Reducing the fat content of food emulsions for health reasons remains an industrial challenge because fat plays a key role in product texture and mouthfeel and because consumers increasingly demand sustainable products. This work shows that stabilizing emulsions with apple pomace powder combines sustainability with efficient fat reduction. First, the creaming and coalescence stability of emulsions with 2%–50% oil was mapped using backscattered light measurements. It confirmed the ability of apple pomace powder to prevent creaming, the main destabilization mechanism observed over the explored domain. Second, within an oil range typical of low‐fat foods (5%–30%), a mixture design related the rheology and microstructure of the emulsions to oil content, powder content, and powder particle size. The 20 emulsions covered a wide range of properties: apparent viscosity at 50 s −1 from 89 to 1748 MPa s, elastic modulus from 0.45 to 621 Pa, and droplet size from 8.2 to 42.8 μm. The properties of low‐fat emulsions can thus be tailored through the formulation parameters, in particular powder content and particle size. This study highlights the potential of plant by‐products as fat replacers in a variety of food applications.
Population ageing has renewed interest in fortified foods as a strategy to support healthy ageing. Yet, their integration into older adults’ everyday diets remains limited. This study explores (1) how older adults perceive food technological innovation in fortified foods and how these perceptions shape openness to adoption and (2) whether participatory research can translate older adults’ experiential knowledge into the development and refinement of fortified foods that are nutritionally functional and meaningful in everyday life. Methods A mixed‐methods participatory design was implemented across three sequential phases. Focus groups with community‐dwelling older adults ( n = 27; ≥ 75 years) explored perceptions of technological fortification, legitimacy and compatibility with everyday food practices. These findings were translated into consumer‐derived design criteria that informed the development of eight fortified prototypes by the academic team and four food‐processing companies. Fourteen participants from Phase 1 were subsequently re‐engaged in Phase 3 for sensory evaluation and participatory discussion. Results Older adults evaluated fortified foods not only in relation to nutritional benefits but also according to whether technological modification was compatible with familiar food identities and everyday practices. Perceived technological processing, distrust in industrial production and a reactive orientation towards health limited legitimacy, whereas practical usefulness, routine compatibility and familiarity supported it. Sensory evaluation showed higher appreciation for the milk bread roll, soluble‐enriched tea and torrone‐flavoured pudding, while products with unfamiliar sensory cues or problematic sensory characteristics received lower scores. Across phases, participatory research enabled older adults’ experiential knowledge to be carried forward into product‐development criteria and subsequently re‐evaluated through sensory evaluation and discussion. Conclusion Openness to fortified foods among older adults was closely related to perceived legitimacy, including familiarity, sensory coherence, trust and compatibility with established eating practices. Participatory research provided a structured pathway for incorporating older adults’ experiential knowledge into the development and refinement of fortified foods.
Protected designation of origin (PDO) cheeses rely on well-defined sensory attributes to ensure product identity and regulatory specifications. This study investigated how ripening time (2, 3, 6–7, and 18–20 months) and production areas (mountain and lowland dairies) shape the sensory identity of PDO semihard cheese, while systematically verifying panel performance to ensure accurate descriptive profiling. After selection and training, the panel (n = 10) was evaluated for repeatability and concordance using three reference cheeses. Most judges showed acceptable performance, although sourness emerged as the least repeatable attribute (n = 16). The validated panel evaluated 60 PDO semihard cheeses. Cheeses ripened for 2 and 3 months were characterized by high elasticity (4.4 ± 0.2) and lactic notes, whereas longer ripening increased hardness (5.5 ± 0.6), friability (4.2 ± 0.5), and aroma intensity, alongside the development of vegetal, animal, and pungent descriptors. Notably, cheeses ripened for 6–7 months showed the greatest sensory variability, indicating that medium ripening is the time in which technological and environmental factors most influence sensory diversity. Principal component analysis, explaining 68.8% of the total variance, highlighted a clear separation between 6–7- and 18–20-month cheeses, whereas 2-month samples could not be discriminated against 3-month ones, reflecting their similar early-ripening traits. Geographical origin had little effect on young cheeses but contributed to differentiation at advanced ripening stages, underscoring the value of sensory profiling as a practical tool to support PDO differentiation and enhance traceability across production zones. Overall, the study provides a structured approach for panel alignment and demonstrates that ripening is the primary driver of sensory variability in semihard cheese, while the influence of production area becomes evident during later maturation.
Conventional instant noodles are commonly manufactured by deep-fat frying, which leads to a high fat content. In the present study, impingement drying was evaluated as an alternative dehydration technology for producing reduced-fat instant noodles. At the same time, sunflower oil–sunflower wax oleogels were incorporated to improve product quality. Noodles containing 0%, 5%, and 10% oleogel were produced by impingement drying (150°C, 15 m/s) and compared with conventional fried noodles. Microstructure, fatty acid composition, rehydration, texture, and sensory discrimination were evaluated. SEM analysis showed that fried noodles exhibited a porous structure, whereas impingement-dried noodles showed a denser matrix. Impingement-dried noodles without oleogel exhibited significantly higher hardness and chewiness (∼37 N and ∼26 N, respectively) than fried noodles (∼29 N and ∼19 N, respectively). However, incorporation of 5% and 10% oleogel reduced hardness and chewiness to values comparable to those of fried noodles (∼27–28 N and ∼20 N; p>0.05), despite lower rehydration capacities. In addition, oleogel-containing noodles exhibited lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents and improved MUFA:SFA ratios relative to fried noodles. Sensory triangle tests further showed that noodles containing 10% oleogel could not be significantly differentiated from fried noodles by trained panelists. Overall, oleogel incorporation effectively improved the texture of impingement-dried instant noodles while reducing sensory differences relative to fried noodles and maintaining a more favorable fatty-acid profile.
Tiger nut milk (TNM), called “horchata,” is a widely appreciated drink in Burkina Faso. However, its consumption may affect human health. Due to the absence of adequate heat treatment during production, failure to observe Good Hygiene Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices (GHP/GMP), and improper storage, it should be a source of development of foodborne pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the biochemical and microbiological quality of TNM consumed in Burkina Faso. A total of 120 TNM samples were collected from four regions in Burkina Faso. The tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) was grown in agro-ecological conditions. The samples were analyzed following standard procedures. The results showed that, for the biochemical parameters, the values ranged from 12.4 ± 1.34 to 17.6 ± 2.97°Bx, 5.84 ± 0.36 to 6.40 ± 0.11 for pH, 0.448 ± 0.49 to 0.849 ± 0.41% for lactic acid titratable acidity, 15.79 ± 0.16 to 16.92 ± 0.16% for total proteins, and 17.52 ± 0.09 to 18.64 ± 0.01% for total sugar contents. The microbiological quality assessment revealed the absence of E. coli, spore-forming sulfite-reducing anaerobes, and Salmonella sp. The mean total mesophilic aerobic flora (TMAF) load was 2.81 × 105 ± 0.96 CFU/mL. The yeasts and molds (YM) had an average load of 7.25 × 102 ± 1.93 CFU/mL. The mean total coliform load was 2.24 × 102 ± 0.91 CFU/mL (p value < 0.05), and the mean thermotolerant coliform load was less than 1 CFU/mL. TNM samples contained reasonable levels of nutrients potentially beneficial to consumer health, but were contaminated with varying levels of pathogenic microorganisms, including S. aureus and B. cereus. Therefore, to ensure product safety, pasteurization of TNM along with strict hygiene and manufacturing practices is recommended.
