Search

Craft chocolate is a relatively new and fast-growing segment of the American chocolate market. To understand American premium chocolate consumer perception of craft chocolate and desirable chocolate product attributes, we conducted a mixed-methods study using focus groups and projective mapping. Projective mapping revealed that participants segmented products in terms of quality based upon usage occasion rather than cost or other factors. We found that American premium chocolate consumers use search attributes such as segmentation, price, availability, and packaging as quality determinants. Additionally, they desire credence attributes that convey trust through, for example, the presence or absence of sustainability certifications, or a semblance of meaning. Premium chocolate consumers seek out experience attributes such as utility and/or joy, which are achieved by purchasing a chocolate product as a gift, for its nostalgic purposes, or for desired post-ingestive effects. We propose a Desirable Chocolate Attribute Concept Map to explain our findings., Competing Interests: ALB, AJB, and HH are all employed by Penn State. ALB is a former employee of Ghent University and was an intern at Mars Netherlands. AJB is a former employee of Land O’Lakes and has received consulting fees from Eight Oaks Distillery and Giant Eagle. HH is a former employee of UC Davis and HM.Clause and has received consulting fees from Henkel Adhesive Technology. HH is an associate editor and member of the publications committee at the American Society of Enology & Viticulture (ASEV). ALB receives funding from USDA-NIFA. AJB receives or has received funding from PA Dept. of Agriculture and the National Sugar Association. HH receives or has received funding from Penn State, University of Alabama, USDA-NIFA, USDAFAS, PA Dept. of Agriculture, National Dairy Council, PT Indesso Aroma, and Sherwin-Williams Company. HH has received travel support and honoraria from AOAC, University of Alabama, and Henkel Adhesive Technology for speaking at meetings. HH is the Rasmussen Career Development Professor in Food Science, a named professorship made possible by a philanthropic gift by Frederick, Sr. & Faith E. Rasmussen. ALB is or has been a member of the following professional societies: IFT, SSP, Gamma Sigma Delta, Phi Tau Sigma, and the Philanthropic Educational Organization International. AJB is or has been a member of the following professional societies: IFT, SSP. HH is or has been a member of the following professional societies: ASEV, IFT, FCIA, SSP, GöCH, ASAC, E3S, and Gamma Sigma Delta. None of these organizations nor the funders have had any role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. The competing interests statement in the manuscript does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Rotundone is an aromatic compound found in the skin of some grapes (e.g., Shiraz, Noiret) that contributes peppery notes to wines made with these varieties. There may be a specific anosmia for rotundone, as some individuals are unable to detect it even at high concentrations, despite otherwise normal olfaction. This may affect perception of and preference for rotundone-containing wines. Here, we report rotundone detection thresholds (orthonasal n = 56; retronasal n = 53) and rejection thresholds ( n = 86) in red wine for a convenience sample of non-expert consumers in Pennsylvania. Focus groups were conducted to better understand consumer attitudes and preferences for rotundone. Ortho- and retronasal detection thresholds were nearly identical (140 v. 146 ng/L). Roughly 40% of our sample was anosmic to rotundone, extending evidence for a specific anosmia to a North American cohort. As ortho- and retronasal thresholds were extremely similar, future work on rotundone can rely on orthonasal assessment. In our participants, added rotundone was generally disliked, and in focus groups, the concept of a 'peppery' wine was not appealing. Winemakers need to carefully consider biological and attitudinal segmentation when making and marketing peppery wines. Further work is needed to identify the genetic basis for this anosmia.

Twelve fig cultivars, including cultivars destined for the fresh and dried markets, were harvested from 6 locations and evaluated by a trained panel using descriptive sensory analysis. Instrumental measurements were taken at harvest and also during sensory analysis. Each fresh fig cultivar had a characteristic appearance and flavor sensory profile regardless of the source. The primary flavor attributes used to describe the fig cultivars were "fruity,""melon,""stone fruit,""berry,""citrus,""honey,""green," and "cucumber." Maturity levels significantly affected the chemical composition and sensory profiles of the fig cultivars. Less mature figs had a higher compression force, a thicker outer skin, and higher ratings for "green" and "latex" flavors, firmness, graininess, bitterness, tingling, and seed adhesiveness. Meanwhile, more mature figs had higher soluble solids concentration, and were perceptibly higher in "fruit" flavors, juiciness, stickiness, sliminess, and sweetness. The specific sensory terminology used for fig appearance and flavor profiles will assist with communication between marketers and consumers, which can increase fresh fig consumption., (© 2012 The Regents of the University of California, Davis Campus Department of Plant Sciences.)

Californian Chardonnay was stored in five different wine-packaging configurations at three different temperatures for a period of 3 months to study the combined packaging and temperature effects on the sensory and chemical properties of the wines. A trained descriptive panel evaluated aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and color attributes, and the sensory results were correlated to physical and chemical measurements including volatile compounds, SO(2), titratable and volatile acidity, oxygen consumption, and wine color, using partial least squares regression. In general, increased storage temperatures induced the largest changes in the wines; however, significant packaging--temperature effects were found for some attributes as well. Particularly wines stored in bag-in-boxes at 40 °C showed significant increases in oxidized and vinegar aromas and yellow color. Volatile esters also decreased in these wines, while increased levels of compounds generally associated with age- or heat-affected wine were found including 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene and furfuryl ether, consistent with previously reported chemical aging reactions. In summary, storing unoaked Chardonnay in different packages significantly changes the sensory and chemical properties depending on the storage temperature. After a storage period of 3 months, bottle storage with various closures (natural cork, synthetic cork, and screw cap) changed the wine in a different way than bag-in-box storage.

Differential sensing using synthetic receptors as mimics of the mammalian senses of taste and smell is a powerful approach for the analysis of complex mixtures. Herein, we report on the effectiveness of a cross-reactive, supramolecular, peptide-based sensing array in differentiating and predicting the composition of red wine blends. Fifteen blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, in addition to the mono varietals, were used in this investigation. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) showed a clear differentiation of blends based on tannin concentration and composition where certain mono varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon seemed to contribute less to the overall characteristics of the blend. Partial Least Squares (PLS) Regression and cross validation were used to build a predictive model for the responses of the receptors to eleven binary blends and the three mono varietals. The optimized model was later used to predict the percentage of each mono varietal in an independent test set composted of four tri-blends with a 15% average error. A partial least square regression model using the mouth-feel and taste descriptive sensory attributes of the wine blends revealed a strong correlation of the receptors to perceived astringency, which is indicative of selective binding to polyphenols in wine.

Twenty-seven commercial Californian Cabernet Sauvignon wines of different quality categories were analyzed with sensory and chemical methods. Correlations between five quality proxies-points awarded during a wine competition, wine expert scores, retail price, vintage, and wine region-were correlated to sensory attributes, volatile compounds, and elemental composition. Wine quality is a multi-faceted construct, incorporating many different layers. Depending on the quality proxy studied, significant correlations between quality and attributes, volatiles and elements were found, some of them previously reported in the literature.

Foods lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars (ie, overconsumed dietary components) must have an acceptable flavor profile to promote intake. The aim of this research was to model the influence of using herbs/spices as flavor-enhancers when reducing overconsumed dietary components in commonly consumed foods and evaluate acceptance of these flavor-enhanced reformulations. Ten leading sources of overconsumed dietary components were identified using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018 dietary data. These foods were reformulated to reduce overconsumed dietary components and herbs/spices were used to preserve acceptability. The influence of consumer adoption of the reformulated foods on intake of overconsumed dietary components was modeled using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Consumer acceptability of the reformulated recipes was assessed with blind taste testing. Dietary data from adults aged 19 years and older (n = 9,812) included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018 were used to identify foods for reformulation and model the potential influence of reformulation. The blind taste testing included 85 to 107 consumers per panel. Estimated daily change in total intake of saturated fat, sodium, added sugars, and energy with intake of the reformulated foods instead of the original foods. Consumer ratings of overall liking of the reformulated recipes vs the original recipes were assessed using standard 9-point hedonic scales. Descriptive statistics with use of survey procedures were used to model the influence of reformulated food adoption. Mixed effect models were used for analysis of the blind tasting data. With intake of the reformulated foods, instead of the original versions, by 25% to 100% of current consumers, estimates suggest lowering of saturated fat (25% consumer adoption to 100% consumer adoption –2.9% to –11.4%, respectively), sodium (–3.2 to –11.5%, respectively), and added sugars (–0.5 to –2.7%, respectively) intake. The overall liking ratings for seven of the 10 reformulated foods were superior or at parity with the original foods. This proof-of-concept research suggests that using herbs/spices to create flavor-enhanced recipes lower in overconsumed dietary components has the potential to reduce intake and is acceptable to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]