Delores H. Chambers

Consumer Home Refrigeration Practices: Results of a Web-Based Survey

To reduce bacterial growth and to ensure the quality and safety of food products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advise consumers to clean their refrigerators regularly, use a refrigerator thermometer, and keep refrigerator temperatures at 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) or below. We conducted a nationally representative Web-enabled survey (n = 2,060) to collect data on refrigerator thermometer ownership, home refrigerator temperatures, and the frequency of home refrigerator cleaning. We stratified the sample to provide results for pregnant women, older adults (60 years or older), and the remaining population. About half of all respondents had cleaned their refrigerators at least 1 month before the survey. Only 11% of all respondents had a thermometer in their refrigerator before the survey. Older adults (77.5%) were more likely than the remaining population (70.4%) to have their refrigerators at the recommended temperature (P < 0.01). Older adults who were not married and who lived alone were less likely to have refrigerator thermometers and to have their refrigerators at a recommended temperature (P < 0.05). For all respondents, those who had previously owned a refrigerator thermometer were more likely to have their refrigerators at the recommended temperature than were respondents who did not previously own a thermometer (P < 0.01). Food safety educators can use the survey findings and results of previous research to target educational materials and help consumers, especially those at risk for listeriosis, to safely store refrigerated foods at home.

Perceptual Ratings for Pureed and Molded Peaches for Individuals with and without Impaired Swallowing

Food molds have been created to alter the appearance of pureed foods by making the pureed consistencies look more like typically prepared foods. This study examined the perceptions of 15 adults with impaired swallowing and 15 adults with nonimpaired swallowing for three different types of pureed peach: a typically prepared pureed peach, a pureed peach with a thickening agent added, and a pureed peach with a thickening agent added and molded to look like peach slices. Results are presented for the attribute ratings of overall liking; liking of taste, texture, and appearance; and ease of chewing and swallowing. The results showed that the adults with impaired swallowing rated the attributes of chewing and swallowing significantly lower (i.e., more difficult) for each type of puree. Significant differences within samples also were found for the attributes of overall liking and liking of taste. Overall, the pureed peach molds were not perceived favorably for any of the examined attributes. In addition, the molded peach was rated lower (more difficult) in its ease of chewing. The implications of these findings and ideas for further research are discussed.

Consumer knowledge and use of open dates: results of a WEB-based survey.

Consumers are relying increasingly on ready-to-eat (RTE) foods because they are convenient, quick, and easy. Open dates let consumers know by which date to purchase or use RTE foods for best quality. To further characterize consumer knowledge and use of open dates for specific refrigerated RTE foods (smoked seafood, cooked crustaceans, bagged salads, prewashed cut produce, soft cheeses, frankfurters, deli meats, fermented sausages, and deli salads), we conducted a nationally representative web-enabled survey (n=2060). Before purchasing RTE foods, 48 to 68% of respondents check open dates all or most of the time. Before preparing RTE foods, 43 to 64% of respondents check open dates all or most of the time. Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported that their senses were the most important factors in deciding whether to eat a refrigerated food, which is an unsafe practice. About one-third of respondents reported that an open date is the most important factor in deciding whether to eat a refrigerated food. Many respondents, however, do not understand the meanings of the different types of dates. Only 18% correctly defined the use-by date. The findings suggest consumers could benefit from education regarding open dates and recommended storage times for RTE foods.

Volatile Aroma Compounds in Various Brewed Green Teas

This study identifies and semi-quantifies aroma volatiles in brewed green tea samples. The objectives of this study were to identify using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) paired with a headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) the common volatile compounds that may be responsible for aroma/flavor of the brewed liquor of a range of green tea samples from various countries as consumed and to determine if green teas from the same region have similarities in volatile composition when green tea samples are prepared for consumption. Twenty-four green tea samples from eight different countries were brewed as recommended for consumer brewing. The aroma volatiles were extracted by HS-SPME, separated on a gas chromatograph and identified using a mass spectrometer. Thirty-eight compounds were identified and the concentrations were semi-quantified. The concentrations were lower than those reported by other researchers, probably because this research examined headspace volatiles from brewed tea rather than solvent extraction of leaves. No relationship to country of origin was found, which indicates that other factors have a greater influence than country of origin on aroma.

A comparison of the flavor of green teas from around the world

BACKGROUND Green teas can be grouped based on their flavor profiles. The country of origin appears to have a strong influence on the flavor of green tea probably because similar processing methods are widely used within each particular country and flavor is dependent, in part, on processing. The aim of this article is to determine what flavor differences exist among a wide range of green teas (n = 138) produced in various countries. RESULTS In this study we found that roast-processed teas were mostly responsible for brown-related flavors and steam-processed teas were responsible for green-related flavors. The prices of the green teas did not differentiate the flavors of the samples. Often highly priced green teas were grouped with low-priced green teas from the same manufacturer or country of origin according to their flavor attributes. CONCLUSIONS Differences in the tea plant varieties or cultivars likely affects flavors in green tea. However, those were not known for many samples in this research and more study will be needed to determine the effects of specific differences in varieties or cultivars.

Relation between developmental stage, sensory properties, and volatile content of organically and conventionally grown pac choi (Brassica rapa var. Mei Qing Choi).

UNLABELLED This study was conducted to identify and quantify the sensory characteristics and chemical profile of organically and conventionally grown pac choi (Brassica rapa var. Mei Qing Choi), also called bok choy, at 3 stages of growth (2.5, 4.5, and 6.5 wk). Sensory and instrumental data were correlated using partial least squares regression. Pac choi was grown in late spring. Descriptive sensory analysis was conducted by a highly trained panel and compounds were identified and quantified using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. The findings of the study indicate that the differences in sensory characteristics and chemical profiles among stages of growth are more substantial than the differences between organic and conventional production. Green-unripe, musty/earthy, lettuce, and sweet flavors are representative in pac choi at early stages of growth. When older, pac choi has higher intensities of green-grassy/leafy, bitter, cabbage, and sulfur flavors that are associated with the increase of (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, octyl acetate, 1-nonanol, 2-decanone, 1-penten-3-ol, linalool, camphor, menthol, isobornyl acetate, geranylacetone, and cedrol compounds. Conventional pac choi was higher than organic pac choi in green overall, bitter, and soapy flavors only at 2.5 wk of age. This may be associated with the presence of (Z)-3-hexenal, 2-hexyn-1-ol, and (E)-2-hexenal compounds. PRACTICAL APPLICATION The increased popularity of organic production has amplified the need for research that will help in understanding how this production system affects the final quality of food products. This study suggests that the stage of development has a much larger impact on sensory quality than organic or conventional growing of pac choi. Findings from this study promote consumer choice by showing that comparable sensory quality can be obtained using either production system, making the ultimate choice not only based on sensory quality but consumer choice related to environmental beliefs or economics.

Descriptive analysis of flavor characteristics for black walnut cultivars.

Seven black walnut cultivars, Brown Nugget, Davidson, Emma K, Football, Sparks 127, Sparrow, and Tomboy, were evaluated by descriptive sensory analysis. Seven trained panelists developed a lexicon for the black walnuts and scored the intensities of the samples for 22 flavor attributes. Results showed that the 7 samples differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) on 13 of the attributes. For the majority of the attributes, only Emma K differed from the rest of the cultivars by being characterized with lower scores for black walnut ID, overall nutty, nutty-grain-like, nutty-buttery, floral/fruity, oily, and overall sweet. That sample also was higher in acrid, burnt, fruity-dark, musty/earthy, rancid, and bitter attributes. The remaining 6 cultivars showed few differences in individual attribute ratings, but did show some differences when mapped using multivariate techniques. Future studies should include descriptive analysis of other black walnut varieties, both wild and commercial, that could be grown and harvested for production.

Changes in the Sensory Characteristics of Mango Cultivars during the Production of Mango Purée and Sorbet

UNLABELLED The effects of processing on the flavor and texture properties of 4 mango cultivars available in the U.S. were studied. Descriptive panelists evaluated fresh mango, mango purée, and mango sorbet prepared from each cultivar. Purées were made by pulverizing mango flesh, passing it through a china cap, and heating it to 85 °C for 15 s. To prepare the sorbets, purées were diluted with water (1:1), sucrose was added to increase the total soluble solids (TSS) to 32 ± 2 °Brix, and bases were frozen in a batch-type ice cream freezer. Processing fresh mangoes into mango purée generally decreased fruity character and mango identity and led to the appearance of a cooked note. Many of the flavor distinctions among cultivars carried over from fresh to purée samples, but much of the texture variation was lost. Thermal processing had differing effects on the flavor of the cultivars, and therefore, results suggest that mango cultivars for purées should be selected based on properties after thermal treatment. Processing purées into sorbets minimized flavor variation among cultivars, although Tommy Atkins sorbet was relatively high in green and green-viney character and low in caramelized flavor compared to the other cultivars in sorbet. Based on the current study only very distinct flavor properties of mango cultivars may carry over to sorbets. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Findings from the present study will help mango purée and sorbet manufacturers select appropriate cultivars for their products by understanding the transformation that mango undergoes as it is processed into mango purée and subsequently to mango sorbet.

Nutrition education displays for young adults and older adults

The objective of this study was to develop guidelines for creating and modifying nutrition education displays. Two trained moderators conducted 14, 90‐minute focus groups with 99 low‐income individuals using eight displays based on past years usage and appropriateness to the age groups from those developed in Kansas, USA. Both groups recommended: the generous use of color; large, simple, block text; realistic images; text colors that contrast with background colors; and provision of practical printed materials. Younger respondents focused more on the graphical presentation. Older adults were more averse to complicated font characteristics and overlapping text/graphics. Excessive information on the display drastically decreased its liking by both groups.

Effect of organic production and fertilizer variables on the sensory properties of pac choi (Brassica rapa var. Mei Qing Choi) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. Bush Celebrity)

BACKGROUND The increased popularity of organic production has amplified the need for research that will help in understanding how this production system affects the final quality of vegetables. The effects of organic and conventional production on the sensory characteristics of pac choi (often called bok choy) and tomato were studied. Samples were grown in high tunnel and field environments at the Kansas State University Horticulture Research Center located in Olathe, Kansas. Highly trained descriptive panelists from the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University used previously developed flavor lexicons for tomatoes and leafy greens to evaluate the samples. RESULTS ANOVA at a 95% confidence level was used to detect significant differences between treatments for individual attributes. Crispness, green-grassy/leafy, piney, and pungent attributes were normally higher in conventional pac choi only for the field samples. Pac choi grown in high tunnels showed slight differences only at individual amounts of fertilizer. Organic tomatoes grown in the field were generally juicier and less mealy compared to conventionally grown tomatoes. In the high tunnel, organic tomatoes were generally stronger in the characteristic tomato aroma. However, all differences generally were very small. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that organic and conventional production systems do not create major sensory differences in the vegetables evaluated. The few differences that do exist are so small they may not be of practical importance.