Search

Five fatty acids comprise the bulk of the lipid content in pecans: palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. Understanding the profiles of these fatty acids and how they relate to sensory characteristics may offer an explanation for flavor and flavor defects that may exist in certain cultivars of pecans. The objective of this study was to examine and compare fatty acid profiles of three cultivars of pecans (Major, Lakota, and Chetopa), over two crop years, under raw and roasted preparation methods, and understand the fatty acids association with sensory attributes. Percentages of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids to total fatty acid content were determined using gas chromatography, and sensory profiles were generated using descriptive sensory analysis. Similar trends were seen across samples, with oleic acid comprising the majority of the total fatty acids and linolenic acid comprising the smallest percentage. There were significant differences in fatty acid content among cultivars and between pecans in the first and second crop year. Few associations were found between the fatty acids and sensory attributes, which suggest that combinations of the fatty acids contribute to certain pleasant or undesirable flavor attributes in the pecans. Subtle differences in fatty acid composition may lead to variation in flavor and flavor intensity or draw attention to or from certain attributes during consumption. Differences in crop year indicated that fatty acid content and therefore flavor are variable year to year. Practical Application: This study will help understand how fatty acid content of pecans varies from year to year. This should be taken into account when manufacturing products with pecans as the nutritional content of the product may change as the result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Science (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Black walnut ( Juglans nigra L.) is a North American hardwood tree valued for producing nuts and wood. Black walnut cultivars were evaluated by a trained panel over 2 growing seasons to determine the seasonal variation in the sensory profile. Results showed that cultivars were significantly different on 3 appearance (skin color, nutmeat color, and kernel roughness), 1 aroma (black walnut ID), 5 flavor (black walnut ID, banana-like, piny, rancid, and overall nutty), and 2 texture attributes (surface roughness and hardness). These profiles were compared to results collected in 2011 to determine differences between growing seasons. Results showed 4 flavor attributes (black walnut ID, overall nutty, fruity-dark and rancid) had an interaction effect of year and cultivar, while 6 attributes (brown, caramelized, floral/fruity, piny, musty/dusty, and oily) showed a main effect of year. In general, flavor attributes had higher intensities in 2011 than in 2013. These results suggest that seasonal variation may influence flavor profile more than cultivar. Thus, using samples from only 1 growing season when testing agricultural products may not provide adequate information for the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the main flavor components of different natural aged cheese types from various countries and determine whether a unique sensory characteristic exists within specific countries for European cheeses. The flavor of 152 cheeses from Estonia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Austria, England, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark were described during 4 independent studies. The sensory data from these studies were combined. The cheeses were sorted according to milk type and texture, and flavor characteristics of these groups were described. The main flavor characteristics of the cheeses tested were salty, sweet, sour, astringent, biting, pungent, sharp, nutty, musty/earthy, dairy fat, buttery, and dairy sweet. The cluster analysis divided the cheeses into 4 clusters: clusters 1 and 2 were sour, dairy sour, salty, astringent, biting, and varied in buttery (cluster 1) and sharp notes (cluster 2). Cluster 1 and 2 were mainly composed of French cheeses, while clusters 3 and 4 represented cheeses from various countries. Cluster 3 and 4 were sweet, with cooked milk and nutty characteristics and varied from buttery (cluster 3) to sharp notes (cluster 4). Cheeses from some countries, for example, France and Estonia, generally exhibited common sensory characteristics within the specific country, but cheeses from some other countries, such as Italy, varied widely, and seemed to have no common sensory theme. Most regional cheese standards are not specific about flavor profiles and these results suggest it may be possible to start a further characterization of cheeses in some countries. Practical Application: This research shows the main flavor characteristics of certain types of cheeses manufactured in various countries. The information may be useful to cheese manufacturers, product developers, food scientists, cheese connoisseurs, and government officials to better understand the flavor classification of cheeses from various countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]