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In order to develop eggplant hybrids with consumer acceptance, an organoleptic evaluation of fruits in two different sets of eggplant genotypes was conducted by a panel of 15 judges with 21 descriptors, following a quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). In 2023, twenty genotypes were evaluated as the first set to identify suitable parents for hybridization. The results showed significant variation in odour, appearance, texture, flavor and taste, and overall quality attributes. From the first set, five genotypes (Ponni, Vengeri, IC618016, IC636521, and IC624240) were selected to produce ten F1 hybrids, and they were further evaluated, along with parents and three popular varieties as check in 2024. In the second set, many descriptors showed no significant variation. F1 hybrid, Vengeri x IC636521, showed higher yield and overall quality attributes, and most of the other hybrids (seven) were high yielders over popular checks with on par for overall quality. The findings suggest the role of organoleptic evaluation in selection and development of quality breeding materials.

Meat is an important part of the daily human diet, and its quality is essential for consumers' health and taste experience. During the transformation from carcass to meat and meat processing after animal slaughter, many complex biochemical reactions occur, among which protein oxidation plays an important role in the formation of meat quality. Based on the influence of protein oxidation on meat quality, the relationship between protein oxidation and changes in meat quality under factors such as the types of protein oxidation products, processing methods and conditions is summarized in this review, which will provide a theoretical basis for reducing the oxidation of meat protein, and a scientific guidance for practical production.

In order to explore the quality characteristics of fermented kiwifruit black tea wine, kiwifruit and black tea were fermented, and the flavor and quality of fermented kiwifruit black tea wine were comprehensively analyzed by using high performance liquid chromatography, headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and electronic nose technology, combined with sensory evaluation methods, through organic acid content, monomeric phenol content, amino acid content, volatile substances and sensory characteristics. The results showed that the types and contents of monomeric phenols and volatile substances in kiwifruit tea juice were significantly increased by fermentation (P

This study evaluated the quality attributes of tomato sour soup marinade and investigated the effects of ultrasound-assisted marination on the physicochemical properties, microstructure, texture, sensory quality, and flavour profile of beef. The results showed that tomato sour soup significantly increased the marinade absorption rate and improved beef tenderloin’s physicochemical properties, texture, and flavour attributes compared to static brine (P

This study assesses the impact of wet and dry aging, over 35 days, on various physico-chemical, colorimetric, oxidative, volatolomic, and sensory attributes of meat from culled ewes. Water holding capacity of dry-aged (DA) meat increased from day 28 and was significantly higher than wet-aged (WA) meat. Cooking loss of DA meat decreased, and it was lower than that of WA meat. Warner Bratzler shear force increased in DA meat but decreased in WA meat during aging. Higher oxidation product concentration in DA meat likely results from oxygen exposure. Some aldehydes and ketones peaked at day 7 in DA meat, surpassing levels in WA meat. Overall liking scores favored DA meat at day 14 and 21 but declined from day 14 to 35, coinciding with increased pentanal content. Dry aging could improve the acceptability of culled ewes' meat more than wet aging, but in short aging time (14 days).

Four-dimensional food printing (4DFP) is a novel additive manufacturing technique that enables production of edible objects with complicated shapes and specific properties under internal or external stimuli. 4DFP presents unique prospects and research capabilities in developing innovative food materials, customized nutrition, interactive dining experiences, and the customization of flavour and texture. The 4D printed construct may experience colour, shape, flavour, or nutritional quality transformations. The 3D printed materials transform into the 4D printed under the application of a stimuli. The stimuli applied interact with base food materials and stimuli responsive/smart materials to make the 4D transformation. This review aims to consolidate the different ingredients used and the stimuli responsive effects occurring in the printed product. The impact of stimuli on textural, nutritional, and sensory properties is analysed at length. The shelf life and consumer acceptance of 4D printed food is also considered in this review. The economic feasibility and commercialization of 4DFP are still uncertain aspects of the technology.

There has been a growing interest in halal-related ontology research in recent years, as ontology has gained recognition in the halal industry. This paper discusses the development of a flavouring ontology that will assist halal management auditors in predicting the halal status of flavours in order to process food producers’ applications for halal certification. The development of a flavouring ontology is based on multiple references, because the auditors of halal management divisions must consult a variety of sources independently in order to determine the halal status of flavourings. The process includes 1) determining the ontology goal and scope, 2) building ontologies, and 3) evaluating the ontologies. The researcher used Protégé to design the ontologies, and Phyton was used to develop a prototype based on flavouring ontology. The developed ontology consists of four classes, nine sub-classes, and 11 relationships. The evaluation of the ontology using the prototype revealed that the majority of experts were satisfied with the information generated by the ontology in the prototype, particularly in relation to synonyms and the hierarchical structure of a flavour. However, the experts suggest improvements in terms of flavour metadata, especially on raw materials and natural occurrence data, so that the flavour information retrieved is comprehensive and accurate.

Introduction: Taste and smell are vital senses interlinked to each other that stimulate the desire to eat food. The physiological stress of a standing posture might alter taste and smell sensitivity, compelling individuals to eat more until satiety is achieved. Aim: To determine and compare the perception of taste and smell in sitting and standing postures among healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the physiology laboratory of Velammal Medical College, Tamil Nadu, India, over a duration of two months from February 2021 to April 2021. The study included 100 medical students (both genders) aged between 18-21 years. For taste assessment, the Sip spit rinse test was performed, where taste strips were impregnated with sweet and salty solutions of different concentrations (0.05-0.00625 g/mL). Odour threshold was measured with various dilutions of rose water (1:10000 to 1:1) using olfactometer. Taste and smell thresholds in standing and sitting postures were analysed using the Paired sample T-test and Lin’s concordance test, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 A significance level of 0.05 was used to interpret the p-value. Results: A statistically significant difference (p0.05). Additionally, no significant gender difference was found for taste and smell threshold values (p=0.418). Conclusion: Standing posture decreases taste sensitivity with no significant change in olfactory sensitivity.

Mexican cuisine has a long history of using endemic edible flowers (EEF) as a nutritious ingredient. In fact, many traditional EEF recipes exist across the country, but what is still unknown is people's actual experience with EEF. This study investigated the current knowledge and consumption of the edible flowers of squash, coral tree, yucca, agave, and others, among 2,393 residents from all 32 Mexican states. The results of an online questionnaire showed that the vast majority of respondents (>90 %) are aware of EEF and have also consumed them. Although most people consume EEF only occasionally, their experience has been overwhelmingly positive (>90 %). What stands out is the flavour, which is mostly described as pleasant and tasty. Mexicans would be willing to try these and other EEF in a great variety of dishes. For the flowers to become a part of more Mexicans' diet, the important aspects to consider are the flavour, quality, and visual appeal of the dishes. When creating new culinary proposals on EEF, consumers' age and the region in which they reside should be taken into account. In conclusion, Mexican EEF possess a great potential to be selected as a part of people's diets.

The primary objective of this study was to examine the aromatic composition characteristics of six varieties of sugar-roasted 'Yanshan chestnuts' and to discern the distinctions in taste and odor between them. The volatile flavor constituents and pivotal aroma compounds of these sugar-roasted Chinese chestnuts were scrutinized using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the odor activity value (OAV) method. Additionally, the volatile odor components and taste were assessed using electronic nose and tongue technologies. Results showed that, a total of 57 compounds were detected via GC-MS in the volatile components of these six types of sugar-roasted Castanea mollissima, which included 19 esters, 12 alcohols, 5 aldehydes, 5 ketones, 4 alkenes, 4 benzodiazepines, 2 amines, and 6 other components. Among these, 23 constituents with an OAV greater than 1 were identified as the key aroma components of the sugar-roasted chestnuts. The electronic nose evaluation illustrated that the predominant volatile odor components of the six sugar-roasted Castanea mollissima were alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, nitrogen oxides, organic sulfides, inorganic sulfides, and methyl groups. Furthermore, the electronic tongue analysis indicated that these six roasted chestnuts exhibited similar taste indices. The richness and umami sensor demonstrated the most substantial response to the different roasted chestnuts, while the sour and astringent tastes were the least prominent. The main taste indices of the roasted chestnuts were determined to be richness, umami, sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, and a lingering bitter aftertaste. The volatile flavor components and their quantities differed among the six types of sugar-roasted chestnuts, implying that the volatile flavor components vary among different sugar-roasted chestnut varieties, and the levels of the same compound also differ between varieties. The use of principal component analysis (PCA), radar chromatogram analysis, and GC-MS technology combined with electronic nose/tongue technologies proved to be an effective means to distinguish the differences in flavor among different varieties of sugar-roasted Chinese chestnuts and identify the key aroma components. This research provides a theoretical foundation for future flavor research on different sugar-roasted Chinese chestnut varieties.

The sensory quality of food is the most important factor that affect consumers' willingness to purchase food. With the development of technology and economy, the methods and techniques of evaluating sensory quality are constantly updated and and improved. The main methods include artificial sensory evaluation based on personnel tasting, electronic bionic sensory evaluation technology based on instrument analysis and facial expression analysis technology based on human factors engineering, all of them have been well applied in the field of food sensory evaluation. In this paper, the existing literature is systematically sorted out, and the application status of artificial sensory evaluation technology, electronic tongue technology and facial expression analysis technology in the field of food science is elaborated in detail. It is concluded that although the electronic tongue and facial expression technology can make up for the shortcomings of artificial sensory evaluation, the two technologies also have some shortcomings. In the future, the research trend of food sensory evaluation will not be limited to relying on a single technology, but will integrate the application of multiple technical means and the formation of test data model, realizing the rapid, intelligent and accurate systematic evaluation of food sensory quality and flavor attribute.

Abstract Background The global market of plant-based milk alternatives is continually growing. Flavour and taste have a key impact on consumers’ selection of plant-based beverages. Unfortunately, natural plant milks have only limited acceptance. Their typically bean-like and grassy notes are perceived as “off-flavours” by consumers, while preferred fruity, buttery, and cheesy notes are missing. In this regard, fermentation of plant milk by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) appears to be an appealing option to improve aroma and taste. Results In this work, we systematically studied LAB fermentation of plant milk. For this purpose, we evaluated 15 food-approved LAB strains to ferment 4 different plant milks: oat milk (representing cereal-based milk), sunflower seed milk (representing seed-based milk), and pea and faba milk (representing legume-based milk). Using GC‒MS analysis, flavour changes during anaerobic fermentations were studied in detail. These revealed species-related and plant milk-related differences and highlighted several well-performing strains delivered a range of beneficial flavour changes. A developed data model estimated the impact of individual flavour compounds using sensory scores and predicted the overall flavour note of fermented and nonfermented samples. Selected sensory perception tests validated the model and allowed us to bridge compositional changes in the flavour profile with consumer response. Conclusion Specific strain-milk combinations provided quite different flavour notes. This opens further developments towards plant-based products with improved flavour, including cheesy and buttery notes, as well as other innovative products in the future. S. thermophilus emerged as a well-performing strain that delivered preferred buttery notes in all tested plant milks. The GC‒MS-based data model was found to be helpful in predicting sensory perception, and its further refinement and application promise enhanced potential to upgrade fermentation approaches to flavour-by-design strategies.

Since the aquaculture industry is currently observing a deterioration in the flesh quality of farmed fish, the use of nutrients as additives to improve the flesh quality of farmed fish species is a viable strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary D-ribose (RI) on the nutritional value, texture and flavour of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). Four diets were formulated containing exogenous RI at 4 gradient levels: 0 (Control), 0.15% (0.15RI), 0.30% (0.30RI) and 0.45% (0.45RI). A total of 240 fish (150 ± 0.31 g) were randomly distributed into 12 fibreglass tanks (150 L per tank). Triplicate tanks were randomly assigned to each diet. The feeding trial was carried out in an indoor recirculating aquaculture system for 60 d. After the feeding trial, the muscle and liver of gibel carp were analysed. The results showed that RI supplementation did not result in any negative impact on the growth performance and 0.30RI supplementation significantly increased the whole-body protein content compared to the control group. The contents of collagen and glycogen in muscle were enhanced by RI supplementation. The alterations in the flesh indicated that RI supplementation improved the texture of the flesh in terms of its water-holding capacity and hardness, therefore improving the taste. Dietary RI facilitated the deposition of amino acids and fatty acids in the muscle that contributed to the meaty taste and nutritional value. Furthermore, a combination of metabolomics and expression of key genes in liver and muscle revealed that 0.30RI activated the purine metabolism pathways by supplementing the substrate for nucleotide synthesis and thereby promoting the deposition of flavour substance in flesh. This study offers a new approach for providing healthy, nutritious and flavourful aquatic products.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the quality changes during the fermentation of sauerkraut without salt and inoculated with lactic acid bacteria and during low-temperature storage. Methods: The basic physicochemical indexes and quality changes of sauerkraut during fermentation were analyzed. Results: The unsalted sauerkraut reached maturity at 5 d of fermentation and the pH, nitrite content, reducing sugar content and vitamin C content decreased significantly (P

Natto is rich in nutrients and has many beneficial effects on the human body, but it has a harsh ammonia taste that makes it difficult to be accepted by people. This study investigated the effects of soaking time, inoculum amount, fermentation time and fermentation temperature on high-protein natto using high-protein soybeans as raw material, and determined the best preparation process for high-protein natto, and then added super sweet corn to improve the flavour and acceptability of natto. The results showed that natto drawing effect was the best under the condition of 10 g of high-protein soybean, soaking time of 20 h, sterilization amount of 8%, fermentation time of 26 h, fermentation temperature of 36 ℃, the pungent odor was reduced, and the sensory score was up to 97.85 points, on the basis of this process, under the condition of a composite ratio of 8:2 of high-protein soybean and super sweet corn, the nattokinase enzyme activity of natto reached 1134.76 U/g, and the volatile salt-based nitrogen content was 32.87 mg/g. At the same time, the electronic nose and electronic tongue test could clearly distinguish natto with different raw material proportions, and natto had the best flavor and the best sensory quality.

The characteristic flavor of the enzymatic hydrolysate of Lentinus edodes, which was involved in the Maillard reaction by xylose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, mannose, maltose, vitamin C (VC) and L-arabinose, was determined and analyzed by gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy (GC-IMS). The characteristic flavor fingerprints of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) of L. edodes enzymatic hydrolysate were constructed. The differences in the characteristic flavors of Maillard reaction with different reducing sugars and VC were compared. The main characteristic flavor, characteristic peak, characteristic marker substance and content were determined, a principal component analysis (PCA) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was carried out. The results showed that there were 42 kinds of monomers and some dimers of volatile compounds in the samples including 17 aldehydes, 5 alcohols, 7 ketones, 2 esters, 2 acids, 7 other compounds and 2 ethers. The volatile VOCs of the sample with added sucrose, VC and L-arabinose were significantly higher than those of the enzymatic hydrolysate of L. edodes. After the Maillard reaction, the flavor of the hydrolysate was significantly improved, and the main components changed significantly.

Proline has recently been found to direct several sensory attributes in red wine, including viscosity, fruit flavour and sweetness. We sought to investigate whether a red wine, deemed ‘flavour deficient’ by a producer, from a warm inland region could be improved by blending with a high proline wine from the same region, compared to a high colour and flavour wine, linking consumer acceptance with sensory properties and chemical composition. Three dry red wines (two Cabernet-Sauvignon wines from a warm region and one Lagrein wine from a cooler region) were blended in a constrained mixture design. Several blends were uncovered with improved sensory properties and consumer liking scores. Increased liking scores were related to heightened perceived Viscosity (unrelated to physical viscosity), Sweetness and Berry flavours, connected to proline-rich wines with small proportions of Lagrein. PLS-R models relating blend chemical composition, sensory properties and consumer acceptance associated Astringency and Bitterness to polyphenolics and organic acids and lower liking scores. Vegetal and Leather aromas in blends also reduced consumer acceptance and were related to the concentration of the thiols 3SH, 3SHA, PMT, 2FMT and MeSH, as well as guaiacol and isobutyl methoxypyrazine. Multiple blends successfully improved consumer acceptance of the ‘flavour deficient’ wine, particularly those with an increased proportion of the proline-rich wine. Non-linear effects resulting from blending were also assessed, with most variables modelled best by linear averaging. This study demonstrates the practical application of a design of experiment approach using sensory properties, proline and polyphenolic concentrations to guide wine blending and improve wine flavour and acceptability.

A recent long-term system-level experiment, using grassland-based organic systems established as separate farmlets, showed that combining sheep and beef cattle within a mixed (MIX) system promoted self-sufficient production of grass-fed meat and improved economic and environmental performance in the sheep enterprise compared to a sheep-only (SH) system. In the present study, we used all male lambs produced over the first year in this experiment to evaluate the effect of this farming practice on some lamb carcass and meat sensory quality traits. Lambing took place at the end of February and lambs were pasture-fed from 1 month of age on average until slaughter, unless they were not ready for slaughter at 3–4 weeks before the start of the mating period in October, in which case they were finished indoors on a concentrate-based diet. All MIX lambs (n = 33) were finished at pasture. One SH lamb (out of a total of 85) had to be finished indoors with a concentrate-based diet. MIX lambs had a higher growth rate than SH lambs (P

Background/Aim: Nicotine content and flavour in electronic cigarette (e-cig) liquids have been demonstrated to cause oxidative stress in acute exposure. However, the chronic effects of using unflavoured and with or without nicotine in e-cigs liquid have not been evaluated. This in vivo study aims to investigate the chronic effect of e-cig exposure with unflavoured liquids at different nicotine concentrations on oxidative stress. Methods: The 24 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six each. Normal, as a control group. Nic 0, Nic 6 and Nic 12 groups were exposed to unflavoured e-cig liquid for eight weeks with different nicotine concentrations: 0, 6 and 12 mg/mL, respectively. E-cig exposure in rats was conducted using an exposure instrument adjusted to real-life exposure to humans. Oxidative stress markers, including plasma, liver and lung malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as plasma catalase (Cat) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were assessed at the end of the study. Results: Unflavoured e-cig liquids induced oxidative stress in a nicotine concentration-dependent manner, in which the nicotine content of 12 mg/mL demonstrated the greatest response. There was a significant increase in plasma, liver and lung MDA and concurrently decreased plasma and selected organs SOD, as well as plasma Cat and GPx in all nicotine concentration exposed groups compared to the Normal group. Conclusions: Chronic unflavoured liquids in e-cig exposure at different nicotine concentrations induced oxidative stress, potentially leading to various oxidative stress-induced diseases.

This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of high-intensity ultrasound (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min) in combination with L-lysine (15 mM) on improving the solubility and flavour adsorption capacity of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) in low-ion-strength media. The results revealed that the ultrasound treatment for 20 min or the addition of L-lysine (15 mM) significantly improved protein solubility (p < 0.05), with L-lysine (15 mM) showing a more pronounced effect (p < 0.05). The combination of ultrasound treatment and L-lysine further increased solubility, and the MPs treated with ultrasound at 20 min exhibited the best dispersion stability in water, which corresponded to the lowest turbidity, highest absolute zeta potential value, and thermal stability (p < 0.05). Based on the reactive and total sulfhydryl contents, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis, the ultrasound treatment combined with L-lysine (15 mM) promoted the unfolding and depolymerization of MPs, resulting in a larger exposure of SH groups on the surface, aromatic amino acids in a polar environment, and a transition of protein conformation from α-helix to β-turn. Moreover, the combined treatment also increased the hydrophobic bonding sites, hydrogen-bonding sites, and electrostatic effects, thereby enhancing the adsorption capacity of MPs to bind kenone compounds. The findings from this study provide a theoretical basis for the production and flavour improvement of low-salt MP beverages and the utilisation of meat protein.

A wheat gluten fermentation process with the inoculation of different microorganisms under salt-free conditions has the potential to produce varying flavour profiles. As research on the co-fermentation of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in salt-free wheat gluten fermentation is scarce, the current work studied the flavour impact on fermented wheat gluten by the co-inoculation of Latilactobacillus sakei with one yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii or Pichia kluyveri). The results showed that similar glucose and organic acid levels were detected, but early death of yeasts was observed during liquid-state fermentation (LSF) in co-fermentations. The concentrations of most free amino acids were comparable. Volatile compound analysis showed synergistic effects in co-cultured fermentations on the production of certain compounds such as isoamyl acetate. Principal component analysis revealed clear differences in volatile profiles between co-fermentation and single-strain fermentation. Therefore, a fermented sauce produced by co-inoculating LAB and yeast with a new and fruitier flavour was developed.

The flavour and mouthfeel of peaches are crucial qualities of peach germplasm resources that significantly influence consumer preferences. In this study, we utilized 212 peach germplasm resources from the Nanjing Peach Resource Repository, National Fruit Germplasm facility, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences as materials for sensory analysis, electronic nose analysis, and composition analysis via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the sensory analysis, we divided 212 peach germplasms into three clusters based on hierarchical cluster analysis (d = 5). No.27, No.151, and No.46 emerged as the most representative of these clusters. The electronic nose was used to conduct an evaluation of the aroma profiles of the 212 peach germplasms, revealing that the primary distinguishing factors of peach aroma can be attributed to three sensors: W1S (methane), W1W (terpenes and organosulfur compounds), and W5S (hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds). The primary differences in the aromatic substances were characterized by sensors W2W (aromatic compounds, sulphur, and chlorine compounds) and W1C (aromatic benzene). The HPLC analysis indicated that the persistence of peach sensory characteristics was positively correlated with acids and sourness and negatively correlated with sweetness and the ratio of sugar to acids. The overall impression of the 212 peach germplasms revealed a negative correlation with acids, while a positive correlation was observed between the overall impression and the ratio of sugar to acids. Therefore, this study substantially contributes to the preliminary screening of the analysed specific characteristics of peach germplasms such as No.27, No.46, No.151, and No.211. These selections may provide valuable information for the potential creation of superior germplasm resources.

Beef potentiator is an important flavour enhancer in the food industry, while it is prone to generating insufficient compounds with umami and sweet tastes and compounds with a fishy odour during enzymatic hydrolysis of beef, resulting in poor flavour of beef potentiator. It has been extensively reported that sonication is capable of improving food flavour. However, the effect of sonication on the flavour of enzymatically hydrolysed beef liquid (EHBL) was scarcely reported. Herein, we investigated the effect of sonication on the flavour of EHBL using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), physicochemical analysis and SPME-GC-olfactometry/MS. QDA showed that sonication had a significant effect on taste improvement and off-odour removal of EHBL. Compared with the control, sonication (40 kHz, 80 W/L) increased the contents of total nitrogen, formaldehyde nitrogen, total sugars, reducing sugars, free amino acids (FAAs) and hydrolysis degree of EHBL by 19.25%, 19.80%, 11.83%, 9.52%, 14.37% and 20.45%. Notably, sonication markedly enhanced the contents of sweet FAAs, umami FAAs and bitter FAAs of EHBL by 19.66%, 14.04% and 9.18%, respectively, which contributed to the taste improvement of EHBL. SPME-GC-olfactometry/MS analysis showed that aldehydes and alcohols were the main contributors to aroma compounds of EHBL, and sonication significantly increased the contents of key aroma compounds and alcohols (115.88%) in EHBL. Notably, sonication decreased the contents of fishy odorants, hexanoic acid and nonanal markedly by 35.29% and 26.03%, which was responsible for the aroma improvement of EHBL. Therefore, sonication could become a new potential tool to improve the flavour of EHBL.

To meet the consumer demand for high-quality flesh sources, this study investigated the impacts of exercise training (ET) combined with a high-fat diet (HFD) on flesh quality. The results showed that HFD increased muscular fat content but reduced hardness, flexibility and adhesiveness. ET decreased fat content but increased flesh water holding capacity, hardness and stickiness. In terms of flavour, ET decreased the umami and sweet amino acid contents, which were restored when concomitantly feeding the HFD. Metabolomics further revealed that ET and HFD mainly affect the alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, the citrate cycle and purine metabolism. The E-nose and volatile metabolomics analysis demonstrated that the combination of ET and HFD improved the aroma of flesh by enhancing the content of key flavour compounds within flesh such as hexadecenoic acid, ethyl ester and methyl stearate. This research provides a new strategy for improving the flesh quality of cultured fish.

Flavour is an important component that impacts the quality and acceptability of new functional foods. However, most flavour substances are low molecular mass volatile compounds, and direct handling and control during processing and storage are made difficult due to susceptibility to evaporation, and poor stability in the presence of air, light, moisture and heat. Encapsulation in the form of micro and nano technology has been used to address this challenge, thereby promoting easier handling during processing and storage. Improved stability is achieved by trapping the active or core flavour substances in matrices that are referred to as wall or carrier materials. The latter serve as physical barriers that protect the flavour substances, and the interactions between carrier materials and flavour substances has been the focus of many studies. Moreover, recent evidence also suggests that enhanced bioavailability of flavour substances and their targeted delivery can be achieved by nanoencapsulation compared to microencapsulation due to smaller particle or droplet sizes. The objective of this paper is to review several relevant aspects of physical–mechanical and physicochemical techniques employed to stabilize flavour substances by encapsulation. A comparative analysis of the physiochemical characterization of encapsulates (particle size, surface morphology and rheology) and the main factors that impact the stability of encapsulated flavour substances will also be presented. Food applications as well as opportunities for future research are also highlighted.

Most gravity-filtration coffee preparation methods constitute good alternatives for obtaining coffee with varying acidity, bitterness, and bodies. The present study identifies the composition of compounds with antioxidant capacities and cup profiles for coffee beverages prepared using eight gravity-filtration methods. UV-visible spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography quantified antioxidants, hydroxycinnamic acids, and antioxidant activity. A qualitative descriptive analysis was performed using an expert panel to establish the sensory quality. The methods that yielded the highest total phenol and flavonoid concentrations were Chemex, Siphon, and Silvertone. The Silvertone, Siphon, and Neapolitan methods had the most condensed tannin content. The maximum hydroxycinnamic acid content was found with the Siphon and Neapolitan methods. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by the ABTS (antioxidant capacity of the cationic radical 2,2-Azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), ORAC (OxygenRadical Absorption Capacity), and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) methods and found to be the highest with the Silvertone, Siphon, and Neapolitan methods. The preparation methods with the highest sensorial scores were Silvertone and Chemex, whilethe lowest sensorial acceptance level was found with the Cloth filter method. Beverages made with the Kalita and Drip methods showed the lowest antioxidant compound expressions. The most predominant hydroxycinnamic acid was chlorogenic acid in the eight preparations studied. We thus recommend that coffee be consumed following preparation with the Silvertone, Siphon, or Neapolitan methods to increase antioxidant consumption in the diet. Should the consumer prefer bitter notes, these may be found with the Silvertone preparation method; otherwise, one may enjoy acidic notes in coffee beverages with the Siphon and Neapolitan methods.

Cacao (Theobroma cacaoL.)yieldin Tumaco, Nariño, is one of the lowest in Colombia, making this activity unattractive to farmers, despite having one of the best cacaos in the world. Researchers affirm that proper crop management and nutrition of cacao plants are the most effective alternatives to increase cacao yields. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the effect of organic and mineral fertilization on the yield of cacao clones in an agroforestry system for two years. We used a randomized complete block design by arranging treatments in split plots, being three cacao clones (CCL1, CCL2, and CCN51) the main plot and different fertilization regimes (chemical, organic, and a mixture of chemical and organic fertilizers) the subplots plus a control. The variables assessed were number of pods per tree, pod weight, number of grains per pod, fresh and dry grain weight ratio, and quality parameters of the dry grains. The results showed that the local clone CCL2 had a higher yield than the regional average (1.5 vs. 0.3 t, respectively) under mineral fertilization. The CCL2 and CCN51 exceeded the break-even point for cacao in Tumaco. The economic analysis further showed that for each Colombian peso invested in fertilizers for the regional clone CCL2, the farmer recovers COP 4.7. To sum up, the selection of outstanding regional clones together with their fertilization is a viable alternative to increase cocoa yield in Tumaco, Colombia.

Soy sauce, as a traditional seasoning, is widely favoured by Chinese and other Asian people for its unique colour, smell, and taste. In this study, a salt-tolerance Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain HF-130 was obtained via three rounds of ARTP (Atmospheric and Room Temperature Plasma) mutagenesis and high-salt based screening. The ethanol production of mutant HF-130 was increased by 98.8% in very high gravity fermentation. Furthermore, ATF1 gene was overexpressed in strain HF-130, generating ester-producing strain HF-130-ATF1. The ethyl acetate concentration of strain HF-130-ATF1 was increased by 130% compared to the strain HF-130. Finally, the soy sauce fermentation performance of Torulopsis globosa and HF-130-ATF1 was compared with T. globosa, HF-130, HF-130-ATF1, and Torulopsis and HF-130. Results showed ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate concentrations in co-fermentation of T. globosa and HF-130-ATF1 were increased by 2.8-fold and 3.3-fold, respectively. In addition, the concentrations of ethyl propionate, ethyl caprylate, phenylethyl acetate, ethyl caprate, isobutyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, phenylethyl alcohol, and phenylacetaldehyde were also improved. Notably, other three important flavour components, trimethylsilyl decyl ester, 2-methylbutanol, and octanoic acid were also detected in the co-fermentation of T. globosa and HF-130-ATF1, but not detected in the control strain T. globosa. This work is of great significance for improving the traditional soy sauce fermentation mode, and thus improving the flavour formation of soy sauce.

The trial was conducted on 108 piglets of crossbreeds Landrace x Large White. Aim of this study was to determine influence of this aroma on production parameters of growing pigs. Whole trial was in total 57 days, and it was split in three trial periods. Piglets were weaned on day 27, when the trial started. First trial period was 18 days (27-44 day), second was 28 days (45-72 day) and third was 11 days (73-83 day). The control groups received standard farm mixtures, and the trial groups had added aroma Vanilla Sweet in different concentrations (0.02; 0.04%, respectively). During the first period, there was statistical difference (p

Plant-based foods have risen in popularity in recent years including a number of dairy alternative products. Fermentation has the potential to support the development of innovative plant-based foods with enhanced flavour, texture and nutritional quality. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been used for thousands of years to carry out fermentation of a wide variety of food substrates through production of organic acids and flavour compounds. However, LAB strains used in dairy fermentations are commonly found to be suboptimal in their metabolism of plant substrates, so efforts to identify alternative strains are needed. We provide an overview of the plant-based milk alternative category and explore screening approaches (including citizen-science efforts) to identify new LAB that hold potential in acidification and flavour formation of plant-based substrates.

Mono- and sesquiterpenes are volatile organic compounds which play crucial roles in human perception of table grape and wine flavour and aroma, and as such their biosynthesis has received significant attention. Here, the biosynthesis of mono- and sesquiterpenes in grapevine is reviewed, with a specific focus on the metabolic pathways which lead to formation of these compounds, and the characterised genetic variation underlying modulation of this metabolism. The bottlenecks for terpene precursor formation in the cytosol and plastid are understood to be the HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) and 1-deoxy-D-xylylose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) enzymes, respectively, and lead to the formation of prenyldiphosphate precursors. The functional plasticity of the terpene synthase enzymes which act on the prenyldiphosphate precursors allows for the massive variation in observed terpene product accumulation. This diversity is further enhanced in grapevine by significant duplication of genes coding for structurally diverse terpene synthases. Relatively minor nucleotide variations are sufficient to influence both product and substrate specificity of terpene synthase genes, with these variations impacting cultivar-specific aroma profiles. While the importance of these compounds in terms of grape quality is well documented, they also play several interesting roles in the grapevine’s ecophysiological interaction with its environment. Mono- and sesquiterpenes are involved in attraction of pollinators, agents of seed dispersal and herbivores, defence against fungal infection, promotion of mutualistic rhizobacteria interaction, and are elevated in conditions of high light radiation. The ever-increasing grapevine genome sequence data will potentially allow for future breeders and biotechnologists to tailor the aroma profiles of novel grapevine cultivars through exploitation of the significant genetic variation observed in terpene synthase genes.

The standard flavour-blind DFSZ axion model for solving the strong-CP problem has in the past been extended to account for nonzero neutrino masses and baryogenesis-via-leptogenesis through the Type-I seesaw mechanism, in addition to having viable axion dark matter. Constructing a full and viable cosmological history, however, requires dealing with the cosmological domain wall problem posed by standard DFSZ. In this paper, I report on work with A. Sopov where this challenge is addressed through a flavourvariant model called VISHν that removes the domain wall problem and incorporates successful Higgs- Peccei-Quinn scalar inflation. As part of this, we ensure that the required new high-scale physics does not add to the electroweak naturalness problem.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) were used to analyse the relationship between the chemical, texture, rheology, microstructure and water distribution of kefir (yeast, acetic acid bacteria and Lactobacillus plantarum) yoghurt fermented by mixed bacteria and L. plantarum L1 fermented yoghurt. This work was conducted to prepare a real champagne yoghurt and explore the difference between it and ordinary yoghurt. The nutritional evaluation of the two treatment groups was carried out by amino acid analysis, and the volatile flavour substances of the two treatment groups were detected by solid phase microextraction (SPME)–gas chromatograph (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS). Results showed that the addition of acetic acid bacteria and yeast increased the water content of kefir, resulting in a decrease in its water-holding rate. Moreover, the increase in acidity weakened the connection between the protein networks, the flocculent protein structure was not more densely stacked than the L1 group, and the internal bonds were unstable. The rheological results showed that the apparent viscosity decreased faster with the increase in shear force. The CLSM and LF-NMR showed that the hydration and degree of freedom of kefir yoghurt protein decreased, resulting in an increased protein network density. The SEM showed that the cross-linking between kefir casein clusters was considerably tight to form small chains, the pore distribution was uneven, and a weak cheese structure was formed. In addition, the volatile flavour substances in the kefir group increased the phenylethyl alcohol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol compared with those in the L1 group, with a slight refreshing taste brought by alcohol and special soft malt alcohol aroma and rose aroma not found in ordinary yoghurt, which was more in line with the characteristics and taste of traditional kefir champagne yoghurt.Graphical Abstract

Flavour precursors are the basis of meat flavour, and their metabolism is regulated by a variety of enzymes. Thus, it is of great significance to identify the key genes related to meat flavour precursors. In this study, the difference in flavour precursors and transcriptome between Hu sheep and Dorper with different intramuscular fat (IMF) content were investigated using widely targeted metabolomics and RNA-sequencing technologies. Then, the key genes regulating the metabolism of vital precursors were explored by integrating transcriptome and metabolome. Consequently, 594 metabolites were detected in sheep longissimus dorsi, and 76 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) were identified between Hu sheep and Dorper. No DAMs were observed between distinct IMF content groups within each breed. A total of 10 lysophospholipids (LPs), including four lysophospholipid ethanolamines and six lysophospholipid cholines, were identified as the main differential precursors between Hu sheep and Dorper. Furthermore, the weighted gene coexpression network analysis uncovered three differentially coexpression modules that were significantly associated with the content of differential LPs in Dorper. From the three modules, GLB1, PLD3, LPCAT2, DGKE, ACOT7, and CH25H genes were identified as key genes regulating the metabolism of LPs. This work provides an insight into understanding the difference in flavour between different sheep breeds, as well as a basis for further exploring the regulatory mechanism of key genes on LPs.

We studied the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the amount of nutrients, flavour substances, and healthcare fatty acids, the physicochemical properties, and the potential molecular mechanisms in the muscles of sub-adult grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were fed graded levels of CLA (0.0, 3.1, 6.4, 9.6, 12.7, and 15.9 g/kg diets) for 60 days. Protein, glutamic acid, alanine, inosine monophosphate (IMP), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), and total CLA contents (p

Blue cheese flavour development derives from complex biochemical reactions that depend on numerous factors including milk source, culture/strain selection, processing, and ripening conditions. Understanding volatile compound development during blue cheese ripening will help reduce production costs and facilitate quality improvements. Volatile compounds contribute to the characteristic flavours of the cheeses but ripening time predictions based on chemical data have proven difficult. The present study employed untargeted fingerprinting combined with linear and non-linear chemometric approaches to identify key volatiles for the modelling of Shenley Station blue cheese ripening times. Self-organizing maps and entropy-based feature selection along with partial least squares regression and variable identification coefficients were used to parse the linear and non-linear development behaviours of volatiles. The blue cheese ripening times were accurately modelled by twenty-three discriminant volatiles. The present study demonstrated that volatile fingerprints can be used to effectively model blue cheese ripening times using a non-linear chemometric approach.

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts represent a great source of biodiversity for the production of new beer styles, since they can be used in different industrial areas, as pure culture starters, in co-fermentation with Saccharomyces, and in spontaneous fermentation (lambic and gueuze production, with the main contribution of Brettanomyces yeast). The fermentation process of lambic beer is characterized by different phases with a characteristic predominance of different microorganisms in each of them. As it is a spontaneous process, fermentation usually lasts from 10 months to 3 years. In this work, an attempt was made to perform a fermentation similar to the one that occurred in this process with lactic bacteria, Saccharomyces yeast and Brettanomyces yeast, but controlling their inoculation and therefore decreasing the time necessary for their action. For this purpose, after the first screening in 100 mL where eight Brettanomyces yeast strains from D.O. “Ribeira Sacra” (Galicia) were tested, one Brettanomyces bruxellensis strain was finally selected (B6) for fermentation in 1 L together with commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae S-04 yeast and Lactobacillus brevis lactic acid bacteria in different sequences. The combinations that showed the best fermentative capacity were tested in 14 L. Volatile compounds, lactic acid, acetic acid, colour, bitterness, residual sugars, ethanol, melatonin and antioxidant capacity were analysed at different maturation times of 1, 2, 6 and 12 months. Beers inoculated with Brettanomyces yeast independently of the other microorganisms showed pronounced aromas characteristic of the Brettanomyces yeast. Maturation after 12 months showed balanced beers with “Brett” aromas, as well as an increase in the antioxidant capacity of the beers.

Over the past decades, scientists at Firmenich have focused their efforts on continuously improving chemical transformations for the production of F&F ingredients in order to make them safer, cleaner, more efficient and consequently cost effective, through the implementation of the Green Chemistry principles. Numerous examples of innovative catalytic technologies could be cited, particularly in the field of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation. Nevertheless, we chose here to provide a rare insight into the industrial application of some very useful and atom-economic carbon–carbon bond forming reactions. We selected two examples among others as a good illustration of how catalysis makes the difference compared to conventional stoichiometric approaches. The first example deals with catalysed cross-aldol condensation and the second example concerns catalysis of cross-coupling reactions.

Pasture-feeding in lambs has been associated with dark-coloured meat and high meat contents of volatile indoles (skatole and indole), which may be responsible for sensory defects. The risk of off-flavours is even higher when lambs graze alfalfa, because it is particularly rich in rapidly degradable proteins. Here, we investigated whether a short concentrate stall-finishing period in lambs that previously grazed alfalfa influences meat sensory quality traits. We compared three feeding treatments, using three groups of 10 male Romane lambs: grazing alfalfa (A), stall-feeding with concentrate and straw (S), and stall-finishing with concentrate and straw for 21 days after previously grazing alfalfa (AS). During stall-feeding, the concentrate was given at a level adjusted to achieve a similar growth pattern in all treatment groups, and the length of the trough was sufficient for all lambs to have access to the feeds at the same time. Lamb live weight and age at slaughter, and carcass conformation and fatness were similar for all treatment groups. Perirenal fat skatole content was lower in AS and S lambs than in A lambs (P

Increasing global population has tremendously increased the pressure on existing food systems to feed the larger set of people. With limited food resources, contemporary food industries are focusing various approaches to increase their production capacity. Utilization of by-products for various food applications is one such approach. Although, by-products like whey and buttermilk have gained much attention and are commercially used for food applications, but the same is not true for other by-products, particular ghee residue. Ghee residue is a by-product obtained during the ghee (clarified butter fat) preparation. It arises as a result of the serum part of milk solids and acts as a major source of flavour and color development in ghee. It is a rich source of fat, protein and minerals. Further, the thermal treatment during ghee boiling step makes it a rich source of flavouring and antioxidant compounds. This makes it an economically and nutritionally important food resource. However, its direct application is limited to products which have dark colour and cooked flavour, such as bakery, confectionary and certain dairy products. It has also been increasingly used for non-food applications, such as production of lipases, biodiesel, etc. This review aims to provide comprehensive information about the ghee residue relating to its composition, flavouring and antioxidant attributes. In addition, fat recovery methods from ghee residue and utilization have also been included in this review.

In this study the volatile composition of six samples of dark chocolates varying in the cocoa roasting time (30.5, 34.5 and 38.5 min) and geographical origin (Ecuador and Ghana) was characterized by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). One hundred and twenty-one different compounds were identified using a carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) fiber comprising acids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, esters, furans, ketones, nitrogen compounds, pyran derivatives, pyrazines, pyrroles and thiazoles. The effect of roasting time on the volatile composition of chocolates depended on their geographical origin. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to volatile composition of the six dark chocolate samples. Eight different groups of compounds were established according to the position of the aroma compounds on the PC plot and accordingly to variation among samples. Therefore, volatile compounds that appeared or disappeared during roasting of cocoa from each origin or both origins were identified.

Abstract The goal of this brief note is to offer a generalisation of Gómez-Torrente argumentative strategy against perspectivism, which he has developed as a defence of color realism in (2016) and (2019) and then apply it to evaluative language. In particular, I want to defend the thesis that at least some aesthetic predicates can have non-evaluative reference. As an example, I will work with the predicate “tasty” (and its antonym “disgusting”) to argue that it some times refers to a non-subjective non-evaluative property, flavour, which is more fundamental that the relational property of being tasty to someone. In other words, some times, when we say of something that it is tasty, we are not saying how it tastes to us or whether we like it, but just how it tastes period.

Abstract Background Similar to the debate around e-cigarettes, an increase in snus use among Norwegian adolescents has prompted debate on whether flavour options in snus should be limited. To this end, we compared use of flavoured snus among snus users with different smoking status. Methods Questions about flavoured snus use were included in an online omnibus study conducted from 2015 to 2019 (N = 65,445) that included 16,295 ever snus users (aged 15+). Current snus users (N = 9783) were asked “Do you usually use snus that has a flavouring (liquorice, mint, wintergreen, etc.)? Adjusted predicted probabilities and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from a logistic regression model. Results Less than 25% of the snus users reported never having smoked. The overall probability of using flavoured snus was .45 (95% CI .44–.46), highest among daily (.51, 95% CI .47–.54) and former daily smokers (.50, 95% CI .48–.52), and lowest among never (.41, 95% CI .39–.43) and occasional smokers without any prior history of daily smoking (.41, 95% CI .38–.44). Use of flavoured products was higher among female snus users (p = .67, 95% CI .65–.69) compared to males (p = .35, 95% CI .34–.36), highest among the youngest age group, 15–24 years (p = .58, 95% CI .56–.60) and decreased with increasing age. Conclusion Regulation that would ban or limit flavoured snus use may affect smokers—an at risk population—more than never smokers. The health authorities should be mindful of the real-world complexity governing potential harms and benefits of flavour restrictions on snus. A further assessment of flavour limitations should acknowledge that flavoured snus products also function as alternatives to cigarettes.

This study aimed to bring out chemical, physical, and microbiological quality together with volatile aroma profiles of traditional yogurts collected from the highlands of Ordu and Giresun cities in the Black Sea Region (Turkey). For this purpose, 24 traditional yogurts, 20 of which were produced from cow milk and the remaining were produced from buffalo milk, were collected and analyzes were performed. The average dry matter, protein, fat, pH, total acidity (lactic acid%), viscosity (10 °C), and syneresis values for cow milk and buffalo milk yogurts were 12.68 vs. 14.44%, 3.51 vs. 4.13%, 4.51 vs. 6.55%, 3.80 vs. 3.78, 1.32 vs. 1.60%, 241.09 vs. 1009.21 cP, and 17.43 vs. 9.02%, respectively. The buffalo milk yogurts had higher dry matter, protein, fat, viscosity but lower syneresis values compared to those of cow milk yogurts. The lactic acid bacteria counts were under the required number of 107 for cow yogurts while yeast & mould counts were over 105 for both cow and buffalo yogurts. Moreover, five of the cow yogurts were found to have coliforms and one being contaminated with Escherichia coli indicating unhygienic production conditions. All yogurts contained acetaldehyde, acetoin, ethanol, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, hexanal, 2-Heptanaone, and 2-Nonanone while diacetyl could not be detected in any yogurt samples. Regarding their compositional values, homemade yogurts were acceptable however they were not appropriate for consumption microbiologically and require improved hygienic conditions for healthier products.

Abstract Background Widespread commercialization of cannabis has led to the introduction of brand names based on users’ subjective experience of psychological effects and flavors, but this process has occurred in the absence of agreed standards. The objective of this work was to leverage information extracted from large databases to evaluate the consistency and validity of these subjective reports, and to determine their correlation with the reported cultivars and with estimates of their chemical composition (delta-9-THC, CBD, terpenes). Methods We analyzed a large publicly available dataset extracted from Leafly.com where users freely reported their experiences with cannabis cultivars, including different subjective effects and flavour associations. This analysis was complemented with information on the chemical composition of a subset of the cultivars extracted from Psilabs.org . The structure of this dataset was investigated using network analysis applied to the pairwise similarities between reported subjective effects and/or chemical compositions. Random forest classifiers were used to evaluate whether reports of flavours and subjective effects could identify the labelled species cultivar. We applied Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to free narratives written by the users to validate the subjective effect and flavour tags. Finally, we explored the relationship between terpenoid content, cannabinoid composition and subjective reports in a subset of the cultivars. Results Machine learning classifiers distinguished between species tags given by “Cannabis sativa” and “Cannabis indica” based on the reported flavours: = 0.828 ± 0.002 (p = 0.9965 ± 0.0002 (p

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is salt of sodium and glutamic acid. It is most commonly known as a flavouring enhancer in food processing, which provides umami taste that intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups. The amino acid glutamic acid it is naturally presents in food. Globally, commercial MSG’s consumption is increasing, markable high in Asia. Likewise, its production has known improvements regarding both method and technical equipment. Although MSG’s safety was evaluated by international organizations (EFSA, FDA) as safe and the limits were set up, there are studies concern about its side effects such as obesity, asthma, migraine headache, etc. The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits. The increase in commercially MSG use has raised the concern of both scientists and consumers about its safety. Therefore, due to a need of full comprehension about MSG, it is necessary to give more attention in studying it. Advantage in the development of analysis methods and technical equipments should be exploited to obtain higher accuracy result. This review provides a brief and general information about MSG with updates in its research.

The market of ripened cheese is growing rapidly and is highly competitive. Dairy manufacturers have expanded their product range to include cheese-like products where milk fat is replaced with vegetable oils. Cheese-like products have gained popularity among both convenient food producers and consumers looking for cheaper cheese substitutes. Fat determines the sensory attributes of cheeses. The sensory quality of cheese can also be modified through the addition of selected adjunct cultures. This study evaluated the influence of milk fat replacement with palm oil and the addition of an adjunct culture of Lactobacillus paracasei LPC-37 on the sensory attributes of Dutch-type cheeses and cheese-like products during ripening. The chemical composition, content of volatile compounds and colour were analysed. The replacement of milk fat with palm oil contributed to differences in the sensory profile and colour of cheese-like products and deteriorated their sensory quality. However, the addition of L. paracasei LPC-37 improved the sensory characteristics of cheese-like products.

Culinary circles have experienced a recent trend towards low-salt hotpot sauces. Here, changes in the physicochemical quality, flavour, and bacterial diversity of hotpot sauces with different salt concentrations were studied during storage. The results indicated that the peroxide and acid values of hotpot sauce increased gradually and that the quality began to deteriorate with storage. A storage temperature of 4 °C and salt concentration above 4.4% significantly reduced spoilage. The salt concentration had no significant effect on the flavour but extended storage resulted in significant differences in flavour reflected in the changes of sweet, sour, bitter, umami, aftertaste-A, abundance, organic sulphide, and alkanes. Significant differences were found in the bacterial composition between samples stored at different temperatures. Norank-f-o-Chloroplast was the main bacterium in the samples stored at low temperatures, which was beneficial for preservation. Bacillus was detected in 4.1% NaCl samples stored at 25 °C, directly promoting sauce spoilage and an unpleasant flavour. This bacterium signalled the spoilage of low-salt hotpot sauce stored at room temperature.

In addition to volatile compounds, metabolites also have a great effect on the flavour of food. Fresh finger citron cannot be eaten directly because of its spicy and bitter taste, so it is made into a preserved fruit product known as Laoxianghuang (LXH). To investigate the metabolites that have an effect on the flavour of LXH, untargeted metabolomics was performed using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and the metabolites of the Laoxianghuang samples from different locations in the Chaoshan area were compared and analysed. A total of 756 metabolites were identified and distinct differences were revealed among the different Laoxianghuang samples. A total of 33 differential metabolites with the most significant changes were screened through further multivariate analytical steps, and each group of samples had unique metabolites. For instance, pomolic acid had the highest content in the JG sample, while L-glycyl-L-isoleucine was rich in the QS sample. Moreover, flavonoid metabolites made the greatest contribution to the unique flavour of Laoxianghuang. The metabolic pathways involved are the biosynthetic pathways of flavonoids, isoflavonoids, flavones, and flavonols. This study can provide some creative information for distinguishing the quality differences of Laoxianghuang from the perspective of metabolites and offer preliminary theoretical support to characterise the formation of flavour substances in Laoxianghuang.