Journal of Sensory Studies最新文献

This research investigated cross-cultural differences in acceptance of a plant-based cocoa-flavored ice cream iso-sweetened with different natural sweeteners among Danish and Brazilian consumers. Ideal sweetness, equi-sweetness, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), and consumer affective tests were carried out. Results were analyzed through ANOVA and Tukey's means test (p ≤ .05). For consumer tests, Danish consumers (n = 120) and Brazilian consumers (n = 120) evaluated seven samples of a plant-based cocoa-flavored ice cream iso-sweetened with sucrose, blends of sucrose and xylitol (25%, 50%, and 75%, respectively), stevia 95% rebaudioside A, stevia 60% rebaudioside A, and a blend of stevia and xylitol (50%). No significant difference in overall liking was found between the blends of sucrose and xylitol. Samples sweetened with stevia rebaudioside A 95% and 60%, and a blend of stevia rebaudioside A 95% with xylitol 50% were rejected by Danish consumers, whereas Brazilian consumers liked them a little better (5.08, 4.63, and 4.92, respectively), even though there was no significant difference among them (p > .05).

Practical Applications

This study showed that it is possible to reduce sugar content and increase liking in this plant-based ice cream matrix by replacing sucrose with xylitol. This emphasizes that the replacement will work in some places, but in others, it will not make a difference in acceptance; thus, it is a win for the food industry. The results obtained from specific groups require further studies on applying them to different consumers. The differences and similarities in acceptance between Danish and Brazilian consumers for natural sweeteners-sweetened plant-based ice cream emphasize the importance of performing a consumer acceptance study with consumers to whom the products under study are intended.

We prepared 81 samples of sweetened viscous solutions and gels with agar concentrations ranging from 0.025% to 0.60% and compared their sweetness intensities to reference solutions without agar. Sweetened viscous solutions containing agar showed significantly higher sweetness intensity in six solutions containing D-glucose, three solutions containing sucrose, and four solutions containing D-sorbitol compared to the reference solutions. Notably, some sweetened viscous solutions with extremely low viscosity showed higher sweetness intensity than the reference solution, which is a novel finding. Sweet samples containing agar showed significantly lower sweetness intensity than the reference solution in 15 samples containing D-glucose, 17 samples containing sucrose, and 15 samples containing D-sorbitol, supporting previous theories. We performed a simple regression analysis on the sweetness intensity of viscous solutions and gels containing agar and their physical properties. Our results showed a strong correlation between sweetness intensity and physical properties. These findings suggest that as sweetness intensity decreases, physical properties tend to increase.

Practical Applications

To prevent noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, it is recommended to practice carbohydrate restriction and reduce the consumption of sweet foods. In this study, upon being offered extremely low-viscosity sweetened solutions, we anticipate perceiving a slightly stronger sweetness and an increased sense of satisfaction in contrast to tasting sweetened aqueous solutions without viscosity. These findings hold the potential to provide pioneering insights into the interplay between taste and texture for entities such as food manufacturers. They could facilitate applications designed to elevate the quality of health-conscious food production.

Doenjang is a traditional soybean fermented food ingredient in Korea. According to the Korean Food Code, different categories were defined: doenjang and Korean-style (Hansik) doenjang. Two different categories were classified according to its main ingredient called “Meju.” The purpose of this study was to compare the flavor characteristics including sensory characteristics and volatile aroma profiles of doenjang and Korean-style doenjang according to the categories listed in the Korean Food Code. A total of six samples, including four doenjang and two Korean-style doenjang samples, were included in this study. Sensory characteristics were analyzed by a highly trained panel (n = 7) using Spectrum™ method. Volatile flavor analysis was conducted using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in conjunction with the Solvent Assisted Flavor Extraction method. Differences in sensory characteristics were documented between doenjang and Korean-style doenjang categories, and one sample under doenjang category had distinctive aroma characteristics. Samples under doenjang were characterized with high intensities of fruit-related aroma, possibly due to the presence of ester compounds, ethyl acetate, and phenyl ethyl alcohol. Korean-style doenjang had characteristics related to the so-called “traditional doenjang” in previous studies, such as meju and fish sauce aromatics, and these aromas may have been caused by the presence of 1,2-dimethyl benzene and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone.

Practical Applications

According to the Korean Food Code, doenjang is divided into two categories based on the use of major ingredients called meju: doenjang and Korean-style doenjang. To this date, studies related to flavor analysis of doenjang majorly focused on the final product, doenjang, while this study was conducted on the flavor analysis of doenjang categorized by the Korean Food Code. Finding from this study can aid small and mid-sized doenjang manufacturers to strategically manage their flavor characteristics according to Korean food law and regulations.

Previous research on the impact of odors on current emotional state has been mixed, with some studies finding odors can induce feelings of relaxation while others have not. The aim of Part 1 of the current study was to investigate whether a feeling of relaxation, measured by a self-report positive and negative affect scale and heart rate (HR), could be associated with an odor after completing three supervised sessions of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) training while wearing an odorized nasal clip. Although the Part 1 results revealed no differences in positive or negative affect or HR between participants who wore an odorized or non-odorized nasal clip, the PMR training was effective in reducing HR and negative affect overall. The aim of Part 2 was to determine whether the PMR training sessions in Part 1, could help reduce an objective measure of stress (i.e., HR) during four conditions of a cognitively stressful task, with and without an odorized nasal clip. The results for Part 2 revealed there were no differences in HR between participants who trained with odorized or non-odorized nasal clips in any of the four conditions. However, given no explicit tests of learned odor-PMR associations were performed, the lack of group differences may be due to various reasons, including a reduction in any learned association before testing Part 2. In summary and contrary to the hypothesis, participants who completed PMR training with an odorized nasal clip did not demonstrate a lower HR during a stressful cognitive task while wearing the odorized nasal clip, compared to those who wore a non-odorized nasal clip during PMR training. Future research on the association between odors and relaxation may benefit from adapting the training protocol to include more frequent or longer associations between the behavior and the odor.

Practical Application

The findings provide preliminary evidence that wearing an odorized nasal clip during light activities such as progressive muscle relaxation is tolerated well but further research exploring whether this pairing leads to feelings of relaxation when odors are presented alone is warranted.

Coffee is more than flavor. Though many articles focus on assessing coffee's flavor, the coffee characteristics for the acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste form part of the industry-standard assessment. The existing coffee flavor wheels provide commonly used terms for the assessment. However, there is limited discussion about the coffee acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste character. In this study, the terms used for describing coffee acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste were collated from published literature, coffee sensory panels, and internet material. A total of 679 unique sensory terms were identified for acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste and correlated into word maps. Based on word relationships and usage, the number of terms was reduced to a total of 95 for acidity, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and an overall grouping for shared terms. The reduced terms were arranged onto a coffee character wheel organized from broad to specific. The created character wheel provides a concise list of terms for coffee cuppers to assess acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste.

Practical Applications

The coffee character wheel compliments the currently published coffee flavor wheels to provide explicit descriptors commonly used in the coffee industry. In addition to flavor, acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste are also used to assess coffee quality. Many sensory terms have been used to describe these attributes, but these used terms have not been summarized or discussed. Analysis of the used terms can assist in creating a common language surrounding the coffee character. The broad to specific terms on this coffee character wheel can help coffee cuppers to describe coffee acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste.

Product sensory description is a fundamental action in sensory science, traditionally achieved through descriptive sensory tests. Rapid methods (Sorting and check all that apply [CATA]) that do not require trained sensory panels have been increasingly implemented to save time and costs. Considering the traditionality of the CATA method, this study is an extension of previous research on sensory drivers of liking of dulce de leche, comprising an investigation of Preference Sorting (PS) versus CATA to compare the results and information obtained from both techniques. PS and CATA tests showed similar results in determining dulce de leche sensory drivers of liking. However, some differences on sensory description were noted. Consumers considered the PS test more difficult than CATA. PS proved to be an alternative in determining the product sensory drivers of liking for a screening of a large number of samples, providing similar results to the traditional test—the CATA test.

Practical Applications

The findings of this study show practical utility for consumer-based methodologies, focusing on sorting tasks and sensory drivers of liking determination, complementing the preference sorting studies in a comparative perspective with a traditional sensory method to understand the technique and its applicability better. In addition, they are useful for Brazilian dulce de leche producers as they enable an understanding of consumer preferences to plan production, marketing, and commercialization strategies.

Hotel toiletries are standard complementary items found in hotel bathrooms. These commodities are important to consumers, yet minimum research has been conducted on consumers' perception of these hotel toiletries, nor the variables that can influence their preferences. Four focus group sessions were conducted with frequent hotel guests. These groups were separated based on the type of hotel toiletry (shampoo or lotion) and the category of hotel the consumers most regularly visited (i.e., luxury or economy). By the end of all four sessions, a list of 34 attributes for hotel shampoos and 29 attributes for hotel lotions was generated. Perceived differences were discovered such as economy guests testing the products before use, while luxury hotel guests had a “trust” factor in which testing was unnecessary. Additionally, relaxing “spa” like scents for shampoos and thick textures for lotions were important features. Follow-up research has been published to validate the information quantitatively.

Practical Applications

Articles publicly accessible on hotel toiletries are narrow. The investigation provides the groundwork for additional research to be conducted on the hotel toiletry category. The research resulted in various attributes to describe hotel shampoos and lotions, and how economy and luxury hotel guests use hotel toiletries. From the study, hotel owners and managers can explore the various opinions and perceptions of luxury and economy hotel guests regarding hotel shampoos and lotions.

Sensory discrimination testing is conducted for many reasons, including—but not limited to—flavor matching initiatives. When conducting these tests on carbonated beverages, there is not an established protocol on the best way to differentiate these multifaceted products. This is in part due to the formulations exhibiting a spectrum of carbonation (CO₂) levels, flavors and ingredients. This research conducted tetrad tests at four time points of CO₂ dissipation (0, 5, 10, and 15 min) and at two temperatures (refrigerated and ambient) to determine the sample preparation scenarios for which the “high discrimination” and “low discrimination” sample differentiation occurred. Subsequently, a select beverage pair was assessed in the “high discrimination” and the “low discrimination” preparation scenarios using multi-sip Temporal Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA). The objective of this research was to assess if identifying optimal sample preparations that enhanced sample differentiation from a series of tetrad tests allowed for a more discriminatory TCATA assessment. Results indicated that sample preparation significantly affected the ability to differentiate beverages for select attributes, but the “high discrimination” scenario was not always the more differentiating condition. Future work will aim to increase the knowledge of these interactions with additional carbonated products to further validate and generalize these findings.

Practical Applications

Sensory professionals will gain knowledge on how to optimize sample preparation for discovery of scenarios in which carbonated product flavors might be better differentiated.

A range of sensory cues contribute to human wetness perception, yet we know little of how visual modalities are involved, specifically if in-situ physical observations differ from ex-situ online observations. We aimed to assess the effect of stain volume, chroma, size, and hue on the wetness perception of static images, with a comparison to previously collected in-situ data. A total of 440 participants completed the online study, including 18 from an analogous in-situ study. Stimuli varied in physical wetness (0, 2.16 × 10⁻⁴ or 3.45 × 10⁻⁴ mL mm⁻²), stain chroma (clear saline, light synthetic urine, dark synthetic urine) and stain size (1150 or 5000 mm²). Further stimuli of a fixed wetness (3.45 × 10⁻⁴ mL mm⁻²) varied in stain hue (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) and stain size (1150 or 5000 mm²). Participants rated wetness perception using a visual analogue scale (very dry to very wet) and modified yes/no task (dry/wet, gloss/matte, dilute/concentrate). Participants successfully discriminated between all physical wetness levels. Wetness perception shared a positive relationship with stain chroma and size, and varied with hue such that higher wavelengths resulted in greater wetness perception. Finally, online and in-situ wetness perception did not significantly differ.

Practical Applications

The findings fundamentally contribute to our scientific understanding of wetness perception, giving evidence toward different multisensory integration theories. Further applications lie in industry, such as improving the structure, function, and perception of absorbent hygiene products or informing the design of sportswear with moisture management properties. Additionally, findings may aid the improvement of digital software which uses visual wetness components, for example in augmented and virtual realities.