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Set type yoghurts are characterised by a semi-solid texture, which is created during the fermentation process. The tea infusion in this type of yoghurt production can influence the quality of the final product. Therefore, the aim of the experiment was to evaluate the influence of the addition of 3, 6 and 9% inulin to oolong tea-infused yoghurts on the sensory quality. It has been evaluated by trained experts using a Quantitative Descriptive Profile analysis and by consumers using hedonic scaling, as well as on instrumentally evaluated features such as texture, stability and visual parameters. The addition of oolong tea to yoghurt resulted in positive changes in the perception of sweet, peach and nectar odours and flavours, and also creaminess, as well as negative changes in the presence of a bitter taste, the whey presence and a colour intensification towards dark cream (p ≤ 0.05). The addition of inulin to the tested oolong tea yogurts caused a decrease in the whey presence and brightened the yoghurt’s colour (6% and 9%, p ≤ 0.05, respectively), as well as an improved creaminess and an increase in the sweet taste of the yoghurt. It was also observed that the addition of oolong tea deteriorated the instrumentally evaluated texture of the set yoghurts, while inulin at a higher concentration (9%, p ≤ 0.05) increased the firmness and adhesiveness. Moreover, the addition of inulin also had a positive effect on the yoghurt’s stability. The addition of inulin to oolong tea-infused set yoghurts may be valuable both as a source of prebiotic fibre in functional products and as a factor improving the quality of these products.

Worldwide initiatives currently aim to reduce free sugar intakes, but success will depend on consumer attitudes towards sugar and the alternatives. This work aimed to explore attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods in the general public of the UK, including attitudes towards personal consumption and related policies. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 34 adults (7 males, ages: 18-65 years). Thematic analysis identified six themes: ‘Value’ (e.g. pleasure, emotions), ‘Angle’ (e.g. disinterest), ‘Personal Relevance’ (to be concerned and/or change one’s own behaviour), ‘Personal Responsibility’ (one has an active relationship with these food items), ‘Understanding’ (the acquisition, comprehension and application of information surrounding these food items) and ‘It’s Not Up to Me’ (a passive approach towards these food items, because intake is subjected to other factors). Both positive and negative attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods were expressed in all themes, largely dependent on the individual. Potential strategies for reducing free sugar intakes were also reported, but differences in likely value were suggested by different individuals. Future work should assess associations between attitudes and intakes. For greatest population benefit, evidence of the dominant attitudes in those in greatest need of reduced free sugar intakes would be of value.

The temperature range for consuming hot drinks includes temperatures that can damage cells on the tongue. We hypothesized that the consumption of very hot drinks can lead to a decrease in the ability to perceive low concentrations of tastants. We evaluated the ability to perceive low concentrations of five prototypical sapid compounds in 42 women and 40 men aged 18–65. A questionnaire made it possible to collect the usual frequencies (number of unit/day) and consumption temperature levels (medium hot/very hot) for four very common hot drinks (coffee, tea, herbal infusions, and hot chocolate). Our results showed that subjects who consumed very hot drinks (versus medium hot) were less sensitive to sweet (p = 0.020) and salty (p = 0.046) tastes. An aggravating effect of high consumption frequencies was only shown for sweet taste (p = 0.036). Moreover, our data also showed that women were more sensitive than men to sour, bitter, and umami tastes (p values &lt, 0.05), as well as that taste sensitivity decreases with age, especially after 50 years old (all tastes, p values &lt, 0.05). These findings strengthen our knowledge about the influence of sex and age on taste sensitivity, and they provide knowledge on the influence of consumption habits related to hot drinks on taste sensitivity.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibilities for using date fruit from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the formulation of a novel snack bar while replacing the used honey with date paste. The technological, textural, microbiological and sensory qualities of the obtained food products were evaluated during storage for 12 days after their production. Date palm fruit in the form of date paste was used as an ingredient in the composition of the new snack bars that also included nuts and dried fruits. Five formulations were prepared: a control bar, snack bar with 40% date paste, snack bar with 50% date paste, snack bar with 60% date paste, and snack bar with 70% dates paste. The resulting date paste’s textural characteristics supported the bonding potential of the food system and gave a sweet taste to the final product. The formulations containing 50% date paste presented the highest overall acceptability and were the formulation with the best sensory characteristics. Thus, the addition of date paste in snack bars would be a good option to develop a functional product that contributes to rational nutrition principles. The obtained values in the current study confirmed the technological and functional potential of date fruit as a product that can find adequate application in the composition of foods with functional properties.

Miracle fruit has a high potential as a healthy sweetening enhancer, due to its powerful antioxidant capacity and its unique ability to transform sour taste into sweet taste. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of different miracle fruit products on the likings of different sour foods. In total, 200 healthy adults (women 55%, 18–65 years old) evaluated five sour foods (apple, goat cheese, lemonade, yogurt, pickle) before and after miracle fruit application. Four commercial miracle fruit products (pills-Y, G, M, powder-P) were randomly assigned to each panelist. The pre- and post-test likings for overall, flavor, texture, and aftertaste were evaluated by using a nine-point scale. The “meeting expectations” was evaluated only in the post-tests. After miracle fruit administration, all the liking scores in yogurt, goat cheese, and apple increased, in contrast, lemonade and pickle liking scores decreased, except lemonade’s texture with the P product. The Tukey post hoc test showed that the pre-to-post increments for overall, flavor, and texture likings in yogurt and in overall and flavor likings in apple using M product were significantly higher than using other products (p &lt, 0.05). This study suggests that miracle fruit application can be an effective method for im-proving consumer likings for yogurt, goat cheese, and apple.

The present study investigated the drivers of liking ethnic sauces in a cross-cultural context. Experiments were conducted to understand the acceptance of salad dressings and dipping sauces developed from Korean fermented seasonings among consumers with different ethnic backgrounds, including: South Korean, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and American. The samples of interest included four types of salad dressings made from fermented soybean paste (doenjang) and four types of spicy dipping sauces made from fermented chili pepper paste (gochujang). The salad dressings were preferred by Korean and US consumers. Koreans liked the nutty-flavored salad dressings, whereas UAE and American consumers commonly liked the spicy type. There was a stronger cross-cultural agreement in liking dipping sauces rather than salad dressings. Both Korean and American consumers liked spicy dipping sauces that elicited a sweet taste. UAE consumers tended to prefer the less spicy dipping sauce samples. Consumers in all three countries generally liked spicy dipping sauces more than salad dressings. Cultural differences were observed between the responses depending on the presence and level of spiciness in the two different food types. For product development with ethnic fermented flavors or chili spices, the contextual appropriateness and consumer familiarity with the corresponding flavor should be taken into account.

The sensory characteristics and volatile compounds that affect consumers&rsquo, acceptance of rice liquors were investigated. A total of 80 consumers evaluated 12 yakju samples and descriptive analysis by 11 trained panelists was conducted. Solvent-assisted flavor evaporation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis also was conducted revealing 120 volatile compounds in the yakju samples. Sensory attributes (n = 31) except appearance attributes were used for principal component analysis (PCA). As results, fruit odor (apple, hawthorn, omija, and pineapple odor) and flower odor (chrysanthemum, pine, and peppermint odor) were placed on the positive side of PC1 whereas persimmon vinegar odor, bitter taste, alcohol flavor, stinging and coating mouthfeel were located on the negative side of PC1. The yakju samples were mainly characterized by their alcohol content and supplementary ingredients. Sensory descriptors (n = 31, except appearance attributes and p &gt, 0.05) and volatile compounds (n = 30, p &gt, 0.5 correlation coefficient with overall acceptance) were chosen for multiple factor analysis (MFA). The MFA correlation map showed that ethyl propanoate, ethyl-2-hydroxy-2-methylbutanoate, methyl 2-furoate, &gamma, butyrolactone, 4-ethoxycarbonyl-&gamma, butyrolactone, hawthorn odor, apple flavor, grape flavor, and sweet taste were positively correlated with young consumers&rsquo, overall acceptance. Additionally, negative correlation with overall acceptance was found in 1,3-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, and 1,1-diethoxy-3-methylbutane.

Excessive sugar intake and the associated increased obesity risk indicate that food reformulation is needed. Non-alcoholic beverages are often high in free sugars, making reformulation with low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) a common choice. Our knowledge of the use of LNCS in the European food supply is, however, very limited. This study aimed to evaluate the trends in the use of LNCS in different non-alcoholic beverages in the Slovenian food supply over the course of two years. We assessed which LNCS are most used and how the use of LNCS affects energy and sugar content. We analyzed labeling information of non-alcoholic beverages in selected grocery stores, covering the majority of the Slovenian food supply. Selected grocery stores were located in the capital city (Ljubljana). LNCS were present in 13.2% and 15.5% of non-alcoholic beverages in the years 2017 and 2019, respectively. The use of LNCS has significantly increased only in energy drinks (p &lt, 0.01). The most used LNCS in 2017 were acesulfame K, aspartame, and cyclamates. In 2019 the use of sucralose increased significantly (p &lt, 0.01) to become the second most used LNCS. Energy and sugar content varied between subcategories, which depended on the presence of added sugar and LNCS. Comparison between the energy value and the presence of the LNCS showed an almost 50% lower energy content of beverages containing both added sugar and LNCS (E2017 = 92.8 kJ, E2019 = 96.2 kJ per 100 mL), compared with beverages with only added sugar (E2017 = 161.8 kJ, E2019 = 159.0 kJ per 100 mL). In beverages sweetened only with LNCS, the difference was even more noticeable (E2017 = 22.3 kJ, E2019 = 14.3 kJ per 100 mL). Results show that the use of LNCS can help producers reduce the energy value of non-alcoholic beverages. Still, compared to other countries, the offer of such products in the Slovenian food supply is relatively low. However, due to possible public health risks of excessive use of LNCS, producers should be further encouraged for reformulation and production of less sweet products without LNCS, enabling consumers to adapt to less sweet taste of beverages. Further monitoring of LNCS in the food supply is therefore recommended, preferably also with consideration of sales data.

Aroma-taste interactions, which are believed to occur due to previous coexposure (concurrent presence of aroma and taste), have been suggested as a strategy to aid sugar reduction in food and beverages. However, coexposures might be influenced by individual differences. We therefore hypothesized that aroma-taste interactions vary across individuals. The present study investigated how individual differences (gender, age, and sweet liker status) influenced the effect of aroma on sweetness intensity among young adults. An initial screening of five aromas, all congruent with sweet taste, for their sweetness enhancing effect was carried out using descriptive analysis. Among the aromas tested, vanilla was found most promising for its sweet enhancing effects and was therefore tested across three sucrose concentrations by 129 young adults. Among the subjects tested, females were found to be more susceptible to the sweetness enhancing effect of vanilla aroma than males. For males, the addition of vanilla aroma increased the sweet taste ratings significantly for the 22&ndash, 25-year-olds, but not the 19&ndash, 21-year-olds. Consumers were clustered according to their sweet liker status based on their liking for the samples. Although sweet taste ratings were found to vary with the sweet liker status, aroma enhanced the sweetness ratings similarly across clusters. These results call for more targeted product development in order to aid sugar reduction.

It is currently unclear whether changes in sweet taste perception of model systems after sleep curtailment extend to complex food matrices. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to use a novel solid oat-based food (crisps) and oat-based beverage stimulus sweetened with sucralose to assess changes in taste perception after sleep curtailment. Forty-one participants recorded a habitual and curtailed night of sleep using a single-channel electroencephalograph. The next morning, overall sweetness, flavor, and texture liking responses to energy- and nutrient-matched oat products across five concentrations of sweetness were measured. Overall (p = 0.047) and flavor (p = 0.017) liking slopes across measured concentrations were steeper after curtailment, suggesting that sweeter versions of the oat products were liked more after sleep curtailment. Additionally, a hierarchical cluster analysis was used to classify sweet likers and non-likers. While the effect of sleep curtailment on sweet liking did not differ between sweet liking classification categories, sleep curtailment resulted in decreased texture liking in the solid oat crisps for sweet non-likers (p &lt, 0.001), but not in the oat beverage. These findings illustrate the varied effects of sleep on hedonic response in complex food matrices and possible mechanisms by which insufficient sleep can lead to sensory-moderated increases in energy intake.

Alcoholic beverage consumption plays an important role in European culture, and in many contexts drinking alcohol is socially acceptable and considered part of the diet. Understanding the determinants of alcohol preference and consumption is important not only for disease prevention, intervention, and policy management, but also for market segmentation, product development, and optimization. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of individual responsiveness to various oral sensations on self-reported liking and intake of 14 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including beers, wines, spirits, and cocktails) considering gender, age, and oral responsiveness (measured through response to 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil -PROP, basic tastes, astringency, and pungency) in a large sample of Italian consumers. Data were collected from 2388 respondents (age range 18–60 years; mean age = 37.6, SD = 13.1; 58.2% women). These results indicate that notwithstanding the strong gender difference, with women generally liking and consuming fewer alcoholic beverages than men, liking patterns in the two genders were similar. Three liking patterns for different alcoholic beverages largely driven by orosensory properties were identified in both genders. “Spirit-lovers” constituted the smallest group (12%), consumed alcoholic beverages of any kind (not only spirits) more than the other segments, and were mainly men aged 30–45. “Beer/wine lovers” (44%) were the oldest group with no difference by gender. “Mild-drink lovers” (44%) liked alcoholic drinks with intense sweet taste and/or mixers that moderate ethanol perception. They were mainly women, aged 18–29, had a lower consumption of alcohol, and a higher orosensory responsiveness than the other two groups. The results also suggest the opportunity to develop personalized recommendations towards specific consumer segments based not only on socio-demographics but considering also perceptive variables. Finally, our data suggest that increased burning and bitterness from alcohol may act as a sensory hindrance to alcoholic beverage overconsumption.