Sensory Characteristics, Flavor Profiles, and Physical Properties of Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2024) | Viewed by 8771

Special Issue Editors

Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA
Interests: perception; flavor chemistry; sensory evaluation; food quality
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Guest Editor
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: food flavor; biosensors; flavor chemistry; sensory evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: fungi; edible mushrooms; mycelial fermentation; biosynthesis; multiomics; functional food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on the sensory characteristics, flavor profiles, and physical properties of foods. Sensory study always plays an essential role in flavor research, and the special issue will discuss the new developments in sensory tests, including descriptive and consumer tests. Articles discussing the limitations of different sensory evaluation methods are welcomed. Meanwhile, the advanced analytical methods, applied to flavor analysis, will be discussed. Also, the application of biotechnology to understanding the mechanisms of flavor formation in fruit, vegetable or muscle products, and the effect of preservation and processing on food flavor and physical properties, will be included.

Dr. Xi Feng
Dr. Yanping Chen
Dr. Ying Liu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • aroma
  • taste
  • physical properties
  • flavor analysis
  • sensory evaluation
  • food biotechnology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 10968 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Heat Stress on Sensory Properties of Fresh Oysters: A Comprehensive Study Using E-Nose, E-Tongue, Sensory Evaluation, HS–SPME–GC–MS, LC–MS, and Transcriptomics
by Bing Fu, Chang Fang, Zhongzhi Li, Zeqian Zeng, Yinglin He, Shijun Chen and Huirong Yang
Foods 2024, 13(13), 2004; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13132004 - 25 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1407
Abstract
Heat stress has received growing concerns regarding the impact on seafood quality. However, the effects of heat stress on the sensory properties of seafood remain unknown. In this study, the sensory properties of fresh oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) treated with chronic heat [...] Read more.
Heat stress has received growing concerns regarding the impact on seafood quality. However, the effects of heat stress on the sensory properties of seafood remain unknown. In this study, the sensory properties of fresh oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) treated with chronic heat stress (30 °C) for 8 weeks were characterized using electronic nose, electronic tongue, sensory evaluation, HS–SPME–GC–MS, LC–MS and transcriptomics. Overall, chronic heat stress reduced the overall sensory properties of oysters. The metabolic network constructed. based on enrichment results of 423 differential metabolites and 166 differentially expressed genes, showed that the negative effects of chronic heat stress on the sensory properties of oysters were related to oxidative stress, protein degradation, lipid oxidation, and nucleotide metabolism. The results of the study provide valuable insights into the effects of heat stress on the sensory properties of oysters, which are important for ensuring a sustainable supply of high-quality seafood and maintaining food safety. Full article
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17 pages, 5675 KiB  
Article
Comparative Metabolome Profiling for Revealing the Effects of Different Cooking Methods on Glutinous Rice Longjing57 (Oryza sativa L. var. Glutinosa)
by Zhenhua Guo, Lijun Cai, Chuanxue Liu, Yunjiang Zhang, Linan Wang, Hao Liu, Yanjiang Feng, Guojun Pan and Wendong Ma
Foods 2024, 13(11), 1617; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111617 - 23 May 2024
Viewed by 1001
Abstract
Glutinous rice (GR), an important food crop in Asia, provides prolonged energy for the human body due to its high amylopectin content. The non-volatile metabolites generated by different cooking methods that affect the nutritional value and color of GR are still poorly understood. [...] Read more.
Glutinous rice (GR), an important food crop in Asia, provides prolonged energy for the human body due to its high amylopectin content. The non-volatile metabolites generated by different cooking methods that affect the nutritional value and color of GR are still poorly understood. Herein, a widely targeted metabolomics approach was used to understand the effects of different cooking methods (steaming, baking, and frying) on the metabolite profiles of GR. Compared with other treatments, steamed GR had a brighter color and significantly lower contents of total sugar, starch, amylopectin, and amylose, at 40.74%, 14.13%, 9.78%, and 15.18%, respectively. Additionally, 70, 108, and 115 metabolites were significantly altered in the steaming, baking, and frying groups respectively, and amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism were identified as the representative metabolic pathways based on KEGG annotations. Further evaluation of 14 amino acids and 12 carbohydrates in steamed GR, especially 4-aminobutyric acid, suggested its high nutraceutical value. Additionally, multivariate analysis indicated that total sugar content, amylose content, beta-alanine methyl ester hydrochloride, and 4-aminobutyric acid played a critical role in color formation in raw and cooked GR. Finally, the levels of major amino acids and carbohydrates were quantified by conventional methods to verify the reliability of the metabolome. Consequently, this in-depth understanding of metabolite profiling in normal cooking methods has provided a foundation for the processing of GR products. Full article
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12 pages, 1367 KiB  
Article
Application of GC–TOF/MS and GC×GC–TOF/MS to Discriminate Coffee Products in Three States (Bean, Powder, and Brew)
by Xiaolei Fang, Yanping Chen, Jie Gao, Zimu Run, He Chen, Ruoqi Shi, Yingqiu Li, Haihua Zhang and Yuan Liu
Foods 2023, 12(16), 3123; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163123 - 20 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1680
Abstract
The volatiles in coffee play an important part in the overall flavor profile. In this study, GC–TOF/MS and GC×GC–TOF/MS were used to detect the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coffee samples of three different brands at three states (bean, powder, and brew). The [...] Read more.
The volatiles in coffee play an important part in the overall flavor profile. In this study, GC–TOF/MS and GC×GC–TOF/MS were used to detect the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coffee samples of three different brands at three states (bean, powder, and brew). The differences between the two methods in characterizing VOCs were analyzed using the Venn diagram and PCA (principal component analysis). The important aroma-contributing compounds were further compared and analyzed. The results of the venn diagrams of different coffee samples showed that most VOCs existed in 2–3 kinds of coffee. The PCA of VOCs in different coffee samples showed that the VOCs detected by GC–TOF/MS could distinguish the coffee samples in the different states. GC×GC–TOF/MS was suitable for the further identification and differentiation of the different brands of coffee samples. In addition, pyridine, pyrrole, alcohols, and phenols greatly contributed to distinguishing coffee in three states, and alcohols greatly contributed to distinguishing the three brands of coffee. Full article
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13 pages, 3097 KiB  
Article
Sucrose Concentration and Fermentation Temperature Impact the Sensory Characteristics and Liking of Kombucha
by Gil Cohen, David A. Sela and Alissa A. Nolden
Foods 2023, 12(16), 3116; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163116 - 19 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3900
Abstract
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage consumed for its probiotics and functional properties. It has a unique sensory profile driven by the properties of tea polyphenols and fermentation products, including organic acids. Fermentation temperature and sucrose content affect the fermentation process and the [...] Read more.
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage consumed for its probiotics and functional properties. It has a unique sensory profile driven by the properties of tea polyphenols and fermentation products, including organic acids. Fermentation temperature and sucrose content affect the fermentation process and the production of organic acids; yet less is known about their impacts on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance. Thus, we aimed to examine the impact of sucrose concentration and fermentation temperature on sensory attributes and liking. For this study, kombucha tea was fermented at three different concentrations of sucrose and fermented at two temperatures for 11 days. Fermentation was monitored by pH, brix, and titratable acidity, and consumers (n = 111) evaluated the kombucha for sensory attributes and overall liking. The fermentation temperature resulted in significant differences in titratable acidity, with higher temperatures producing more organic acids, resulting in higher astringency, and suppressed sweetness. The lower fermentation was reported as significantly more liked, with no difference in liking between the 7.5% and 10% sucrose kombucha samples. Fermentation temperature had the greatest impact on the sensory profile rather than sucrose concentration, which had a greater effect on the fermentation rate and production organic acids. Full article
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