Role of continuous phase and particle properties on the sensory perception of root vegetable pur\ue9es evaluated by an expert panel and na\uefve consumers
Textural properties play an essential role in the development of food products. The complexity of textural attributes has been traditionally overcome with extensive panelist training and the use of generic descriptive analysis. A better understanding on the use of rapid methods with na\uefve consumers to evaluate texture attributes in complex food products is still needed. The present study aimed to investigate the (i) role of different continuous phases and particle properties (i.e., size and hardness) on the mouthfeel perception of root vegetable pur\ue9es and (ii) the effect of panel expertise (sensory experts vs. na\uefve consumers) using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA). The study included six pur\ue9es made of two different continuous phase (based on Jerusalem artichoke which is rich in inulin and, parsnip which is rich in starch) and three types of beetroot particles (raw, cooked, and comminuted beetroot). Results showed that both panels were able to discriminate and profile in a similar manner. However, sensory experts showed higher ability to discriminate between samples regarding the particle\u27s attributes whereas consumer\u27s sample discrimination was influenced by attributes such as “ease of swallow” and “creaminess.” For the expert panel, the presence of hard particles was a clear factor driving the differences between samples. Our results highlighted the contribution of both continuous and dispersed phases to design the texture profile of particulate semisolid plant-based foods
