Time-Intensity Flavor Profile of Commercial Strawberry Jams Available in the Japanese Market

Abstract

Time-intensity (TI) assessment was applied for sweetness, sourness and strawberry flavor of commercial strawberry jams. Ten strawberry jams were selected out of 51 products available in Japan. The selected jams covered a wide range of soluble solids concentrations, colors and sensory characteristics. Eleven trained panelists evaluated the sensory attributes of each sample for 90 or 120 seconds using a sliding TI switch. The obtained average TI curves and the TI parameters demonstrated the characteristics of the dynamic flavor intensity of each sample when consumed. In general, the intensity of sweetness was higher in jams with higher concentrations of sugar. However, several jams, which varied widely in the range of soluble solids, had similar average TI curves for sweetness. Thus, sweetness was not decided by only the soluble solids. The data were subjected to principal component (PC) analysis, and PC 1 and PC 2 were interpreted as axes related to the intensities of sourness and sweetness, respectively. In contrast, time-related sensory parameters (i.e. total time and time to maximum intensity) of each attribute contributed to PC 3, indicating time-course assessment of sensory attributes could function in developing precise flavor profiling of strawberry jam.

Influence of physical properties on the taste and flavor of strawberry jam

“…However, the strawberry flavor ( I max , AUC, and T tot ) increased as R 60 values increased. This is consistent with the results of the commercial strawberry jam (Kurotobi et al, 2017). As the aromatic components are the same for the samples with the same composition, the correlation is considered lower than that for the commercially available strawberry jam.…”

“…We suggest that the decreased perception of sweetness was due to the firm texture of the jam (it was difficult to spread), and the samples contained a wide range of soluble solid concentrations. However, we used the same protocol as that in our previous study (Kurotobi et al, 2017), which indicates that soluble solids and sugar composition are the same. Therefore, the results suggested that model strawberry jams exhibited lower correlation between SM 165 values (LST) and each sweetness parameter than that for commercial strawberry jams.…”

“…Furthermore, the strawberry flavor I max and AUC contributed about 10% each in terms of consistency ( R 60 ), in addition to apparent viscosity. In previous studies, it has been shown that the strawberry flavor of a commercial strawberry jam may be influenced by physical properties, such as R 60 and SM value (Kurotobi et al, 2017). In this study, it was also found that the strawberry flavor is more influenced by the physical properties than the sweetness and sourness.…”

“…Twelve model strawberry jams with four different types of pectin (from citrus and apple) and laboratory‐prepared pectin concentrations (0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8%) were used. For the sensory evaluation, the TI analysis, similar to that in our previous study, was used (Kurotobi et al, 2017). In addition to the instrumental measurements detailed in our previous study (LST, dynamic viscoelasticity measurement, and SBE method; Kurotobi et al, 2018), syneresis measurements were performed.…”

Visualization of Changes in Taste of Food during Chewing Process

“…The taste strength is generally low in the initial stage, increases in the middle stage, and decreases in the final stage. (21)(22)(23) On the basis of these findings, it is necessary to develop a method of evaluating the change in taste during the chewing process while ensuring consistency with the results of the taste sensor measurement.…”