Cracking Spirulina flavor: Compounds, sensory evaluations, and solutions

Background

Cyanobacterium such as Spirulina (Limnospira) afford a high protein alternative when incorporated into food products over natural resources through sustainable aqueous cultivation. While Spirulina offers improvements in texture, nutritional quality, and biological effects, its flavor is a critical challenge that directly affects consumer acceptance.

Scope and approach

Thus, this work aimed to review the scientific literature regarding the volatile compounds and amino acids responsible for Spirulina flavor, taste, and odor and to discuss forthcoming methodologies such as enzymatic or acid hydrolysis, fermentation, microencapsulation and blending with essential oils for modifying its taste profile, for instance, based on experimental design. Additionally, the study reviews current Spirulina-enriched foods to understand consumer perceptions and identify opportunities for advancing innovative products that achieve higher consumer acceptance and buying intention.

Key findings and conclusions

Different technologies for modifying the characteristic Spirulina flavor have shown promising results by reducing compounds responsible for unpleasant odors and generating bioaromas and umami compounds. However, more studies are needed on applying treated Spirulina in food matrices for consumer sensory evaluation. Bakery products and pasta stood out in terms of acceptability when added to Spirulina. At the same time, sensory studies of foods need to adopt standardized protocols, recruit a larger number of participants in acceptance studies, and eliminate biases by ensuring that the researchers responsible for the study do not participate in the sensory evaluations. Furthermore, one aspect requiring investigation is whether health claims on Spirulina food labels can positively influence consumer perception despite its characteristic flavor.