A spreadsheet for calculation of ingredients for standardization of requeijão cremoso

The standardization of requeijão cheese quality characteristics is a processing stage which is directly influenced by the chemical composition of the raw material. Fat and water concentrations are the main factors that cause variation in quality properties of the requeijão and, when not thoroughly controlled, may cause a lack in standardization of the food. Calculations of ingredients for effective standardization must be made in relation to the final product through of iterative calculations, which makes the manual process unfeasible. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop a spreadsheet for ingredient calculation, with restrictions being the different concentrations of fat and water in order to standardize the final products. The spreadsheet was developed using the Excel 2007® Solver function, with just four input data: quantity of mass, water and fat content of the mass and fat content of the cream. The optimal solution was that which maximizes the amount of final product while meeting the stipulated constraints of fat and water. Results obtained with the spreadsheet were validated by processing the requeijão cheeses and comparison of the theoretical and practical parameters using the t-test. There was no significant difference between fat and water contents (p>0.10) estimated and verified in practice. Therefore, the use of the spreadsheet proved to be efficient for standardization of requeijão formulations

Otimização da aceitabilidade sensorial de requeijão cremoso light

O requeijão cremoso é um tipo de queijo fundido originalmente brasileiro, fabricado em todo território nacional com algumas variações de tecnologia. Este é um dos principais tipos de queijos produzido e consumido no Brasil e apresenta como característica o elevado teor de gordura. Por outro lado, a gordura apresenta papel fundamental na aparência, sabor e textura de requeijão, portanto desenvolver um produto light com qualidade sensorial semelhante à versão tradicional é um grande desafio à indústria de alimentos. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a composição química e a aceitabilidade sensorial de requeijão cremoso light, com diferentes níveis de redução de gordura, em relação à textura e impressão global. O experimento seguiu um delineamento de superfície de resposta, o Delineamento Composto Central Rotacional (DCCR) com dois fatores (gordura e umidade). A aceitabilidade sensorial foi avaliada por 100 consumidores, utilizando a escala hedônica de nove pontos. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os requeijões com diferentes níveis de redução de gordura apresentaram aceitabilidade sensorial semelhante quando combinados a um aumento proporcional do teor de umidade. Os produtos que apresentaram extrato seco desengordurado (ESD) de aproximadamente 19,3%, originados de diferentes combinações entre gordura e umidade, foram os que apresentaram melhor aceitação por parte dos consumidores, demonstrando a importância do ESD na aceitabilidade sensorial.Cream cheesecurd is a type of processed cheese, originally Brazilian, produced throughout the entire Brazilian territory with some technological variations. This is one of the main types of cheese produced and consumed in Brazil and it is known for presenting an elevated fat content. On the other hand, the fat plays a fundamental role in appearance, flavor and texture of cheese, then developing a light product with sensory quality similar to the traditional version is a major challenge to food industry. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and sensory acceptability of light cream cheesecurd with different levels of fat reduction for texture and overall impression. The experiment followed a design of response surface, the Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) with two factors (fat and moisture). The sensory acceptability was evaluated by 100 consumers, by the hedonic scale of nine points. The results showed that the cheesecurds with different levels of fat reduction had similar sensory acceptability when combined with a proportional increase in moisture content. The products that presented dry defatted extract (DDE) of approximately 19.3%, originated from different combinations of fat and moisture, were those with better acceptance by consumers, demonstrating the importance of DDE in sensory acceptance

Consumer attitude regarding products containing probiotics

This study sought to determine the attitude of consumers in the city of Viçosa-MG, Brazil in relation to products containing probiotics using a validated questionnaire. A total of 352 individuals responded to questionnaires which, in addition to the items of attitude, also assessed the health of consumers and acceptance and frequency of consumption of these products. Internal validation utilized the Cronbach coefficient to measure the reliability of the attitude scale. To analyze the profile of these consumers, descriptive statistics was utilized. The results indicated a low consumption of products containing probiotics by respondents. A reliable attitude scale was obtained (alpha = 0.70). In general, the attitude of respondents was positive however it was verified that there is a need to develop more explanatory labels, clearly stating the information allowed by Brazilian legislation, as well as strengthen campaigns to promote the benefits of consuming probiotic to the consumer