texture descriptors depends on the type of vegetable. Internal preference maps from actual liking data indicate that flavour and appearance descriptors of the distinct sensory properties of each type of vegetable positively affect liking, while the intensity of unusual flavours is related to sample disliking

In vivo aroma release and perception of composite foods using nose space PTR–ToF–MS analysis with Temporal-Check-All-That-Apply

In vivo aroma release and perception of complex food matrices have been underexplored. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of (i) fat and sugar content of chocolate-hazelnut spreads on in vivo aroma release and perception and (ii) carrier addition (bread, wafer) on in vivo aroma release and perception of chocolate-hazelnut spread using dynamic nose space analysis (PTR–ToF–MS) and dynamic sensory analysis (TCATA). Carriers were combined with spreads varying in fat and sugar content and were spiked with five volatile organic compounds (benzaldehyde, filbertone, 2-methylpyrazine, delta-dodecalactone, isovaleraldehyde). TCATA profiles from a consumer panel without in vivo nose space analysis (n = 72) and a trained panel performing in vivo nose space analysis (n = 8, triplicate) were compared. TCATA profiles of the spread-carrier combinations obtained by both panels showed similarly that attributes related to the carriers were perceived at the beginning of consumption, whereas attributes related to the spreads were perceived after swallowing. Significant (p < 0.05) and small differences were observed for the attributes cocoa, creamy, milky, sticky and toffee between both panels. In the evaluated reformulation range, fat and sugar content of chocolate-hazelnut spreads had only a limited effect on in vivo aroma release and perception. In contrast, addition of carriers strongly affected in vivo aroma release and perception for all target molecules. The addition of carriers to spreads generally increased aroma release (duration and intensity of aroma release) and decreased aroma perception. The addition of carriers generally reduced the time to reach maximum intensity compared to when spreads were eaten alone for the five volatile organic compounds while perception decreased. We conclude that the strong effect of carrier addition on in vivo aroma release and perception of chocolate-hazelnut spreads highlights the importance of investigating toppings/spreads accompanied with carriers rather than in isolation

Salivary microbial profiles associate with responsiveness to warning oral sensations and dietary intakes

Oral microbiota-host interactions are gaining recognition as potential factors contributing to interindividual variations in taste perception. However, whether such possible links imply specific bacterial co-occurrence networks remains unknown. To address this issue, we used 16&nbsp;s rRNA gene sequencing to profile the salivary microbiota of 100 healthy individuals (52 % women; 18-30 y/o), who provided hedonic and psychophysical responses to 5 liquid and 5 solid commercially-available foods, each chosen to elicit a target sensation (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent). The same cohort also completed several psychometric measures and a 4-day food diary. Unsupervised data-driven clustering of genus-level Aitchison distances supported the existence of two salivary microbial profiles (CL-1, CL-2). While CL-1 (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;57; 49.1 % women) exhibited higher α-diversity metrics and was enriched in microbial genera assigned to the class Clostridia (e.g., Lachnospiraceae_[G-3]), CL-2 (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;43; 55.8 % women) harbored greater amounts of taxa with potential cariogenic effects (e.g., genus Lactobacillus) and significantly lower abundances of inferred MetaCyc pathways related to the metabolic fate of acetate. Intriguingly, CL-2 showed enhanced responsiveness to warning oral sensations (bitter, sour, astringent) and a higher propensity to crave sweet foods or engage in prosocial behaviors. Further, the same cluster reported habitually consuming more simple carbohydrates and fewer beneficial nutrients (vegetable proteins, monounsaturated fatty acids). In summary, while the mediating role of participants' baseline diet on findings can not be definitively excluded, this work provides evidence suggesting that microbe-microbe and microbe-taste interactions may exert an influence on dietary habits and motivates further research to uncover a potential "core" taste-related salivary microbiota

Variations in oral responsiveness associate with specific signatures in the gut microbiota and modulate dietary habits

Mounting evidence suggests that ingestive behaviors may also be affected by putative interplays between taste and gut microbiota. As yet empirically unproven, we here tested the hypothesis that variations in sensory perception in foods can mirror gut microbial ecology and shape individual dietary habits. One hundred healthy participants (52 % women, 18–30 y/o) remotely attended a 7-day (D) lasting protocol, and evaluated bitterness (D1) of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) plus liking (D2) and intensity of sensations (D4) evoked by 5 liquid and 5 solid foods, each selected to elicit a target sensation (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent). Furthermore, volunteers completed a battery of psychological questionnaires (D3), a 4-day dietary record (D1–D7), and provided one stool sample for fecal microbiota profiling by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (D4). Using a data-driven segmentation approach based on intensity scores, we identified two distinct profiles that were hypo- (CL-1, n = 36, 55.5 % women) and hyperresponsive (CL-2, n = 64, 50 % women) to oral stimulations. Moreover, CL-2 showed higher percentages of PROP Medium Tasters and pronounced pleasure-oriented attitudes. Interestingly, CL-1 exhibited higher α-diversity metrics and was enriched in 11 beneficial gut microbes (e.g., genus Eubacterium_xylanophilum_group), while two pro-inflammatory microbial genera (Ruminococcus gnavus group, Eggerthella) associated with CL-2. Relatedly, CL-1 declared higher intakes of fibers and vegetable proteins, whilst CL-2 habitually consumed more saturated fats. We provide the first empirical evidence that simultaneous variations in sensory acuity and gut microbial consortia associate with different dietary habits, thus paving the way for unravelling the complex link between host-related non-genetic factors and aetiology of eating behaviors

Arousal influences olfactory abilities in adults with different degree of food neophobia

Food neophobia, i.e., the aversion to novel foods, and olfaction are both factors strongly affecting food choices. Mounting evidence suggests a higher arousal towards food as a key factor underlying the reluctance to eat what is unfamiliar to us. As the role of olfaction behind this phenomenon is poorly understood, we explored the associations between food neophobia and trait anxiety, olfactory functions (odor threshold, discrimination and identification) and retronasal aroma release from a reference food in a healthy cohort of 83 adult volunteers. We grouped participants in Low-Neophobics or neophilics (n = 35), Medium-Neophobics (n = 32) and High-Neophobics (n = 16) according to the widely recognized Food Neophobia Scale. Participants with higher neophobic tendencies were found to have marginally higher trait anxiety levels than neophilics (p = 0.10). A lower global olfactory functioning and odor discrimination abilities characterized High-Neophobics, while Medium-Neophobics showed a higher odor sensitiveness than Low-Neophobics. Lastly, High-Neophobics showed a lower extent of retronasal aroma release, likely due to a shorter duration of oral processing and higher anxiety-related physiological responses (such as breathing rate). In summary, this study supports the assumption that the conflicting relationship that neophobics have with food may be led by higher levels of arousal toward foods, rather than different chemosensory functions.</p

Relationships between Intensity and Liking for Chemosensory Stimuli in Food Models: A Large-Scale Consumer Segmentation

This study, which was conducted as part of the Italian Taste project, was aimed at exploring the relationship between actual liking and sensory perception in four food models. Each food model was spiked with four levels of prototypical tastant (i.e., citric acid, sucrose, sodium chloride, capsaicin) to elicit a target sensation (TS) at an increasing perceived intensity. Participants (N = 2258; 59% women, aged 18&ndash;60) provided demographic information, a stated liking for 40 different foods/beverages, and their responsiveness to tastants in water. A food-specific Pearson&rsquo;s coefficient was calculated individually to estimate the relationship between actual liking and TS responsiveness. Considering the relationship magnitude, consumers were grouped into four food-specific clusters, depending on whether they showed a strong negative (SNC), a weak negative (WNC), a weak positive (WPC), or a strong positive correlation (SPC). Overall, the degree of liking raised in parallel with sweetness responsiveness, fell as sourness and pungency perception increased, and showed an inverted U-shape relationship with saltiness. The SNC clusters generally perceived TSs at higher intensities, except for sourness. Clusters were validated by associating the level of stated liking towards food/beverages; however, some unexpected indications emerged: adding sugar to coffee or preferring spicy foods differentiated those presenting positive correlations from those showing negative correlations. Our findings constitute a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of food preferences