Learning and retention time effect on memory for sweet taste in children

This study investigated the effect of learning and retention time on memory for fruit pur\ue9e varying in sweetness among 214 children aged 8\u201310 years. During a first session, all children received a snack including a target fruit pur\ue9e. Half children tasted the snack without any mention to memory (incidental group), whereas the other children (intentional group) were explicitly asked to taste and remember it. During a second session, children of each learning group were divided in two groups, which were tested for memory after respectively 1 day and 1 week. Children were confronted with a series of samples consisting of the same target previously tasted and variants of it slightly modified in sweetness. Children performed also a hedonic and a perceptive test. Memory was better under incidental rather than intentional conditions. Recognition was based more on the correct rejection of the distractors rather than on the identification of the target. No clear evidence for a retention time effect on memory was found. The relationship between sweetness perception and memory is discussed

Evolution of physicochemical, morphological and aromatic characteristics of Italian PDO dry-cured hams during processing

The aim of this work was to follow the evolution of physicochemical (dry matter, NaCl concentration, pH, water activity), morphological (image analysis) and aromatic (e-nose) characteristics of the three main Italian PDOs during processing, from slaughtering to end of ripening. Main phenomena distinguishing the PDOs are NaCl concentration increase, which is higher in Toscano than in Parma and San Daniele hams, starting from the salting phase. Water activity values decrease during processing, and the lowest values are detected in Toscano ham. Changes in morphological parameters (area, shape) and in color progressively occur during processing and are more pronounced in Toscano ham. A clear evolution of aroma of the three PDOs has been observed by e-nose, and the complexity of the aromatic profile of the ripened hams is clearly highlighted

Determinants of obesity in Italian adults : the role of taste sensitivity, food liking, and food neophobia

Recent evidence has suggested that factors related to sensory perception may explain excess weight. The objective of this study was to consider multiple aspects while investigating the phenomenon of obesity. One goal was to compare taste acuity (taste threshold and density of fungiform papillae) in both normal weight and obese subjects. Thresholds for 4 basic tastes and the fat stimulus were investigated. A second research goal was to study the relationship between food neophobia and food liking according to the body mass index and taste sensitivity. The results showed that obese subjects seem to have higher threshold values and a reduced number of fungiform papillae than do normal weight subjects. Food neophobia did not vary with nutritional status, whereas differences were found for food liking, with obese subjects showing significantly higher liking ratings for high energy dense products compared with normal weight subjects

Sensory descriptors, hedonic perception and consumer\u2019s attitudes to Sangiovese red wine deriving from organically and conventionally grown grapes

In recent years, produce obtained from organic farming methods (i.e., a system that minimizes pollution and avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) has rapidly increased in developed countries. This may be explained by the fact that organic food meets the standard requirements for quality and healthiness. Among organic products, wine has greatly attracted the interest of the consumers. In the present study, trained assessors and regular wine consumers were respectively required to identify the sensory properties (e.g. odor, taste, flavor, and mouth feel sensations) and to evaluate the hedonic dimension of red wines deriving from organically and conventionally grown grapes. Results showed differences related mainly to taste (sour and bitter) and mouth feel (astringent) sensations, with odor and flavor playing a minor role. However, these differences did not influence liking, as organic and conventional wines were hedonically comparable. Interestingly, 61% of respondents would be willing to pay more for organically produced wines, which suggests that environmentally sustainable practices related to wine quality have good market prospect

Impact of ambient odors on food intake, saliva production and appetite ratings

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ambient odor exposure on appetite, salivation and food intake. 32 normal-weight young women (age: 21.4\ua0\ub1\ua05.3\ua0year; BMI: 21.7\ua0\ub1\ua01.9\ua0kg/m2) attended five test sessions in a non-satiated state. Each participant was exposed to ambient odors (chocolate, beef, melon and cucumber), in a detectable but mild concentration, and to a control condition (no-odor exposure). During each condition, at different time points, participants rated appetite for 15 food products, and saliva was collected. After approximately 30\ua0min, ad libitum intake was measured providing a food (chocolate rice, high-energy dense product) that was congruent with one of the odors they were exposed to. A significant odor effect on food intake (p\ua0=\ua00.034) and salivation (p\ua0=\ua00.017) was found. Exposure to odors signaling high-energy dense products increased food intake (243.97\ua0\ub1\ua022.84\ua0g) compared to control condition (206.94\ua0\ub1\ua024.93\ua0g; p\ua0=\ua00.03). Consistently, salivation was increased significantly during chocolate and beef exposure (mean: 0.494\ua0\ub1\ua00.050\ua0g) compared to control condition (0.417\ua0\ub1\ua00.05\ua0g; p\ua0=\ua00.006). Even though odor exposure did not induce specific appetite for congruent products (p\ua0=\ua00.634), appetite scores were significantly higher during odor exposure (p\ua0<\ua00.0001) compared to the no-odor control condition and increased significantly over time (p\ua0=\ua00.010). Exposure to food odors seems to drive behavioral and physiological responses involved in eating behavior, specifically for odors and foods that are high in energy density. This could have implications for steering food intake and ultimately influencing the nutritional status of people

Children preferences of coloured fresh cheese prepared during an educational laboratory

Choices among young consumers are mainly driven by food preferences; in particular, a connection between appearance and acceptance of food has been highlighted, together with a general lack of knowledge of food processing. For these reasons, educational activities are important to increase scientific knowledge and awareness. The cheese-making educational laboratory described herein involved children, adolescents, and their parents/teachers in the preparation of fresh and naturally-coloured cheeses. At the end of the activity, both the colour preference and possible relation between preference and colour of cheese prepared were investigated administering a short questionnaire

Effect of fiber and protein-enriched pasta formulations on satiety-related sensations and afternoon snacking in Italian healthy female subjects

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of consuming different fiber and protein-enriched pasta formulations on satiety response and on mid-afternoon energy intake. Twenty Italian young healthy female subjects participated to a randomized repeated measure study design developed to evaluate the effect on satiety and energy intake of five different pasta formulations, i.e. high fiber, high fiber and high protein, high protein from soy, high protein from egg white, and standard commercial pasta consumed at lunch. The formulations together with a portion of fruit were consumed on five different occasions followed by an ad libitum snack meal proposed 2 h later. Before, immediately after the lunch consumption, and every 30 min until snack time, satiety sensations were assessed by visual analogue scales. In addition, mid-afternoon energy and macronutrient intake consumed with the snacks were calculated. Compared to the control pasta, all the formulations significantly affected satiety-related sensations. Palatability-related attributes of pasta were positively correlated to snack energy intake, whereas fullness sensation was negatively correlated. Among the formulations tested only the fiber and protein-enriched pasta significantly reduced energy intake following the ad libitum snack consumption (p < 0.05). Overall, these findings suggest that pasta enriched with a combination of fiber and protein, might be effective in the modulation of appetite sensations, thus suggesting a new concept-pasta formulation for the modulation of eating behavior. These results are interesting considering that pasta is a staple food in different target groups of the population

Sensory evaluation of gluten-free breads assessed by a trained panel of celiac assessors

An increase in celiac consumers has caused an increasing interest of food companies in research and development of substitute products, which may exhibit higher sensory acceptability. Although specific gluten-free breads (GFBs) have been developed, little is known about the sensory profile of such products. The purpose of the present study was to apply the sensory profiling method to the six most consumed gluten-free breads in the Italian market in order to identify sensory descriptors that can best characterize these products. Sensory evaluation was combined with chemical and physical measurements. Products were evaluated by ten trained celiac assessors who identified 17 descriptors for appearance, aroma, taste and texture. The most significant variables in discriminating among samples were the sensory descriptors Porosity, crust and crumb Color, Softness by hand and mouth, Cheese odor, Corn odor and Fermented odor, Sweet, Salty, Adhesive and Rubbery) and the instrumental parameters associated to crust and crumb color and texture. A good correlation between sensory and instrumental measurements was observed. The dentification of the most relevant sensory features of GFB could facilitate the setting up of new formulations of bakery products that interpret at best the hedonic dimension of this increasing target of consumers