The American diet is lacking in plant‐based foods and vegetables, higher in protein than necessary, and too centered on meat and poultry. Two major dietary shifts recommended by the 2015‐2020 U.S. ...Dietary Guidelines are to increase vegetable intake and to increase the variety of protein food sources. One suggested strategy for doing this is to partially replace meat and poultry with vegetables and plant‐based ingredients in mixed dishes. This research tested the potential of flavor modalities (taste, aroma, trigeminal, and their combination) as strategies to increase the sensory appeal of plant‐forward dishes. Consumer testing (n = 141) was conducted in a cross‐sectional design in a laboratory setting on 24 recipe variations. Three factors were tested: cuisine (Latin American, Mediterranean, and Asian), meat proportion (high‐meat/low‐vegetable versus low‐meat/high‐vegetable), and flavor strategy (taste, aroma, trigeminal, and a reduced‐intensity trimodal combination). Statistical analysis was performed in R and XLSTAT‐Sensory® 2017. Four consumer preference segments were uncovered. The low‐meat dishes achieved parity or higher in consumer acceptance across all recipes and flavor strategies. The taste and trigeminal strategies both had higher overall acceptability scores than the aroma strategy, and the differences were significant (P < 0.05) in some consumer preference segments. The consumers successfully characterized the samples using a Check‐All‐That‐Apply task, verifying the flavor strategy design. This research provides insight into consumer preferences regarding flavor strategies to partially replace meat with vegetables in mixed dishes. The trigeminal and trimodal combination strategies were found to be the most promising flavor modalities to use to implement this shift.
Practical Application
There is little knowledge of American consumer preferences regarding vegetables in mixed dishes. Mixed dishes are a strategy recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to increase vegetable consumption and variety of protein sources. This research explores various flavor and culinary strategies with which to carry out the mixed dish meat‐vegetable swap and to test the potential of the Flexitarian Flip™ (the shift from meat‐centric to plant‐centric diets). This research shows that individuals have different preferences regarding the type of flavor they prefer in mixed dishes (for example, some consumers prefer salty and some prefer spicy), so if the dietitian can recommend recipes that cater to that client's food and flavor preferences, the client will be more likely to adhere to their diet.
We tested the hypothesis that reduced‐salt versions of four “better‐for‐you” dishes enhanced with monosodium glutamate (MSG) through a “Salt Flip” in an amount that still substantially reduced total ...sodium matched the consumer acceptance of normal‐salt versions. Three versions each—standard recipe with normal salt, reduced salt, and reduced salt with MSG, of four dishes—roasted vegetables (RV), quinoa bowl (QB), savory yogurt dip (SD), and pork cauliflower fried rice (CR) were evaluated by 163 consumers for overall liking and liking of appearance, flavor, and texture/mouthfeel on the nine‐point hedonic scale, preference, adequacy of flavor, saltiness, and aftertaste on just‐about‐right (JAR) scales, likeliness to order, and sensory characteristics by check‐all‐that‐apply. For each dish, the MSG recipe was liked the same (or significantly more for SD, P < 0.05) than the standard recipe, and better than the reduced salt recipe for QB and CR. The same was true of likeliness to order. MSG recipes of QB and SD were significantly preferred to the standard recipes, with no difference for RV and CR. MSG recipes were consistently described as “delicious,” “flavorful,” and “balanced.” Penalty‐lift analysis showed that “delicious,” “flavorful,” “balanced,” “fresh,” and “savory”; and “bland,” “rancid,” and “bitter,” were positive and negative drivers of liking, respectively. Two of three uncovered preference clusters, accounting for 68% of consumers, consistently liked MSG recipes, and the same or more so than standard recipes. We conclude that MSG can successfully be used to mitigate salt and sodium reduction without compromising consumer acceptance of better‐for‐you foods.
Practical Application
The Salt Flip offers a promising dietary sodium reduction strategy through the addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to reduced‐salt, savory, better‐for‐you foods that does not compromise consumer acceptance of their sensory profile.
Coffee contains a variety of organic acids (OAs) and chlorogenic acids (CGAs) that contribute to overall sensory properties. Large variations in preparation and measurement methodology across the ...literature complicate interpretation of general trends. Here, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to elucidate the concentrations of OAs and CGAs in both Coffea arabica (arabica) and Coffea canephora (robusta), for both green coffee and roasted coffee at multiple roast levels. A total of 129 publications were found to report acid concentration measurements, yielding 8,634 distinct data points. Analysis of the full data set reveals several trends. First, roasted robusta has considerably more acidic compounds than arabica with 2 to 5 times as much total OAs, and much larger amounts of formic and acetic acid. As for CGAs, in both arabica and robusta 5-CQA is the major component, and progressive roasting decreases the concentration of all CGAs. The total amount of CGA present was more dependent on roast level than the type of coffee (arabica vs. robusta). Overall, this meta-analysis suggests that the increases in certain OAs with roast level might play more of a role in the sensory profile of dark roast coffees than previously suspected.
An olive pomace (pâté) obtained from virgin olive oil production, was used for the fortification of pasta, bread, and granola bar. For each food, a control (without pâté) and a fortified sample (with ...pâté, 7% in pasta and 5% in bread and granola bar) were manufactured. Descriptive analysis showed that pâté strongly affected the appearance of pasta and bread and increased the bitterness of bread and granola bar but not pasta. Granola bar was less affected in general, likely because of its higher ingredient complexity. In a central location test with 175 Californian consumers, both the control and the fortified samples of all three foods were well accepted overall, with only the mean liking of the appearance of the fortified pasta falling below the “neither like nor dislike” mark. Approximately 30% of consumers preferred the fortified sample over the control for each food and 50% were willing to pay more for the fortified products. The percentage of phenols from pâté recovered in the prepared samples was such that 63 g of pasta, 18 g of bread, and 12 g of granola bar would be sufficient to meet the EFSA health claim for olive oil phenols. This study demonstrates that pâté can be used for fortification of foods for human consumption, thus adding potential economic value to the virgin olive oil production chain and allowing for a higher daily intake of phenols from Olea europaea L., whose beneficial health properties are well recognized.
Practical Application
The dried olive oil pomace (pâté) that we developed and tested in this research can be used to fortify pasta, bread, and granola bars with health‐beneficial phenols with only slight alterations of their sensory profiles and slight reduction in consumer acceptance. Virgin olive oil producers can use this byproduct and gain further economic value from olive oil production.
Drip brewed coffee is traditionally quantified in terms of its strength, also known as total dissolved solids (TDS), and its brewing yield, also known as percent extraction (PE). Early work in the ...1950s yielded classifications of certain regimes of TDS and PE as “underdeveloped,” “bitter,” or “ideal,” with the modifiers “weak” or “strong” simply correlated with TDS. Although this standard is still widely used today, it omits a rich variety of sensory attributes perceptible in coffee. In this work, we used response surface methodology to evaluate the influence of TDS and PE on the sensory profile of drip brewed coffee. A representative wet‐washed Arabica coffee was roasted to three different levels (light, medium, or dark), with each roast then brewed to nine target brews that varied systematically by TDS and PE. Descriptive analysis found that 21 of the 30 evaluated attributes differed significantly across the brews for one or more experimental factors, yielding linear or second‐order response surfaces versus TDS and PE. Seven attributes exhibited a significant response surface for all three roast levels tested: burnt wood/ash flavor, citrus flavor, sourness, bitterness, sweetness, thickness, and flavor persistence. An additional seven attributes also showed a significant response surface fit across some but not all roasts. Importantly, sweetness exhibited an inverse correlation with TDS irrespective of roast, while dark chocolate flavor and blueberry flavor decreased with TDS for medium roast. These results provide new insight on how to optimize brewing conditions to achieve desired sensory profiles in drip brewed coffee.
Practical Application
This research provides guidance on how best to achieve specific flavor profiles in drip brewed coffee.
The original Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel was developed by the Specialty Coffee Assn. of America over 20 y ago, and needed an innovative revision. This study used a novel application of traditional ...sensory and statistical methods in order to reorganize the new coffee Sensory Lexicon developed by World Coffee Research and Kansas State Univ. into scientifically valid clusters and levels to prepare a new, updated flavor wheel. Seventy‐two experts participated in a modified online rapid free sorting activity (no tasting) to sort flavor attributes of the lexicon. The data from all participants were compiled and agglomeration hierarchical clustering was used to determine the clusters and levels of the flavor attributes, while multidimensional scaling was used to determine the positioning of the clusters around the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel. This resulted in a new flavor wheel for the coffee industry.
Practical Application
The new SCAA and WCR Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel can be used as an important tool for communication in the coffee industry, to standardize the description of coffee flavors in a replicable way throughout the coffee value chain, and to educate coffee consumers. It brings industry and science closer together, unifying communication and enabling problem solving of issues critical to the specialty coffee industry. Both the lexicon and flavor wheel are living documents, so there is flexibility and space for additional coffee flavor descriptors as trained panels gain more experience with these tools.
American adults consume excess added sugar and saturated fat, and not enough fruit. A possible solution is the “Dessert Flip,” a shift in which the proportions of more sustainable plant‐based ...garnishes, such as fruit and nuts, are increased, while the proportion of conventional dessert is reduced. We hypothesized that the pleasing properties of fruits and nuts—color, variety, flavor, and texture—would allow the Dessert Flip to be liked as well or better than a conventional dessert by college‐aged students in a dining hall. In a sensory test, participants (n = 118) significantly preferred plated flipped desserts—those containing 80% by weight fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and mangoes) and nuts with 20% cake—over the conventional versions of those desserts with 80% cake and 20% fruit and nuts. No significant differences were found in overall liking. In a second experiment, after eating an entrée, participants (n = 150) chose pictures of multiple varieties of flipped cakes with 60% fruit and 40% cake significantly more than pictures of conventional 80% cake for dessert. Based on the U.S. average fruit prices, the Dessert Flip can be equal or lower in price per serving compared to an ungarnished typically sized cake. We conclude that the Dessert Flip offers a feasible option for increasing servings of fruits and nuts in desserts as well as reducing added sugar and saturated fat while maintaining sensory appeal. Future dietary guidelines could include this general strategy as a recommendation for helping adults include more fruits in their diets.
Practical Application
The Dessert Flip offers an appetizing way for foodservice to promote healthier eating by increasing servings of fruits and nuts in their desserts while reducing added sugar and saturated fat. Consumers can try this strategy at home by cutting a smaller piece of cake and adding fruit on the side.
In this work, discrimination tests, descriptive analysis, consumer tests, and total dissolved solids (TDS) were used to evaluate the effects of brew basket geometry on the sensory quality and ...consumer acceptance of drip brewed coffee. Two basic geometries, semi‐conical and flat‐bottom, were evaluated in conjunction with coffee roast and particle size. Initial discrimination tests showed that small differences in median particle size were not discernable, but that coffees brewed using either semi‐conical or flat‐bottom filter baskets were significantly different (P < 0.05, N = 45). Additionally, coffee brewed in the semi‐conical basket had significantly higher %TDS, and we estimated a sensory difference threshold of 0.24 %TDS. A subsequent descriptive analysis (DA) showed significant differences by roast for 11 attributes and by grind for six attributes. Although brewing geometry, as a single factor, was only significantly different for three independent attributes (smoke aroma, sweetness, and tobacco flavor), roast × geometry interactions were significant for six attributes (berry flavor, bitterness, burnt wood/ash, citrus flavor, earthy flavor, and sourness) and the grind × geometry interaction was significant for two attributes (bitterness and floral aroma). Attributes showing significant interactions with brewing geometry were also key drivers of consumer liking/disliking. Overall consumer liking (9‐point hedonic scale) was analyzed by cluster analysis (N = 85), which revealed four distinct preference clusters. For each cluster, a particular basket geometry and/or roast level showed lesser acceptance. Overall, the results strongly corroborate the hypothesis that basket geometry affects the sensory quality of drip brewed coffee.
Practical Application
Most Americans consume drip brewed coffee. Improving our understanding of the effects of basket geometry, roast level, and grind size on the total dissolved solids, sensory properties, and acceptability of drip brewed coffee gives producers and consumers alike an opportunity to optimize the sensory quality of their coffee.
Brewing is the final and key step in the production of the coffee beverage. Extraction related metrics such as the total dissolved solids (TDS), percentage extraction yield (PE) of solutes, and brew ...temperature (BT) are widely believed to govern the flavor and corresponding consumer acceptance of the resulting brew, as summarized in the industry standard “Coffee Brewing Control Chart.” In this study, we investigated how the three factors of TDS, PE, and BT affected consumer acceptance of a medium roast, single‐origin coffee and whether consumer preference segmentation would be observed based on these variables. A cohort of 118 mostly college‐age, self‐reported consumers of black coffee tasted coffees that varied in BT, TDS, and PE. For each coffee, consumers rated overall acceptance on the 9‐point hedonic scale; the adequacy of serving temperature, flavor intensity, acidity, and mouthfeel using 5‐point just‐about‐right (JAR) scales; and described the flavor using a check‐all‐that‐apply list of 17 attributes. Cluster analysis revealed two consumer segments whose preferences varied most strongly with TDS. Response surface methodology relating liking to TDS and PE produced dome‐ and saddle‐shaped surfaces for the two segments, respectively. External preference mapping and penalty analysis indicated that overall flavor intensity as well as acidity heavily influenced the preferences of the two clusters. The Coffee Brewing Control Chart's “ideal” coffee should therefore be reconsidered to reflect consumer preference segmentation.
Practical Application
This research informs the way coffee brewers manipulate brew strength and extraction of drip brew coffee for optimal consumer acceptance; and justifies a reform of the standard “Coffee Brewing Control Chart” in its representation of an “ideal” coffee as we uncovered two consumer preference segments with different positive and negative sensory drivers of liking.
The brew temperature is widely considered a key parameter affecting the final quality of coffee, with a temperature near 93 °C often described as optimal. In particular, drip brewers that do not ...achieve a minimum brew temperature of 92 °C within a prescribed time period fail their certification. There is little empirical evidence in terms of rigorous sensory descriptive analysis or consumer preference testing, however, to support any particular range of brew temperatures. In this study, we drip-brewed coffee to specific brew strengths, as measured by total dissolved solids (TDS), and extraction yields, as measured by percent extraction (PE), spanning the range of the classic Coffee Brewing Control Chart. Three separate brew temperatures of 87 °C, 90 °C, or 93 °C were tested, adjusting the grind size and overall brew time as necessary to achieve the target TDS and PE. Although the TDS and PE both significantly affected the sensory profile of the coffee, surprisingly the brew temperature had no appreciable impact. We conclude that brew temperature should be considered as only one of several parameters that affect the extraction dynamics, and that ultimately the sensory profile is governed by differences in TDS and PE rather than the brew temperature, at least over the range of temperatures tested.
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