Karin Wendin

Dynamic analyses of sensory and microstructural properties of cream cheese

Flavour and texture in cream cheese depend on the microstructure. The objective of this work was to study the influence of fat content, salt content and homogenisation pressure on the microstructur ...

Objective and quantitative definitions of modified food textures based on sensory and rheological methodology.

Introduction Patients who suffer from chewing and swallowing disorders, i.e. dysphagia, may have difficulties ingesting normal food and liquids. In these patients a texture modified diet may enable that the patient maintain adequate nutrition. However, there is no generally accepted definition of ‘texture’ that includes measurements describing different food textures. Objective Objectively define and quantify categories of texture-modified food by conducting rheological measurements and sensory analyses. A further objective was to facilitate the communication and recommendations of appropriate food textures for patients with dysphagia. Design About 15 food samples varying in texture qualities were characterized by descriptive sensory and rheological measurements. Results Soups were perceived as homogenous; thickened soups were perceived as being easier to swallow, more melting and creamy compared with soups without thickener. Viscosity differed between the two types of soups. Texture descriptors for pâtés were characterized by high chewing resistance, firmness, and having larger particles compared with timbales and jellied products. Jellied products were perceived as wobbly, creamy, and easier to swallow. Concerning the rheological measurements, all solid products were more elastic than viscous (G′>G″), belonging to different G′ intervals: jellied products (low G′) and timbales together with pâtés (higher G′). Conclusion By combining sensory and rheological measurements, a system of objective, quantitative, and well-defined food textures was developed that characterizes the different texture categories.

Influence of packaging material and storage condition on the sensory quality of broccoli

The sensory quality of broccoli stored in modified atmosphere packages was studied. Oriented polypropylene (OPP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were used as packaging ...

Sensory Design of Foods for the Elderly

Background/Aims:Elderly persons with dysphagia need food that requires little or no chewing, that is easy to swallow and has attractive sensory characteristics. The aim was to investigate how ingredients varied according to experimental designs influence the perceived sensory, chewing and swallowing characteristics of two types of texture-modified model foods. Methods: Meat- and carrot-based, texture-modified model foods were produced. The following parameters were varied: particle size, fat content, starch and egg composition. The samples were studied using sensory analyses, focus group discussions and consumer studies. Results: The design parameters mainly had an impact on sensory texture attributes. The experts in the focus groups selected three products of each type which were regarded as being optimal for older persons. All the products contained a high proportion of egg yolk and a low amount of starch. Older consumers considered all the selected products to be easy to chew and swallow. The differences between older persons in nursing homes compared to those living in their own homes could be linked to health. Conclusions: Optimization of factors influencing food quality through the use of experimental designs in combination with sensory and consumer studies is required in order to meet the needs and demands of older people.

Texture-modified meat and carrot products for elderly people with dysphagia: preference in relation to health and oral status.

Background Reduced taste and smell, chewing problems and swallowing dysfunction are common among elderly people and affect perception, food choice and the ability to eat. Objective To study the preference for texture-modified carrot and meat products in elderly people aiming to meet the needs of people with impaired chewing and/or swallowing. Design Data were collected using questionnaires focusing on health, oral status and preference for the products. Altogether, 108 elderly people in ordinary housing (OH) and 50 living in special housing (SH) in Malmö (SH-M) and Göteborg (SH-G) participated. Results 19% had a body mass index ≤22, predominantly in SH (24%). Stroke was reported by 20% of the subjects in SH. Among those with subjectively experienced difficulties in swallowing (12%), 58% reported coughing, 21% a gurgly voice in association with food intake and 50% obstruction during swallowing. Only 20% with subjective swallowing difficulties had been specifically examined regarding this problem. All the tested products were easy to masticate and swallow. Compared with OH, people in SH-M found the meat products easier to masticate and swallow. Compared with OH, subjects in SH found the carrot products easier to masticate Conclusions There is a need to develop tasty texture-modified nutritious food products for people with mastication and/or swallowing problems. Possible factors for differences in preference between groups, in this study OH and SH, may be related to health status in general and specifically mastication and swallowing functions.

Effect of barium sulfate contrast medium on rheology and sensory texture attributes in a model food

Background: The swallowing process can be visualized using videoradiography, by mixing food with contrast medium, e.g., barium sulfate (BaSO4), making it radiopaque. The sensory properties of foods may be affected by adding this medium. Purpose: To evaluate if and to what extent sensory and rheological characteristics of mango purée were altered by adding barium sulfate to the food. Material and Methods: This study evaluated four food samples based on mango purée, with no or added barium sulfate contrast medium (0%, 12.5%, 25.0%, and 37.5%), by a radiographic method, and measured sensory texture properties and rheological characteristics. The sensory evaluation was performed by an external trained panel using quantitative descriptive analysis. The ease of swallowing the foods was also evaluated. Results: The sensory texture properties of mango purée were significantly affected by the added barium in all evaluated attributes, as was the perception of particles. Moreover, ease of swallowing was significantly higher in the sample without added contrast medium. All samples decreased in extensional viscosity with increasing extension rate, i.e., all samples were tension thinning. Shear viscosity was not as dependent on the concentration of BaSO4 as extensional viscosity. Conclusion: Addition of barium sulfate to a model food of mango purée has a major impact on perceived sensory texture attributes as well as on rheological parameters.

A Comparative Study on Facially Expressed Emotions in Response to Basic Tastes

Facially expressed emotions play a role in communication between individuals. They form another means of expressing oneself besides verbal expressions or self-reporting of feelings and perceptions on psychometric scales and are implicit in nature. This study aimed to evaluate the extent and specificity of evoking facial expressed emotions by basic tastes and to evaluate if facially expressed emotions provide additional information to explicit measures. The emotions were characterised upon tasting the five basic tastes in aqueous solutions at three different concentrations levels. The sensory and emotional responses reported were obtained from a 21-membered taste panel. Facial reactions and facially expressed emotions depended on the taste quality and taste intensity. However, the facially expressed emotions were generally weak even for the relatively strong taste intensities. Bitter (caffeine), sour (citric acid) and salty (sodium chloride) lead to clear disgust and surprise responses, whereas, sweet (sucrose) and umami (glutamic acid monosodium salt) taste gave weakly noticeable facially expressed emotions. Although correlations between the expressed emotions and hedonic responses were observed, the affective experience had a limited predictive ability for the facially expressed emotion at the individual level. In conclusion, psychometric rating of the hedonic response is easier to assess than facially expressed emotions although it may not completely represent the dimensions of the emotional experience.

Quinine sensitivity influences the acceptance of sea-buckthorn and grapefruit juices in 9- to 11-year-old children ☆

The acceptance of novel foods by children is related to a number of factors, and differences in taste sensitivity may form some specific challenges. High sensitivity might be a barrier to the acceptance of sour/bitter products by children. This study investigated the effect of sensitivity to bitter, sour, sweet, and salty tastes on the acceptance of Nordic juices in 9- to 11-year-old children. A total of 328 children were subjected to two taste sensitivity tests for quinine, citric acid, sucrose, and NaCl. Their acceptance of six juices (carrot, rosehip, sea-buckthorn, lingonberry, grapefruit, and aronia) was measured. Bitter sensitivity was found to be significantly correlated to the intake of the sweet sea-buckthorn and lingonberry juices; the most bitter-sensitive children exhibited the highest intake of these juices. The opposite relationship was found for bitter sensitivity and the intake of the bitter grapefruit juice. Sour, sweet, and salt sensitivities did not affect the intake of any of the juices. Liking scores were not affected by sensitivity. In conclusion, bitter sensitivity appears to influence food intake in children to a greater extent than sour, sweet, or salt sensitivity. Bitter-sensitive children exhibited a reduced intake of grapefruit juice and a higher intake of sucrose-sweetened juices. Thus, bitter sensitivity might be a challenge in the acceptance of certain bitter foods.

Acceptance of Nordic snack bars in children aged 8–11 years

Background A health promoting diet is suggested to be tailored to regional circumstances to preserve the cultural diversity in eating habits, as well as contribute to more environmentally friendly eating. It may influence consumer acceptance, however, if the components of the diet differs considerably from their habitual food. Objective This study aimed to investigate whether snack bars composed of Nordic ingredients were accepted by 8–11 year-old Danish (n=134) and Swedish (n=109) children. Design A seven-point hedonic scale was used to measure the childrens acceptance of five snack bars that varied in their composition of whole grains, berries and nuts. A preference rank ordering of the five bars was also performed. Results The results showed that samples that were rated highest in liking and were most preferred in both countries were a kamut/pumpkin bar and an oat/cranberry bar. The sample with the lowest rating that was also least preferred was a pumpernickel/sea buckthorn bar. Flavour was the most important determinant of overall liking followed by texture, odour and appearance. Conclusions Childrens acceptances and preferences were highly influenced by the sensory characteristics of the bars, mainly flavour. In agreement with earlier studies, the novel food ingredients seemed to influence childrens preferences. The Nordic snack bars may have a potential to be a snack option for Danish and Swedish school children, but repeated exposures to the products are recommended to increase childrens acceptance.

Modelling and analysis of dynamic sensory data

Abstract Time intensity (TI) data from earlier reported studies on cream cheese and salad dressing were used to develop models based on both polynomials and ordinary differential equations (ODE) that can be used to describe and interpret TI-data. Polynomials were thus fitted to experimental data. By taking the first and second derivatives of the polynomials one gets new polynomials that express how the perceived intensity changes with time. By integrating the original polynomial one gets a new polynomial that expresses how the classical TI-parameter “Area Under the Curve” is accumulated with time. Graphical display of all these types of polynomials gives an immediate and easily interpretable impression of the influence of different experimental factors on the time dependent perception. In the ODE models experimental factors, both formula and process conditions, were taken into account. Thus it was possible to develop equations that can be used for prediction of TI-curves for intermediate experimental settings.