Carbonated emotions: Consumers' sensory perception and emotional response to carbonated and still fruit juices

Product innovation of non-alcoholic barley-based teas and kombucha: Consumer preferences and emotional responses

This research explores consumer preferences and emotional reactions to beverages made from roasted barley and examines the possibility of launching a new product line featuring Streaker barley grown in the Pacific Northwest. Utilizing hedonic scales, just-about-right scales, and check-all-that-apply questions, a sensory evaluation was conducted. The study reveals two distinct consumer clusters, each exhibiting contrasting preferences and responses to novel beverages incorporating Streaker barley. Cluster 1 comprises younger individuals with prior exposure to barley teas and kombucha, exhibiting a preference for bold flavors and displaying resilience toward harsher product attributes like astringency. Products utilizing a bolder flavor profile, achieved through the roasting process of Streaker barley, resonate well with this segment, particularly the ginger-infused barley tea and innovative barley kombucha variants. In contrast, Cluster 2 consumers, characterized by adverse reactions to strongly flavored, bitter, and astringent beverages, demonstrate a lack of enthusiasm toward these offerings. The study underscores the significance of understanding consumer preferences and tailoring product formulations accordingly. Familiarity with traditional beverages and openness to novel experiences significantly influence consumer responses, highlighting the importance of striking a balance between familiarity and innovation. These findings provide valuable insights for developing Streaker barley beverages that align with diverse consumer tastes, ultimately facilitating market acceptance and success. By leveraging consumer insights, producers can navigate the evolving landscape of beverage preferences and effectively position Streaker barley products in the market. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research can inform beverage companies in developing roasted barley-based beverages that cater to diverse consumer preferences and emotions. By understanding consumer preferences and emotional responses, companies can tailor their product development strategies to create appealing beverages that resonate with different consumer segments. This could lead to the introduction of new barley-based beverages that meet the growing demand for healthier, flavorful, and innovative options in the market.

Consumers' familiarity with wine increased their acceptance of pasta sauce containing grape pomace

Grape pomace (GP) is a waste product of the winemaking process and has been proposed as a nutritionally beneficial ingredient, as it contains phenolic compounds, dietary fiber, and antioxidant activity. It can be a polarizing ingredient due to its flavor components. Familiarity has been found to influence consumers' preferences and sensory perception of food. A sensory test was conducted to evaluate the acceptance, sensory perception, and emotional response to pasta sauces containing GP (3% [3GP], 6% [6GP], 9% [9GP] by volume and control without GP addition). The sensory trials included wine consumers (n = 44) and nonconsumers of wine (n = 58) to determine how consumers' familiarity with the flavor properties of GP influenced their perception of the pasta sauce. Overall, the addition of GP decreased the liking scores of the GP-containing sauces, but the wine consumers' hedonic scores for the control, 3GP, and 9GP were significantly higher than the nonconsumers. Both consumer groups identified that the samples with a higher amount of GP addition were associated with sour, bitter, astringency, grainy, and gritty attributes. However, the wine consumers used more positive emotions to describe their emotional response to the GP-containing samples. The study identified that GP led to off-flavors and textures in the pasta sauces. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: GP is currently a waste product, but it has many nutritional benefits. Consumers are increasingly looking for nutritional benefits from their food. When incorporated into pasta sauces, GP decreased the acceptance of the pasta sauce and negatively impacted the flavor and texture. Familiarity has been found to impact consumer acceptance, and wine consumers had a more positive emotional response and higher hedonic scores in response to the GP-containing pasta sauce than nonconsumers of wine.

Emotional response to sherry wines and its relationship with emotional intelligence, level of expertise and gender

Emotional elicitation during wine consumption is a complex fenomena based on subjective experience and influence by physiological, cognitive and behavioural changes. The present study used a quasi-experimental design to examine consumers' emotional responses during blind tastings of sherry wines, considering variables such as consumer experience, gender and Emotional Intelligence (EI). 66 participants were classified as non-expert (34) and expert (32) consumers to participate in blind tastings. Their emotional responses were measured using the EsSense25 Scale and the Perceived Emotional Intelligence was assessed through the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. Few differences were observed on emotional elicitation based on gender or consumer experience (non-expert vs expert), however the interaction of these variables was a good predictor of emotional response variance. Wine type also has an effect on emotional response, emphasising the role of sherry wine characteristics in consumer emotions. Furthermore, the Emotional Attention, one of the three dimensions of Emotional Intelligence, was found as a good predictor for the emotional responses to wine consumption. This relationship may be a key factor in understanding the differences between responsible consumption and excessive consumption, as indicated by research focused on binge drinking.

Understanding consumer acceptability of verjuice, its potential applications and sensory and chemical drivers of liking

The wine sector is working to add value, enhance sustainability and reduce waste, yet often creating new products with unknown consumer acceptance. Verjuice, juice made from discarded unripe thinned grapes, is an example. Whilst verjuice has various culinary uses, its versatility in beverages continues to expand. However, its sensory drivers of liking when consumed as a drink, and their potential impact on its application remain unclear. Chemical drivers of sensory characteristics are also unknown representing a critical knowledge gap needed to guide product innovation. This study aimed to provide new knowledge regarding consumer acceptability of verjuice by identifying its sensory drivers of liking as a beverage, evaluating its potential use in different applications and identifying chemical drivers of its sensory characteristics. New Zealand consumers (n = 93) evaluated 13 verjuice samples from different countries. Furthermore, verjuice familiarity and its influence on emotional response was investigated to determine likely future consumer engagement. Sweetness was the most positive driver of liking in verjuice overall, followed by fruity and floral notes, smoothness, and to a lesser extent citrus flavour. Consumers expressed varied preferences for verjuice's sensory profile, with fruity, floral, and honey flavours driving beverage application, whilst winey and green apple notes were more associated with culinary scenarios. Some association between chemical parameters and sensory attributes were evident (e.g. sugars were highly associated with perceived sweetness, fruity, and floral attributes; these attributes also shared proximity with 1-hexanol and cyclohexanol). The general idea of verjuice elicited positive valence emotions, but consumers who were 'not familiar' felt more curious, and those 'familiar' felt happier and more satisfied. Findings highlight the potential to tailor verjuice for specific applications by understanding desired sensory profiles and related chemical parameters. Recognising the interplay between familiarity level and emotional response is crucial for positioning the product in the marketplace and fostering consumer engagement. Marketing initiatives are needed to increase verjuice familiarity and support product innovation, leading to increased product appeal.

Effects of aroma enhancement fermentation of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii ZR21 and Debaryomyces hansenii DH06 on the sensory properties and consumer liking of Yongchuan douchi

Yongchuan douchi is a well-loved condiment. However, the aroma of rapid Yongchuan douchi is inferior to that of traditional Yongchuan douchi. The objective of this study was to improve the aroma quality of rapid Yongchuan douchi and evaluate the effect of aroma enhancement from the perspective of consumers. The aroma characteristics of samples were analyzed by consumers through flash profile (FP) (n = 15) and rate-all-that-apply (RATA) (n = 75). The results showed improvement in the aroma quality of rapid Yongchuan douchi with the two yeast strains, and consumers could perceive the modification of the aroma characteristics. It shows that the douchi aroma and sour aroma of rapid Yongchuan douchi increased significantly after aroma-enhancing fermentation, while the soy sauce aroma, soybean aroma, and musty aroma decreased. Similar results were obtained from FP and RATA. RATA showed that rapid Yongchuan douchi with aroma-enhancing fermentation aroused higher levels of positive emotions, which may increase the acceptance of consumers to rapid Yongchuan douchi. In summary, the aroma quality and consumer preference of rapid Yongchuan douchi were enhanced. The work provides insights into the quality improvement of rapid Yongchuan douchi from the perspective of consumers.

Origins of thirstiness sensation and current food solutions

The sensation of thirstiness is the desire to drink water. In certain situations, the ingestion of liquid water can be restricted. As a result, thirstiness is not relieved, resulting in an uncomfortable and distressing situation. The present review describes thirstiness and hydration, the food products and beverages that cause thirstiness, and the beverages and food products currently available to quench thirstiness in individuals with restricted access to liquid ingestion. It also discusses how to measure the effectiveness of calming thirstiness. To diminish thirstiness distress, different alternatives to liquids are proposed. Individuals with swallowing disorders are given thickened water, individuals with restricted water ingestion are given ice cubes or ice popsicles of different flavors, and sportspeople are given energy gels. However, current beverage solutions seem not to relieve thirst fully, although some stimuli like iced water, flavors (especially lemon and mint), or acids seem to work better than plain stimuli and could be added to existing products. Therefore, there is still a need to incorporate these strategies into beverage and food formulations and to test their effectiveness.

Adult Ossabaw Pigs Prefer Fermented Sorghum Tea over Isocaloric Sweetened Water

Ossabaw pigs (n = 11; 5-gilts, 6-barrows; age 15.6 ± 0.62 SD months) were exposed to a three-choice preference maze to evaluate preference for fermented sorghum teas (FSTs). After conditioning, pigs were exposed, in four sessions, to choices of white FST, sumac FST, and roasted sumac-FST. Then, pigs were exposed, in three sessions, to choices of deionized H2O (-control; avoidance), isocaloric control (+control; deionized H2O and sucrose), and blended FST (3Tea) (equal portions: white, sumac, and roasted sumac). When tea type was evaluated, no clear preference behaviors for tea type were observed (p > 0.10). When the 3Tea and controls were evaluated, pigs consumed minimal control (p < 0.01;18.0 ± 2.21% SEM), and they consumed great but similar volumes of +control and 3Tea (96.6 and 99.0 ± 2.21% SEM, respectively). Likewise, head-in-bowl duration was the least for -control, but 3Tea was the greatest (p < 0.01; 5.6 and 31.9 ± 1.87% SEM, respectively). Head-in-bowl duration for +control was less than 3Tea (p < 0.01; 27.6 vs. 31.9 ± 1.87% SEM). Exploration duration was the greatest in the area with the -control (p < 0.01; 7.1 ± 1.45% SEM), but 3Tea and +control exploration were not different from each other (1.4 and 3.0 ± 1.45% SEM, respectively). Regardless of tea type, adult pigs show preference for FST, even over +control. Adult pigs likely prefer the complexity of flavors, rather than the sweetness alone.

Sucrose Concentration and Fermentation Temperature Impact the Sensory Characteristics and Liking of Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage consumed for its probiotics and functional properties. It has a unique sensory profile driven by the properties of tea polyphenols and fermentation products, including organic acids. Fermentation temperature and sucrose content affect the fermentation process and the production of organic acids; yet less is known about their impacts on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance. Thus, we aimed to examine the impact of sucrose concentration and fermentation temperature on sensory attributes and liking. For this study, kombucha tea was fermented at three different concentrations of sucrose and fermented at two temperatures for 11 days. Fermentation was monitored by pH, brix, and titratable acidity, and consumers (n = 111) evaluated the kombucha for sensory attributes and overall liking. The fermentation temperature resulted in significant differences in titratable acidity, with higher temperatures producing more organic acids, resulting in higher astringency, and suppressed sweetness. The lower fermentation was reported as significantly more liked, with no difference in liking between the 7.5% and 10% sucrose kombucha samples. Fermentation temperature had the greatest impact on the sensory profile rather than sucrose concentration, which had a greater effect on the fermentation rate and production organic acids.

Association between soft drink consumption types and risk of lung cancer and all-cancer: A prospective study of PLCO data

Diet/sugar-free soft drinks are considered to be healthier than regular soft drinks. However, few studies have examined the relationship between the types of soft drinks (regular and diet/sugar-free) and lung cancer (LC)/all-cancer (AC) risk. In this study, we comprehensively assessed the influence of the type of soft drink consumption on LC/AC risk based on the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and competing risks Fine-Gray regression models adjusted for relevant confounders were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and subdistribution HRs for different types of soft drink consumption. In the PLCO population, female subgroup, and the ever/current smoker subgroup, consumption of both regular and diet soft drinks was associated with a significantly reduced risk of LC compared with no soft drinks at all. For the non-lung cancer (NLC) risk, consumption of only diet soft drinks had a significant positive association for the total population and female subgroup. Based on our findings, it was suggested that partial replacement of regular soft drinks with diet soft drinks might be beneficial to LC prevention, especially for females and ever/current smokers. Additionally, completely replacing regular soft drinks with diet soft drinks might be detrimental to NLC prevention, especially for females.

Red-Fleshed Apple Anthocyanin Extract Reduces Furan Content in Ground Coffee, Maillard Model System, and Not-from-Concentrate Apple Juice

Furan is a volatile and carcinogenic heterocyclic chemical compound that occurs in a wide range of thermally processed food. It can be induced during food-preparing processes by high temperatures and UV-C light. In the present study, the degradation of furan content in ground coffee, Maillard model system, and not-from-concentrate (NFC) apple juice by red-fleshed apple anthocyanin extract (RAAE) was studied. The results demonstrated that RAAEs had different degrees of degradation of furan content in coffee powder, and the RAAE from ‘XJ3’ had the most significant effect, with a reduction rate of up to 20%. Moreover, by adding RAAE to the Maillard model system, we found the amounts of furan were significantly reduced. At the same time, RAAE from ‘XJ3’ could observably reduce the content of furan in pasteurized NFC juice, with ‘Fuli’ NFC juice furan content decreasing the most, which was 68%. Taken together, our study demonstrated that the use of RAAE could be a feasible way to reduce furan content in ground coffee, Maillard model system, and NFC apple juice.