No abstract

Sugar reductions in processed foods can impact a product's sensory aspects and lead to financial losses for the companies that produce them. The aim of the present study was to determine sucrose levels in strawberry yogurt production that would not compromise acceptance (compromised acceptance threshold [CAT]) or result in sensory rejection (hedonic rejection threshold [HRT]). Second, the consumers' expectations were assessed by comparing sensory acceptability of the samples in blind and informed tests to verify the impact of reduced sugar content information on consumer perceptions. The ideal sweetness level of the sampled products was also evaluated. Finally, reduced sugar samples were evaluated with regards to meeting the new national requirements for reduced sucrose yogurts. Samples with a 9.13% sucrose concentration CAT and a 6.36% HRT were obtained when using the hedonic threshold methodology (HTM), from a control sample containing 10.64% sucrose. Over 14% of the sucrose in yogurt can be reduced without altering sensory acceptance, but a 40% or greater reduction in sucrose content may lead to sensory rejection of strawberry yogurt. The present study demonstrated that reductions which meet the required Brazilian standards can be made without affecting sensory acceptance. Practical Applications This was the first study to use the HTM to study sucrose reduction in dairy products. The results presented herein could have an important impact on industry, public policy makers, and consumers and may help dairy manufacturers meet established sugar reduction goals without affecting sensory acceptance. The effects are an important contribution to food science even when there are no sugar reduction requirements in play. Companies that have tested the impact of sugar reduction and studied how much sugar can be appropriately removed will be ahead of their competitors when these dietary requirements are implemented.

This study evaluated the effect of the addition of phosphates on the reduction of the aftertaste of steviol glycoside in black tea, through the methodology of hedonic thresholds. Initially, five phosphate salts were evaluated for their ability to reduce the aftertaste in three brands of commercial stevia. Stevia C and two phosphates (DSP and SPP) have been chosen from the results, because they showed the best results for the overall impression and the reduction of sweetness and bitterness, respectively. A blend of DSP and SPP was applied as a standard criterion. Finally, the compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) (2.81%) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT) (0.054%) were determined. It was still possible to determine the HRT for the bitterness attribute in the value of 1.39%. The present study demonstrates that the use of phosphate allows the reduction of stevia aftertaste in black tea. Novelty Impact Statement Sensory tests showed a reduction of stevia aftertaste by phosphate salts; certain phosphate salts are able to further reduce bitterness and other sweetness; the combined use of phosphate salts aids in better performance.

A lactose é o açúcar mais abundante em leite e produtos derivados, e com o avanço dos estudos sabe-se que este dissacarídeo não é bem digerido por uma parcela da população, a qual tem como opção consumir produtos reduzidos ou isentos de lactose, sem renunciar a alimentos tão completos. O mercado de produtos isentos de lactose desenvolveu-se muito no Brasil nos últimos anos e a necessidade de métodos confiáveis para determinação do teor final de lactose nos produtos aumentou, por ter se tornado uma determinação obrigatória nas indústrias. Do ponto de vista de segurança ao consumidor e de corresponder ao que a legislação determina, é necessária a adoção de técnicas eficazes de detecção da lactose. Há um universo de possibilidades sendo trabalhadas na pesquisa, ou que já são utilizadas comercialmente. Este trabalho reúne algumas abordagens, como métodos enzimáticos, titulometria, cromatografia, biossensores, glicosímetro e espectroscopia Raman, considerando suas particularidades. Métodos enzimáticos e cromatográficos destacam-se pelos menores limites de detecção e alta repetibilidade.

Individuals' emotions have been studied for nearly half a century, but the literature has not advanced to the point of estimating the intensity of a stimulus capable of influencing valence and arousal. The aim of this study was to elucidate three new thresholds: the valence thresholds, represented by the compromised pleasure threshold (CPT) and unpleasure threshold (UT), and the arousal threshold (AT). Valence and arousal ratings were obtained through the affective slider (AS), and CPT, UT, and AT were determined for images of moldy Brazilian carrot cake. Results showed CPT occurs after 1.9 days of deterioration and the AT is reached after 10.5 days of deterioration. The moldy carrot cake was valenced negatively, in the low-arousal region.The methodology was shown to be appropriate for measuring emotion thresholds, which highlights its potential to generate deeper understanding of consumers' perceptions of valence and arousal. Practical ApplicationsWhen it comes to emotion-driven food choices, emotion thresholds methodology can help in the monitoring of unhealthy food choices, because it will be able to provide thresholds corresponding to variables capable of significantly influencing the consumer's mood. Likewise, they may also be useful to industry, public policymakers, and health professionals, in order to facilitate the identification of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that improve the mood of the consumer. Mitigation efforts can focus on the relationship between eating disorders and negative emotional states, which affect CPT, UT, and AT and, in turn, decision-making. We propose that identifying the psychophysiological reactions to comforting stimuli allows us to examine differences in food processing cues among individuals with eating disorders (e.g., compulsive eating, anorexia, and bulimia), and how they shape emotion thresholds. This creates opportunities for psychoeducational interventions and improvements in decision-making.