What are domestic apples worth? Hedonic responses and sensory information as drivers of willingness to pay

The effects of written information of key sensory characteristics of apple cultivars on hedonic ratings and willingness to pay (WTP) were measured in an experimental auction. Participants (n = 118, 95F, 23M, mean age 37y.) rated, in three subsequent rounds, pleasantness and WTP based on (1) appearance only (n = 25), (2) appearance, written information and tasting (n = 44), or (3) appearance, tasting and written information (n = 49). Four domestic cultivars were described as medium sour and crispy ('Amorosa'), sour and medium crispy ('Konsta'), medium sweet and medium crispy ('Lobo') and sweet and medium crispy ('Tobias'). The differences between the cultivars in pleasantness and WTP were minimal when the evaluation was based on appearance only. The effect of tasting after visual inspection was positive in three cultivars and negative in one ('Konsta'). Written information after tasting did not affect pleasantness or WTP. For one cultivar ('Tobias'), information given before tasting created expectations that were not fulfilled, thus tasting decreased hedonic ratings and WTP. Mean WTP was 2.36 euro/kg. When pleasantness increased by one point, WTP increased by 0.31-0.45 euro/kg. Regression models showed that pleasantness explained 38-55% of WTP. Respondents who reported consuming domestic apples more often than once a week had 0.52-0.74 euro/kg higher WTP than those who consumed them less frequently, suggesting that familiarity with the product increases WTP. Results indicate that both written information and tasting contribute to the ratings of pleasantness and WTP. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Postprint (published version

Investigación preliminar de la influencia del tratamiento térmico y tiempo de almacenamiento sobre el aroma de habas (Vicia faba)

Haba (Vicia faba) es una leguminosa disponible en Finlandia que se utiliza en la alimentación humana y animal debido a su alto contenido de proteína y fibra. A diferencia de otras legumbres, poco se sabe acerca de las sustancias volátiles que se producen durante el almacenamiento y los descriptores de aroma asociados a las mismas. durante el almacenamiento y los descriptores de aroma asociados a las mismas. Las suspensiones fueron elaboradas en base a harina de habas. Muestras fueron sometidas a tratamiento térmico (T) y mantenidas sin tratamiento térmico (ST). Estas fueron almacenadas a 4 ° C durante 0, 7 y 14 días. Los panelistas que participaron en el estudio sensorial fueron ocho mujeres (n = 8) entre 25 y 55 años de edad. Las sesiones de entrenamiento alentaron a la obtención de los descriptores aromáticos vinculados al haba: ‘guisantes frescos’, ‘rancio’, ‘amargo’, ‘herboso’, ‘levadura’ y la intensidad total. El análisis sensorial se llevó a cabo por duplicado con una recesión de 30 minutos en el medio. También se analizaron las suspensiones de habas (T y ST) para compuestos volátiles utilizando SPME-GC-MS. Los resultados indicaron que la intensidad total, levadura, amargo y rancio aumentó durante almacenamiento prolongado, independientemente del tratamiento térmico. En contraste, el aroma a guisante fresco y herboso parecían alcanzar un pico en el almacenamiento 7mo día. Los resultados estadísticos sugirieron que el tratamiento térmico tuvo un efecto mucho menor en el desarrollo del aroma que el tiempo de almacenamiento. El análisis de compuestos volátiles mostró que 2-butanona-3-hidroxi y 3-metil-1-butanol tenían las áreas de los picos más prominentes al 7mo y 14vo día de almacenamiento (especialmente para ST). Muestras T y ST se asociaron a casi los mismos compuestos volátiles hasta el 7mo día, y después se vincularon a distintos compuestos al final del almacenamiento. Se cree que los aromas a guisante fresco y herboso están fuertemente asociados a cetonas presentes en muestras T, y muestras ST al 7mo día de almacenamiento, mientras que rancio, amargo y levadura están más asociados a los alcoholes y cetonas presentes en las muestras ST al 14vo día de almacenamiento.Palabras clave: habas, aroma, compuestos volátiles, almacenamiento, cromatografía de gase

What are domestic apples worth? Hedonic responses and sensory information as drivers of willingness to pay

The effects of written information of key sensory characteristics of apple cultivars on hedonic ratings and willingness to pay (WTP) were measured in an experimental auction. Participants (n = 118, 95F, 23M, mean age 37y.) rated, in three subsequent rounds, pleasantness and WTP based on (1) appearance only (n = 25), (2) appearance, written information and tasting (n = 44), or (3) appearance, tasting and written information (n = 49). Four domestic cultivars were described as medium sour and crispy ('Amorosa'), sour and medium crispy ('Konsta'), medium sweet and medium crispy ('Lobo') and sweet and medium crispy ('Tobias'). The differences between the cultivars in pleasantness and WTP were minimal when the evaluation was based on appearance only. The effect of tasting after visual inspection was positive in three cultivars and negative in one ('Konsta'). Written information after tasting did not affect pleasantness or WTP. For one cultivar ('Tobias'), information given before tasting created expectations that were not fulfilled, thus tasting decreased hedonic ratings and WTP. Mean WTP was 2.36 euro/kg. When pleasantness increased by one point, WTP increased by 0.31-0.45 euro/kg. Regression models showed that pleasantness explained 38-55% of WTP. Respondents who reported consuming domestic apples more often than once a week had 0.52-0.74 euro/kg higher WTP than those who consumed them less frequently, suggesting that familiarity with the product increases WTP. Results indicate that both written information and tasting contribute to the ratings of pleasantness and WTP. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Influence of fermented faba bean flour on the nutritional, technological and sensory quality of fortified pasta

Faba bean has gained increasing attention from the food industry and the consumers mainly due to the quality of its protein fraction. Fermentation has been recently recognized as the most efficient tool for improving its nutritional and organoleptic properties. In this study, faba bean flour fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum DPPMAB24W was used to fortify semolina pasta. Pasta samples including different percentages of fermented faba bean flour were produced at the pilot-plant level and characterized using an integrated approach for chemical, nutritional, technological, and sensory features. At a substitution level of 30%, pasta had a more homogeneous texture and lower cooking loss compared to 50% addition. The impact of faba bean flour addition on pasta technological functionality, particularly of the protein fraction, was also assessed by scanning electron microscopy and textural profile analysis. Compared to traditional (semolina) pasta and pasta containing unfermented faba bean flour, the nutritional profile (in vitro protein digestibility and nutritional indexes-chemical score (CS), sequence of limiting essential amino acids, Essential Amino Acid Index (EAAI), Biological Value (BV), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), and Nutritional Index (NI)) and the resistant starch content of pasta containing 30% fermented faba bean flour markedly improved, while the starch hydrolysis rate decreased, without negatively affecting technological and sensory features. The use of fermentation technology appears to be a promising tool to enhance the quality of pasta and to promote the use of faba bean flour