Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Test to Investigate the Consumers' Perception of Olive Oil Sensory Properties: Effect of Storage Time and Packaging Material

Oxidative stability and affective/descriptive sensory properties of cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) oil during accelerated storage conditions

Cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) oil is not commonly consumed, but it has great potential to add value to broken nuts. Therefore, studies on its characteristics are important to provide a basis for encouraging consumption. This study aimed to characterize cashew nut oil's physical, chemical, and sensory composition. It also evaluated changes in the oil over 60 days of storage at 30°C, 40°C, and 50°C (accelerated storage). The results showed that cashew nut oil contains anacardic acids and phytosterols and is primarily composed of oleic acid (65.24%-66.49%). Throughout storage, subtle changes in the oxidative quality of the oil were observed, particularly at 50°C, with increases in acid value (0.74-0.96 mg KOH/g) and peroxide value (1.43-4.60 meq/kg), color differences (ΔE, 0.37-8.83), and a reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acids (16.98%-16.63%). However, the acidity and peroxide values did not exceed the limits established by the Codex Alimentarius (4.0 mg KOH/g and 15 meq/kg, respectively). Sensory acceptance decreased over time, but at the end of storage, the oil still received scores above 6 (liked slightly). Furthermore, the Check-All-That-Apply test revealed that the oil exhibited positive sensory attributes, such as yellow color, shiny, light appearance, sweet taste, neutral flavor, and cashew nut aroma. It was concluded that the oil has great potential for commercialization and consumption, both for direct use and in culinary preparations. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Cashew nuts are widely consumed in Brazil, but their oil remains unknown to consumers. However, this product has great potential for commercialization, as it is a food with adequate nutritional, sensory, and oxidative qualities to be included in a balanced and healthy diet, with potential applications for direct consumption and in culinary preparations. It could also help strengthen the production chain for cashew nuts with lower commercial value (broken cashew nuts). The current study aims to expand knowledge about the nutritional and sensory characteristics, as well as the oxidative stability, of cashew nut oil.

Plant-based mince texture: A review of the sensory literature with view to informing new product development

The texture of plant-based meat alternatives is a sensory attribute that holds a central value in consumer acceptability. The texture dimensions and drivers of liking for plant-based mince, a popular product within plant-based meats, are not yet fully established and literature in this area is limited. Consequently, the successful development and positioning of such products in the market next to traditional proteins is compromised, and improved product development guidelines are needed for the industry. This review aims to inform product development of what is currently known about plant-based mince texture and where the research gaps are, particularly with respect to sensory dimensions and drivers of liking, by reviewing the present landscape of relevant sensory literature. Potential texture sensory dimensions for plant-based mince, based on limited studies and seemingly aligning with conventional mince, are posited as juiciness, tenderness, firmness, and/or softness with a key driver of liking being juiciness, but this requires further validation utilizing robust sensory studies. A significant need exists to expand on the currently known texture dimensions and drivers alongside new ways that texture can be improved upon to more closely align to, or exceed, consumer expectations. Once this has been achieved, a robust sensory framework for developing plant-based mince products can be used to better position plant-based mince to effectively compete with traditional mince, and not merely cannibalize upon other brands, in the current market.

Utilizing Sensory and Visual Data in the Value Estimation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Food evaluation is a topic central to consumer research and food marketing. However, there is little consensus regarding how consumers combine sensory stimuli, product information, and visual impressions to shape their evaluation. Moreover, the bulk of research relies on studies based on questionnaires and declarative responses, raising questions about subliminal processes and their hierarchy in an evaluation process. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a study with more than 400 participants in Morocco and Tunisia and investigated how factors such as flavor/taste, product information, and packaging design in a variety of olive oils influence visual attention and are reflected in willingness to pay (WTP). We implemented incentivization through an auction to reduce the hypothetical bias in stated WTP values. The results revealed that, compared to tasting the oils, the provision of cognitive information led to an increase in consumers' WTP. However, a drastic increase in WTP occurred when the consumers were exposed to package designs, overshadowing the formerly dominant effects of product attributes. These findings support theories suggesting a visual perceptual processing advantage due to the picture superiority effect-a picture says a thousand words. Further, it underlines the importance of graphic design in food marketing. The findings have ramifications for food marketing, product development, and pricing strategies.

Germination effects on the physicochemical properties and sensory profiles of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) and soybean tempe

Introduction

Previous studies have shown that the velvet bean, an indigenous legume in Indonesia, possesses high protein content and bioactive compounds. However, the utilization of velvet beans in tempe production remains underexplored.

Methods

This study aims to address this research gap by investigating the physicochemical properties and sensory profiles of tempe made from velvet beans, both individually and in combination with soybean. The study involved the production of tempe using germinated and non-germinated velvet bean, soybean, and a soy-velvet bean combination (61:39% ratio). Physicochemical analyses, including hardness, firmness, colour, antioxidant capacity, proximate, pH, and titratable acidity, were conducted. Hedonic rating and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) tests were also performed to assess the sensory attributes of fresh and fried tempe.

Results and discussion

Germination treatment of velvet bean resulted in tempe with reduced hardness, firmness, antioxidant capacity, and pH levels compared to non-germinated velvet bean tempe. However, velvet bean tempe exhibited a darker colour, higher antioxidant capacity, higher pH levels, and lower titratable acidity compared to soybean tempe and soy-velvet bean combination tempe. The protein content in velvet bean tempe was found to be below the required threshold of 15%. Hedonic rating tests revealed that fresh and fried velvet bean tempe received lower scores than other samples. CATA tests identified specific sensory attributes essential for fresh and fried tempe, including beany aroma, white colour, nutty aroma, golden brown colour, solid and crunchy texture, umami taste, and nutty aftertaste. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential applications of velvet beans in tempe production and emphasize the significance of considering germination as a factor affecting the quality and sensory attributes of tempe.

Understanding consumers attitude towards insects as food: Influence of insect species on liking, emotions, sensory perception and food pairing

Entomophagy studies mainly focused on insects as a generic category, rarely considering insect species. This study investigated the: i) affective response to specific edible insect species; ii) sensory properties characterizing the tested insects and their role in driving preferences and food paring. A sensory test (85 consumers, 56.5 % female, 19-73 years) was performed on seven dried whole edible insects at the adult (weaver ants, crickets, grasshoppers), larva (bamboo worms, morio worms, sago worms) and pupae stage (silkworms). For each species, consumers expressed their liking and, through three check-all-that-apply tests, described the perceived sensory properties, the perceived emotions, and their potential food pairings. Results showed a significant effect of the species on all variables. Bamboo worms, weaver ants and grasshoppers resulted the most accepted, followed by morio worms, crickets, and silkworms, while the sago worms were the most disliked. Numerous sensory attributes significantly discriminated among insect species and the drivers of liking and sensory attributes associated to the food pairings were identified. However, two clusters with different preferences and drivers of liking were observed. Moreover, a gender effect was found: i) males associated insects with emotions like calm and wild, while females with glad and pleased; ii) males and females would pair different foods with the insect species. In conclusion, this study provided new knowledge useful for researchers and food industry to develop future insect-based foods and dishes able to meet the expectations of different consumers segments.

Sensory Wheel and Lexicon for the Description of Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oil

Cold-pressed hemp seed oil (CP-HSO) has become available on the market and is gaining popularity mainly for its appeal and nutritional profile. The sensory quality largely depends on seed quality and processing as well as oil storage conditions. Given the "native" nature of the product, obtained by cold-pressing, the development of a standardized methodology to evaluate and describe the sensory quality of HSOs is of the utmost importance. To this aim, 16 commercial HSOs were evaluated, covering the main differences in brands and sales channels. A trained panel developed a vocabulary to describe the HSO profile consisting of 44 attributes, and a practical sensory wheel was proposed to classify attributes in different clusters and according to sensory modality. A sensory profile sheet was developed including two color descriptors (yellow, green), seven main positive (sunflower/pumpkin seeds, nutty, toasted nutty, hay, sweet, bitter, and pungent), several secondary positive (herbs, coffee, tobacco, etc.), four main defects (rancid, paint, burnt, and fish), and other secondary negative descriptors (boiled vegetables, cucumber, etc.). Subsequently, specific training of the panelists was carried out, and a satisfactory performance level was reached. This study represents the first attempt to standardize the sensory quality and terminology of HSO.