The quality of beef, defined by key attributes such as the intrinsic sensory qualities texture, flavour, and juiciness, is shaped by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study conducted a ...detailed examination of Nellore beef, focusing on two categories based on ultimate pH (pHu) levels: intermediate (pHu ≥ 5.8) and normal (pHu < 5.6) beef. A comprehensive approach was taken, involving twenty trained assessors who applied the Optimised Descriptive Profile (ODP) method to evaluate grilled striploin steak samples. In parallel, consumer preferences were measured through a hedonic test and a Check-all-that-apply (CATA) task, involving 135 participants. The ODP results revealed that the intermediate pHu samples were juicier (P < 0.05) compared to the normal pHu group. The CATA analysis highlighted differences in both intermediate and normal pHu beef, especially in juiciness, a crucial factor for consumer satisfaction. Notably, variations in deoxymyoglobin content linked to ageing were observed, with higher levels at the 3
day compared to the 28
day, especially in the intermediate pHu samples (P < 0.05). Moreover, colour-related aspects such as L*, b*, chroma (C*), and oxymyoglobin were significantly influenced (P < 0.05) by both the pHu category and ageing time. Regarding consumer acceptance, the study found no significant difference in perception between the intermediate and normal pHu groups (P > 0.05). These findings revealed the complex interactions between pHu levels, sensory characteristics, and consumer preferences in beef quality, offering valuable insights for both the industry and research community.
The descriptive and hedonic sensory perception of bacon manufactured using different smoking processes was studied. Six bacon samples were evaluated: three manufactured with woods, two with liquid ...smokes, and a commercial bacon. Consumers rated their overall liking (OL) and responded the check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions coupled with ideal profile method (IPM).11In the ideal profile method, the consumers indicate how they perceive real and ideal samples using a list of previously established attributes (Worch et al., 2013). The preliminary result showed that LS2 and Bamboo were the best-rated bacons. However, data analysis indicated two segments of consumers (both n = 50), with significant differences in the OL. The first segment liked fatty and smoked bacons, while the second valued the texture and appearance. The drivers of liking in both segments were the attributes related to texture, juiciness and the smoky aroma. The use of different woods in the bacon smoking process modified the descriptive and hedonic sensory perception of consumers.
•Smoking processes were evaluated using CATA questions with ideal description and overall liking.•Two segments with different sensory and liking patterns were found.•Texture attributes and smoky aroma were the main drivers of liking in both segments.
Insects have attracted much attention as a novel food source because of their environmental and nutritional advantages. In Latin America, some traditional groups consume insects; but the urban areas ...of Brazil resist adopting insects as food, like most Western countries. Thus, this study investigated the social representation of edible insects to understand the barrier behind this avoidance and to identify their segmentation in the Brazilian population. Seven hundred and eighty individuals were interviewed in all the Brazilian regions. The interview was composed of a word association task, a risk perception evaluation and two open-ended questions about the subject. According to the structural approach of social representation, Disgust was the primary association with edible insects. Three segments of consumers were identified using the risk perception of eating insects. The first segment, composed mainly of young men with higher educational levels, had the lowest risk perception, and the most positive attitude about entomophagy, their associations were also positive, such as Acceptance and Sustainability; the second had average risk perception and neutral attitude towards edible insects, with neutral and positive associations (e.g., Flavor and Culture); and the third, formed mostly by older women with lower educational level, presented the highest risk perception and the most negative attitude, and exhibited negative associations (Disgust, and Fear). The insect consumption in Brazil would be favored by using species of crickets, grasshoppers, ants, and their fried and roasted styles of preparations. Also, participants would eat insects mainly because of survival and curiosity.
Smoked bacon is a food consumed everywhere and previous work has focused on the sensory properties and acceptability of the product. However, little attention has been given to the non-sensory ...factors that drive sensory and hedonic perception of this product. In this context, the aim of this work was to study the influence of non-sensory factors on consumer behavior towards smoked bacon, using projective mapping coupled with conjoint analysis. Eight visual stimuli were created using a full factorial design with three factors (convenience, healthiness, and context of consumption), at two levels each. Ninety-five consumers positioned the stimuli in a two-dimensional space considering their similarities and differences, and then, rated their expected liking and purchase intention. According to the projective mapping, consumers based the representation of the stimuli on the three factors under study, but conjoint analysis indicated that healthiness was the most important factor, followed by the context of consumption and convenience. The findings of this study may help in the selection of future strategies in the process of food development, in order to launch products with greater chance of success in the market.
•Convenience, healthiness, and context of consumption of smoked bacon were explored using PM and CA.•The first three dimensions of PM were related to the three non-sensory factors under study.•Healthiness was the most important factor while context of consumption and convenience were the least important.
Bacon is a product made from pork meat that is subjected to curing, drying, and smoking. Researchers aim to associate the worldwide high-acceptance of such a product with the sensory and chemical ...properties of bacon. In this context, the objective of the present study was to characterize bacon samples smoked with different woods from reforestation using chemical and sensory methodologies, which were subsequently correlated by means of statistical multi-block analysis. Volatile compounds (VCs) of the smoked bacons were studied using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and the consumer sensory perception was explored by the Napping technique. VCs were identified in smoked samples, which triggered sensory attributes related to odor, flavor, and texture, such as “smoky flavor”, “salty taste”, “pleasant taste”, “woodsy flavor”, and “hard texture”. Multi-block analysis showed that the sensory attributes were associated with a group of VCs and not by a single compound.
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•Thirty-nine volatile compounds (VCs) were found in bacons, mainly aldehydes and phenols.•Most of the VCs have been related to the Eucalyptus-smoked bacon and the commercial sample.•Sensory attributes were significantly different between bacon samples.•Eucalyptus sample was perceived as woodsy and pleasant and Acacia sample as smoked.•Aldehydes, phenols and ketones were the VCs most related to woodsy and pleasant terms.
Several actions in the realm of public policies and programs have been implemented worldwide to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. As Brazil and many parts of the world are marked by ...regional, cultural, and social inequalities, risk communication and assimilation of protection recommendations by the public may be erratic, hampering the proper measurement of their effectiveness.
Even though transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by foods is unlikely, this work aimed to evaluate the population's adherence to the recommended food hygiene and personal protection measures to prevent COVID-19. An online survey containing questions on food hygiene and personal protection was publicly disseminated via internet and social networks. Data from 3000 respondents were collected and discussed herein.
Key findings and conclusions: Most respondents adopted the recommended hygienic and personal protection measures to avoid contamination with SARS-CoV-2. However, some important flaws were detected, such as lack of use of face masks when in public places (6%), improper hand washing and sanitizing (10–12%) and use of incorrect products for food or environment cleaning and sanitization (28%), indicating that adequate risk communication and preventive recommendations must continue in order to avoid contamination with the coronavirus. The heighten awareness with food hygiene during the pandemic may have an enduring positive effect on food safety.
•3000 Brazilian residents responded to an online questionnaire during the pandemic.•Most respondents followed recommended measures to avoid contamination with SARS-CoV-2.•Some respondents use inadequate products for food and house hygiene.•Hand washing and respiratory etiquette remain important in preventing new cases of COVID-19.•Food and personal hygiene are important preventive measures against food-borne diseases.
The aim of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis (DA) of bacons smoked with woods from reforestation and liquid smokes in order to investigate their sensory profile. Six samples of bacon ...were selected: three smoked bacons with different wood species (Eucalyptus citriodora, Acacia mearnsii, and Bambusa vulgaris), two artificially smoked bacon samples (liquid smoke) and one negative control (unsmoked bacon). Additionally, a commercial bacon sample was also evaluated. DA was developed successfully, presenting a good performance in terms of discrimination, consensus and repeatability. The study revealed that the smoking process modified the sensory profile by intensifying the “saltiness” and differentiating the unsmoked from the smoked samples. The results from the current research represent the first methodological development of descriptive analysis of bacon and may be used by food companies and other stakeholders to understand the changes in sensory characteristics of bacon due to traditional smoking process.
•Different woods from reforestation and liquid smokes were used to smoke bacon.•Descriptive analysis was used to study the sensory characteristics of bacon.•Methodological aspects of descriptive analysis were described in detail.•The use of different woods and liquid smokes modified the intensity of salty taste of bacon.
•The role of regional culture and geographical distances on the representation of edible insect were studied in Brazil.•Consumers from eight cities of different states of Brazil, and strategically ...located took part in the study.•Ellegård’s index was used to identify the proximity/distances among different dictionaries of elicited terms.•Culture was more incisive than geographical distances on the representation of edible insects.
This study provides an experimental-exploratory investigation about the role of regional culture and Euclidean distances on the consumers’ representation of edible insects in Brazil, a country with an extensive geographical surface. Seven hundred and eighty participants were recruited on the streets of eight cities from different Brazilian states: Manaus in Amazonas; Porto Velho in Rondônia; Macapá in Amapá; Cuiabá in Mato Grosso; Aracaju in Sergipe; Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro; Campinas in São Paulo; and Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul. These participating cities were considered from their cultural identity differences and geographical distances. Through a continual restricted word association task, participants were instructed to promptly verbalize the first five terms that came to their minds when stimulated with the expression “food made with edible insects”. Following, they had to score the valence of each term they produced. The dictionaries produced in each city were compared and classified into groups using the Ellegård’s index. Each group presented distinct ways of expression and attitude with respect to the inductive expression. Basically, Brazil was divided into two main groups according to their representation of edible insects: one consisted by the cities situated near the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, which present a cultural formation influenced by the European immigrants; and the other comprised the cities from the continental region that have strong cultural influence from the Amerindians. Thus, the cultural formation was more decisive to explain the similar representations among the cities than their geographical proximity. Given that, to effectively introduce a novel food in a country with varied regional culture, the marketing strategy should be focused on the values and beliefs of their culture subgroups instead of a single strategy for the whole country.
This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes towards food safety among consumers in the city of São Paulo, the major consumer market in Brazil. Focus group sessions were conducted with 30 adults ...responsible for food choices and purchases. Results indicated a preference for supermarkets over street markets, for the variety of foods, convenience and confidence in the safety assurance. On the other hand, the “naturalness” of the products in the street markets was the main reason for purchases in those places. Participants showed concerns with respect to food additives, hormones and pesticides – technological rather than “natural” hazards. Minimally processed and ready-to-eat foods were considered convenient products meeting the need for time/labor-savings in the kitchen, although suspicion about wholesomeness and safety came up among consumers. Lack of awareness regarding potentially risky behaviors was observed, including handling and storage of foods in the domestic environment. In conclusion, this study suggests that Brazilian regulators should create more effective risk communication combining technical information with actual consumer perceptions of food risks.
Social representations of safety in food services Behrens, Jorge H.; Vedovato, Gabriela M.; Cervato-Mancuso, Ana Maria ...
Food research international,
August 2015, 2015-Aug, 2015-08-00, 20150801, Letnik:
74
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This research aimed to evoke and analyze the perceptions of safe food through the perspective of customers at two different food service settings in São Paulo, Brazil. In-depth interviews (N=66) were ...conducted using a guide with open questions focused on the individual's perceptions of safety, knowledge of food-borne diseases and self-involvement in the food chain. The Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique, based on the Theory of Social Representations, was set as the framework for the content analysis of the individual speeches with the aim of writing a collective discourse representing the “voice of the customer”. Similarities and differences reflecting different socio-economic backgrounds came up: in general, the interviewees showed concerns about hygiene and good practices and recognized some food hazards, especially those of chemical and biological natures. In situation of social vulnerability, some customers showed greater concern with the guarantee of access to a substantial meal in face of economic constraint. Finally, most customers reported a passive role in the food chain and seemed to transfer to the restaurant staff the entire responsibility for the safety of the meals served therein.
•Customers at two restaurants were interviewed about their views on food safety.•We analyzed the content to identify representations of food safety in restaurants.•Customers infer safety mainly from sensory and aesthetic cues.•Optimistic bias and illusion of control are ways to counteract anxiety over risks.•Social vulnerability seems to minimize the perception of risk of food poisoning.
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