Search Results (345)

The structure, functionality, nutritional value, and sensory properties of food are significantly influenced by interactions between proteins and carbohydrates. These interactions occur through hydrogen bonding, electrostatic forces, hydrophobic interactions, and, in many cases, the covalent attachment of sugars to proteins via the Maillard reaction. High starch content in food matrices promotes interactions between proteins and starch components such as amylose and amylopectin, affecting gelation, retrogradation, and thickening. These interactions improve shelf stability and product quality. Additionally, protein–carbohydrate interactions regulate nutrient digestibility and glycemic response, playing a crucial role in the development of functional foods for diabetes and weight management. In silico studies have demonstrated that dietary fibers like pectin and cellulose can improve water retention and textural properties in processed meat products. Furthermore, processing techniques such as enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, pulsed electric fields (PEF), and low-temperature drying have been found to improve the functional properties and shelf life of food products. This review synthesizes recent findings on protein–carbohydrate interactions and highlights their potential in creating healthier, more appealing, and sustainable foods that align with modern consumer preferences. Full article

Mashed potatoes (MP) are widely consumed starch-based foods. However, their shelf life is limited by starch retrogradation during low-temperature storage, which causes texture hardening, water exudation, and sensory deterioration. Although natural polysaccharides can modulate starch properties, the specific anti-retrogradation effect of soluble arabinoxylan (AX) in complex MP matrices remains unknown. In this study, the effects of AX on the physicochemical and sensory qualities of MP during 7 d of storage at 4 °C were comprehensively investigated. Results demonstrated that AX significantly reduced the rheological moduli (i.e., G′ and G″ values) and hardness of stored MP. Additionally, LF-NMR, XRD, FTIR and SEM analyses, together with water holding capacity (WHC) measurement, revealed that AX improved water retention and restricted water mobility of the system, delayed starch recrystallization, inhibited the formation of short-range ordered structures, and physically disrupted the starch microstructure, thereby attenuating the overall starch retrogradation process. Moreover, the addition of AX helped maintain the sensory appeal of the products. These findings suggest that AX modulates the structural evolution of the starch matrix during storage. This distinguishes the present work from conventional hydrocolloid studies by demonstrating that AX can simultaneously inhibit starch retrogradation, stabilize color, and maintain soft texture. This work highlights the potential of AX as a clean-label multifunctional modifier to extend the shelf life of starchy convenience foods. Full article

Culinary tourism is increasingly conceptualized as a strategic domain of destination competitiveness, in which gastronomic experiences serve as mechanisms for cultural representation and localized value creation. However, existing research remains fragmented in explaining how multidimensional culinary motivations translate into specific consumption behaviors, particularly in emerging destinations. Addressing this gap, this study develops and tests a motivation–behavior linkage framework grounded in push–pull motivation theory, conceptualizing culinary motivations as heterogeneous drivers with differential effects on intention to purchase local food. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed, beginning with an initial qualitative phase to refine measurement constructs, followed by a quantitative survey of 396 domestic tourists with prior culinary experience in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Data were analyzed using reliability assessment, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple regression modeling. The findings reveal a differentiated structure of influence: cultural experience, sensory appeal, and health concerns significantly enhance purchase intention, with cultural experience and sensory appeal emerging as the most influential predictors. In contrast, interpersonal and prestige motivations are non-significant, indicating that experiential and functional values outweigh social-symbolic drivers in this context. The study contributes by advancing push–pull theory through a behavior-specific, mechanism-based linkage; identifying context-dependent boundary conditions in an emerging destination; and refining culinary motivation by distinguishing experiential–functional from social-symbolic drivers. These insights inform more targeted strategies for promoting local food consumption and sustainable culinary tourism development. Full article

This paper examines the essence and dilemmas of Hobbes’s mechanical materialism, which posits that all things—God, the soul, and the mind—are bodies subject to mechanical laws. Rejecting metaphysical assumptions, Hobbes emphasizes the absoluteness of bodies over appearances, insisting that all knowledge originates from sensory experience. A central issue in his philosophy is the nature of motion: if every movement requires an external cause, what initiates the first? While Hobbes dismisses the concept of a self-moved mover as incoherent, his appeal to agnostic theology introduces contradictions. To resolve this, he proposes the concept of endeavor (conatus) as the fundamental principle of motion, but it remains insufficient to explain motion’s origin fully. Nevertheless, Hobbes’s philosophical framework offers a materialist perspective for understanding the world, revealing how mechanical processes serve as the foundation for comprehending reality. Full article

Chilacayote (Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché) is recognized as a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, making it a promising ingredient for fortifying staple foods such as corn tortillas. While fortification can improve nutritional properties, it may also alter sensory characteristics that determine consumer acceptance. Therefore, a rigorous and structurally grounded assessment of these sensory modifications is required. In this study, sensory evaluations were conducted with regular tortilla consumers using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questionnaires to examine six attributes (color, smell, texture, taste, mouthfeel, and aftertaste) in tortillas made with nixtamalized dough and commercial flour, both with and without chilacayote powder. Then, a structured framework for dimensionality reduction and sensory profile identification of tortillas is proposed. In this framework, three classical feature extraction methods (Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and a combination of both (PCA+LDA)) were compared with an evolutionary discriminant approach (Differential Evolutionary Linear Discriminant Analysis for Feature Extraction and Visualization (DE-${\mathrm{LDA}}_{FE}$)). The projection quality of these methods was evaluated using a multi-scale separability index that integrates global, semi-global, and local metrics, and the experiments were conducted considering global and attribute-based analyses. Beyond quantitative discrimination, the optimized projections enabled a geometric interpretation that allows the identification of sensory profiles for the tortilla variants. The proposed methodology bridges evolutionary optimization, structural separability assessment, and interpretable sensory characterization, offering a robust and adaptable strategy for multivariate food analysis and other complex discrimination problems and insights into the sensory impact of chilacayote fortification for the development of nutritionally enhanced tortillas that preserve consumer appeal. Full article

This study pioneered the application of Poria cocos solid-state fermentation (SSF) to Tartary buckwheat (TB). We aimed to enhance its nutritional value, antioxidant activity, and bioaccessibility through fungal biotransformation. Notably, SSF significantly increased protein (by 15.53%) and polysaccharides (by 158%) in TB, alongside a 4.87% improvement in DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Principal component analysis identified 5-day fermentation (FTB-5) as the optimal process, achieving the highest comprehensive score. Furthermore, SSF modified TB’s aroma profile (e.g., increasing 2(3H)-Furanone, 5-methyl by 352.02%) and optimized its amino acid composition, with essential amino acids rising by 12.90%. Critically, in vitro digestion confirmed a higher release rate of bioactive compounds in FTB-5 compared to raw TB. When applied to Chinese steamed bread, FTB-5 imparted a superior sensory score, with a soft texture and an appealing color. This study establishes Poria cocos SSF as a novel strategy for TB valorization, bridging traditional fungal biotechnology with functional food development. Full article

This study examines how immersive narrative resources, whether technological–sensory, narrative–structural, or contextual, are deployed in contemporary blockbuster cinema and to what extent audiences recognize and value them in their evaluations. Using Avatar: Fire and Ash as a case study, the research follows a sequential mixed-methods design. In the first phase, a qualitative film analysis identifies eight types of cognitive immersion, drawing on established theoretical frameworks of narrative immersion. The second phase is quantitative and involves the computational analysis of 1133 valid reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) through Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, including n-gram frequency analysis, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling with 3 topics after perplexity minimization, and sentiment polarity analysis. The LDA model reveals three discursive clusters, experiential and emotional, technical and comparative, and critical, with the latter concentrated mostly in low-rated reviews. Text sentiment and numeric ratings show a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.53, p < 0.001), pointing to a general but imperfect alignment between the two modes of evaluation. Markers of content fatigue (nothing new, predictable, boring) appear in 25.1% of the reviews, yet a third of those are still rated 8 or higher. When cross-tabulating the immersion categories with audience language, phenomenological and affective dimensions such as Emotional Engagement (59.8%) and Haptic/Sensory Experience (59.1%) emerge as the most frequently discussed, while cinematographic techniques like Bracketing (2.6%) are barely mentioned. Taken together, the findings suggest that the franchise sustains its appeal through a form of embodied sensory engagement that operates largely independent of narrative novelty. Full article

The integration of rooted plant flour into traditional noodle matrices, such as rice noodles and qingke noodles, represents a novel approach to enhancing the nutritional and sensory profiles of staple foods. This study investigates the volatile flavor components and functional compounds derived from rooted plant flours, including Gongmi “tribute rice”, qingke “highland barley” flour, kudzu vine flour, Gastrodia elata blume flour, dried ginger flour, and fishwort root flour, when incorporated into rice and qingke noodles. The novelty of this research lies in its comprehensive analysis of how these flours influence not only the nutritional and textural properties but also the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that define sensory acceptance and health benefits. Using advanced gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified key VOCs, such as esters, aldehydes, and terpenes, which contribute to unique flavor profiles like umami, sweetness, and earthy notes in fortified noodles. Additionally, the study highlights the best functional compounds for health, including polyphenols, resistant starch, and polysaccharides, which demonstrate significant antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol-lowering properties. For instance, highland barley enriched flour exhibited high levels of phenolic compounds and carotenoids, which correlated with improved antioxidant activity and a reduced glycemic index. Similarly, Gongmi flour contributed elevated levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and rutin, enhancing the rice noodles’ potential to manage metabolic diseases and support cardiovascular health. Molecular docking analyses predicted strong interactions between key volatile compounds (e.g., 3-dihydro-1, 3-trimethyl-33-phenyl-1H-indene) and metabolic targets like ACE and SGLT1, suggesting mechanisms for their cardioprotective and anti-diabetic effects. This research provides a groundbreaking framework for developing next generation functional foods by leveraging rooted plant flours to bridge the gap between sensory appeal and health efficacy, offering strategic insights for personalized nutrition and sustainable food production. Full article

To address climate change, reducing food loss along the production and supply chain is a global priority. Addressing this challenge requires a shift in agrifood systems toward greater sustainability, in which new technologies and novel foods appear as promising strategies. Among emerging novel foods, 3D-printed foods are an interesting new food technology for food loss reduction, resource optimization, and by-product valorization. However, to reach market success, it needs consumer acceptance, a topic far unexplored, particularly in the Italian context. To fill the literature gap, this article investigates Italian consumers’ intention toward 3D-printed savory snacks using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior, based upon the relevant literature. Survey data were collected, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed to test research hypotheses. Results show that attitude and subjective norms are the strongest predictors of purchase intention. In addition, perceived usefulness is shown to be a powerful construct, positively impacting attitude and subjective norms, while self-identity as a green consumer reinforces perceptions of the benefits of 3D-printed foods. Sensory appeal impacts consumer attitude. These insights have practical policy and micro-level applications, suggesting tailored strategies, educational campaigns, and supportive policies and marketing campaigns for fostering acceptance of 3D printing in the agrifood sector. Full article

Using hedonic consumption theory (HCT) and a niche marketing strategy as analytical frameworks, our study examines consumer behavior in the luxury flower market, a swiftly growing segment of the global luxury goods industry. Adopting a nonexperimental, cross-sectional survey design, we collected primary data from 392 individuals from affluent households (defined as those with annual incomes exceeding $75,000, per standard demographic criteria) via purposive stratified sampling. Our questionnaire, which was reviewed by experts and tested in a pilot study, examined demographics, buying preferences, sustainability awareness, and hedonic motivations. The main findings show that most clients are well-educated women with substantial wealth. They care most about sensory, emotional, and symbolic qualities. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions robustly supported three hypotheses, gender disparities in appreciation, educational and sustainability awareness, and income influences on quality and variety emphasis, with descriptive evidence aligning with two further hypotheses regarding perceived supply shortages and sustainability preferences. The preferred places to buy include nurseries and high-end florists, suggesting opportunities for SMEs. Our study offers initial evidence supporting the application of HCT to perishable luxury floriculture among younger, educated, affluent consumers in North America. It underscores the hedonic appeal heightened by ephemerality and the potential influence of sustainability as a guilt-free enhancement, while indicating opportunities for niche marketing strategies through customization and sustainable sourcing. Our findings indicate opportunities for businesses aiming to reach comparable younger, educated, affluent demographics to fulfill unmet demand through sustainable sourcing, unique varieties, and customized experiences, which align with the SDGs. We conclude with a future research agenda. Full article

Dysphagia and age-related oral processing limitations are rising with population aging and the growing burden of neurological diseases. Texture-modified diets remain the most common non-pharmacological intervention, yet conventional pureeing and thickening often yield meals with low visual appeal, variable textures, and diluted nutrient density, which contribute to reduced intake and malnutrition risk. Extrusion-based three-dimensional food printing, especially when combined with gel-derived edible inks, offers a digital route to standardize geometry, portioning, and texture while enabling individualized nutrition and sensory design. In the past three years, the field has progressed from simple single-ingredient pastes to engineered soft-matter systems including emulsion gels, high-internal-phase emulsion gels, Pickering-stabilized gels, bigels, and multi-material constructs enabled by dual and coaxial printing. These advances are underpinned by improved rheological windowing, microstructure engineering, and post-print gelation strategies such as ionic crosslinking, thermal setting, enzymatic bridging, and pH-triggered network formation. Meanwhile, dysphagia-oriented product development has matured from “shape recovery” demonstrations toward clinically relevant texture targets, leveraging the IDDSI tests to anchor swallowability. This review synthesizes the recent literature across materials science, food engineering, and clinical nutrition to connect gel microstructure to extrusion performance, post-processing stability, and oral processing outcomes that are relevant to older adults and dysphagia patients. We propose design principles for gel network selection, phase structuring, and process control that simultaneously satisfy print fidelity and swallowing safety targets. Full article

Texture-modified foods (TMFs) are essential for individuals with dysphagia, yet conventional formulations often lack structural consistency, nutritional density, and sensory appeal. Three-dimensional (3D) food printing offers new opportunities to tailor texture and composition. This study developed 3D-printed TMFs based on a lentil-carrot matrix and formulated with pea protein isolate (PPI), a curcumin-enriched oleogel (O), or their combination (PPI–O), and compared them with a commercial dysphagia thickener reference. Printability was assessed through extrusion force measurements and dimensional deviation analysis. Texture profile analysis (TPA), International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) tests, moisture and protein content determination, color measurements, and preliminary sensory evaluation were conducted. PPI-containing formulations required higher extrusion forces but showed improved dimensional stability, hardness, cohesiveness, and gumminess compared with the oleogel-only sample, likely due to the formation of a stronger protein network. In contrast, the oleogel-only formulation exhibited lower mechanical resistance and a more pronounced melting perception, reflecting the lubricating effect of the lipid-based matrix. Protein content significantly increased with PPI incorporation, and curcumin-enriched oleogel also markedly influenced color parameters. All samples were classified as compatible with IDDSI Level 5. The hybrid PPI–O formulation provided a balanced combination of printability, structural fidelity, enhanced protein content, and suitable textural properties. These findings suggest that extrusion-based 3D printing may represent a promising approach for designing plant-based TMFs for dysphagia-oriented foods. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) in various forms on the quality and shelf life of fresh cheese. We hypothesized that incorporating ground sage, its essential oil (EO), and supercritical fluid extract (SFE) would significantly enhance the antioxidant potential and oxidative stability of the product without compromising its fundamental physicochemical profile. Results showed that, although fresh cheese is a complex, heterogeneous matrix, the dry matter remained stable, fluctuating between 32.86% and 39.13% over 30 days. The addition of sage significantly increased the total phenolic content (TPC), reaching 14.28 mg GAE/g in SFE-fortified samples, which directly correlated with a high DPPH radical scavenging activity. The addition of ground sage (XFC-G) reduced lightness (L*) and resulted in less negative greenness values (a* from −2.50 to −1.97) compared to other treatments. Conversely, XFC-C maintained higher lightness but exhibited a progressive increase in total color difference (ΔE). Sensory evaluation confirmed that sage-fortified cheeses, particularly those with ground sage, received high scores for herbal aroma and overall acceptability (4.8/5.0) after the production, but after the 10 days of storage all samples showed the same overall sensory evaluation. These findings suggest that the added forms of sage, especially ground, serve as potent natural preservatives that maintain the functional integrity and sensory appeal of fresh cheese. Full article

The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) as an autonomous recommendation agent fundamentally challenges traditional paradigms of marketing communication. As AI systems increasingly mediate consumer–brand relationships, understanding how artificial agents construct persuasive discourse—distinct from human communicators—becomes critical for developing effective dual-channel marketing strategies. Grounded in Source Credibility Theory and the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm, this study investigates the semantic and structural divergence between AI-generated product recommendations and human influencer marketing messages in social commerce contexts. Employing a mixed-methods computational approach integrating term frequency analysis, TF-IDF weighting, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, and BERT-based contextualized semantic embedding analysis (KR-SBERT), we examined 330 Instagram influencer posts and 541 AI-generated responses concerning inner beauty enzyme products—a hybrid category combining functional health claims with hedonic beauty appeals—in the Korean social commerce market. AI-generated responses were collected through a systematically designed query protocol with empirically grounded prompts derived from actual consumer search behaviors, and analytical robustness was verified through sensitivity analyses across multiple parameter thresholds. Our findings reveal a fundamental divergence in persuasive architecture: human influencers construct experiential narratives exhibiting message characteristics typically associated with peripheral-route cues (sensory descriptions, emotional testimonials, social context), while AI recommendations employ systematic, evidence-based discourse exhibiting message characteristics typically associated with central-route argumentation (functional mechanisms, ingredient specifications, objective criteria). Topic modeling identified four distinct thematic clusters for each source type: human discourse centers on embodied experience and relational consumption, whereas AI discourse organizes around informational utility and rational decision support. Jensen–Shannon Divergence analysis (JSD = 0.213 bits) confirmed moderate distributional divergence, while chi-square testing (χ² = 847.23, p < 0.001) and Cramér’s V (0.312, indicating a medium-to-large effect) demonstrated statistically significant and substantively meaningful differences. These findings extend CASA theory by demonstrating that AI recommendation agents develop a characteristic “AI communication signature” distinguishable from human persuasion patterns. We propose an integrated Dual-Agent Persuasion Proposition—synthesizing CASA, ELM, and Source Credibility perspectives—suggesting that AI and human recommenders serve complementary functions across different stages of the consumer decision journey—a proposition whose predictions regarding sequential persuasive effectiveness and consumer processing routes await experimental validation. These findings carry implications for AI content strategy optimization, platform design, and emerging regulatory frameworks for AI-generated content labeling. Full article

The growing demand for clean-label, plant-based foods is accelerating the development of vegan emulsified products that avoid synthetic additives while delivering appealing sensory and health-related attributes. We formulated naturally colored, mayonnaise-like oil-in-water emulsions using 55% canola oil and yeast protein extracts (YPEs) as emulsifiers and polyphenol-rich ingredients derived from red cabbage and butterfly pea flower. The resulting systems were characterized for rheological behavior, texture, droplet-size distribution, lipid oxidation (peroxide value) and microbiological stability. Two distinct YPEs produced emulsions with different microstructural and mechanical properties, highlighting the role of protein composition on emulsion architecture. Incorporation of anthocyanin-rich polyphenol matrices (red cabbage extracts characterized by predominantly simple acylations and butterfly pea flower extracts containing complex acylations, both at similar purities) modulated emulsion structuring and stability during storage, beyond color delivery. Overall, polyphenol addition strengthened emulsion structure, as evidenced by a significant increase in plateau modulus from 621 Pa to 1428 Pa in emulsions with complete YPE and butterfly pea extract and mitigated lipid oxidation, supporting their use as partial replacement options for additives such as EDTA in clean-label formulations. These findings provide a practical basis for designing functional, and visually attractive vegan emulsions that align with consumer demand for additive-reduced products. Full article