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Variations in ingredients essentially affect the quality of fruit filling systems in terms of texture. The sensory perception of semi-solid systems is a rather subtle issue. Their oral processing is quite limited in terms of chewing, as almost no mastication for bolus formation is required. However, a number of textural features assessed during their consumption can modulate their perceived flavour and several relatively new sensory evaluation techniques can provide a deeper understanding of the perception of fruit fillings. In the present work, six fruit fillings were prepared with three different hydrocolloid systems: tapioca starch alone (TS), modified waxy corn starch (C), and a mixed system with tapioca starch plus pectin (P). Each of these was prepared with sucrose or with polydextrose and intense sweeteners. The samples were subjected to two sensory techniques: Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) with trained assessors (evaluating the texture and flavour modalities separately) and a check-all-that-apply question with consumers, including the evaluation of an “ideal fruit filling”. Finally, the results were correlated with the consumers' liking for the samples. The results indicated that flavour TDS curves mainly depended on the type of sweetener (sugar or intense sweetener) while, as expected, the texture TDS curve patterns were dependent on the type of hydrocolloid system. The best-liked set of samples was that with sugar (demonstrating that flavour dominated over texture for fruit filling acceptability) and, among these, TS was the preferred hydrocolloid system, for its creamy, fondant texture.

Fruit fillings are a little-studied product. Their design and formulation must take a number of factors which are inherent to their applications into account, including stability during heat treatments such as baking and freezing, during which their quality must remain intact. The present study investigated systems containing native tapioca starch (TS), low methoxyl pectin (P, at two concentrations: 0.3% and 0.6%) and calcium, compared with TS alone and with a modified waxy corn starch (C), normally used in the industry, as control. All the systems were prepared with and without the addition of fruit. A method to measure the instrumental texture of filled pastries was developed and applied to study the effect of the baking process on two types of bakery products. The rheological results indicated that in the mixed TS-P systems pectin had the dominant role. The presence of fruit caused a significant rise in the G′ and G″ module values for all the thickener system formulations, but the effect was greater with the mixtures that contained pectin. This would indicate that the addition of solids and/or the extra pectin contributed by the fruit led to greater structuring. During freezing, the pectin gave rise to a different gel structure to that of TS alone and acted as a retrogradation and syneresis inhibitor. The extent of this effect depended on the added pectin concentration. Pectin also imparts the stability at high temperatures and conferred similar viscoelastic behaviour to that of the modified starch control (C). The TS-pectin system also proved bake stable.

In-mouth texture largely determines the acceptability of ice cream, making it a key quality factor. Its perception involves movements of the tongue and other oral structures while the product melts and becomes a smooth, creamy viscous liquid as its temperature increases. Time is therefore an important issue in the sensory perception of ice cream, but has barely been considered in ice cream evaluation. In the present work, six ice cream samples with very different textures, formulated with milk, cream, egg, and hydrocolloids, were analysed by the Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) method. Iciness, coldness, creaminess, roughness, gumminess, and mouth coating were assessed. Hydrocolloids (and cream or egg to a lesser extent) modulated the temporal perception of ice cream attributes, reducing the first impact of sensations such as iciness and coldness. They also favoured an early perception of creaminess. Dynamic perception techniques combined with consumer sensory description by CATA (Check-all-that-apply) and liking scoring techniques gave a better understanding of which attributes drive consumer liking in relation to ice cream consumption.

Fruit fillings for pastries are low-pH systems that have to withstand baking temperatures without loss of quality. The present study evaluated a mixed system based on native tapioca starch (NTS) with the addition of low-methoxyl pectin (LMP) as a model for use in an acid environment (pH 3.0–3.2). This system was compared with a modified (highly cross-linked, hydroxypropylated and phosphated) waxy corn starch (MWCS) commonly used in industrial fruit fillings. The starch pasting and viscoelastic properties, instrumental texture and syneresis were measured. The addition of LMP to replace 10% of the NTS significantly increased the peak viscosity (PV), hot paste viscosity (HPV), cold paste viscosity (CPV) and total relative setback of the NTS and reduced relative breakdown. The mixed system also made the gel stronger and more elastic, achieving similar levels of viscoelastic properties to those of the control starch. At a frequency of 1 Hz, in acid conditions and with 35% sugar, no significant differences in G′, G″ and tan G′/G″ were found between the mixed system and the control (MWCS). The addition of pectin caused a significant increase in the firmness and consistency of the gels analyzed by extrusion tests.

Alongside proteins, soluble fibres are the most promising ingredients for formulating foods with high satiating capacity. Because of the considerable complexity and variety of composition and structure of polysaccharide gums, it is not easy to decide which ingredients are most effective in which products. They can often act in combination on more than one level. Moreover, the research results are often contradictory as it is extremely difficult to draw comparisons between different studies. The complexity of the methods and the absence of necessary information on the substances used for satiating purposes pose additional difficulties. This review aims to clarify the mechanisms governing the satiating effect of gums in formulated foods, update the information and draw attention to points that require further investigation.

Consumer perceptions and resulting actions determine the commercial future of any food ingredient. Food safety affects consumer food choice in ways that are different from other dimensions of quality. In the present exploratory work, qualitative consumer techniques (Word Association and Free Listing) were applied to identify the consumers' first associations and knowledge of additives in general and of thickeners in particular. The consumers' knowledge and perceptions of the functions and applications of thickeners were also assessed. Little knowledge and a relatively negative perception of additives were identified, but the consumers did not have food hydrocolloids in mind when they thought of additives. Thickeners were principally identified with flour and starches and a minor degree of knowledge about gums was also found. A strong association between “industrially processed” food and additives/thickeners was identified. Good prospects can be predicted for food hydrocolloids due to their natural origin in familiar sources which are “cleaner” in the consumers' eyes.

Many food ingredients and additives can be used to improve fried food, but hydrocolloids are the principal category of functional agents that have been used for the past forty years. Hydrocolloids play two main roles in fried food development. One is to form a fine ‘invisible’ coating, practically on their own, when their main purpose is to avoid excessive oil absorption during the pre-frying and frying processes. In the other, when they are added to the batter among its other ingredients, they are used to avoid oil absorption too, but they also act as viscosity control agents, improve adhesion, pick-up control and freeze-thaw stability or help to retain the crispness of the battered/breaded fried foods. This article reviews the wide range of functions that hydrocolloids perform in fried foods.