Preferences for lamb meat: A choice experiment for Spanish consumers

This paper analyzes consumers' preferences for different lamb meat attributes using a choice experiment. In particular, preferences for the type of commercial lamb meat (“Ternasco” and “Suckling”) and the origin of production (locally produced “Ojinegra from Teruel”) were evaluated. Moreover, we endogenously identify consumers' segments based on consumers' preferences for the analyzed attributes. Data come from a survey administrated in Spain during 2009. A latent class model was used to estimate the effect of the attributes on consumer utility, derive the willingness to pay and determine consumers' segments. Results suggest that consumers' preferences for both attributes are heterogeneous and two homogenous consumers' segments were detected. The largest segment (79%) did not value any of the analyzed attributes while the smaller one (21%) valued both of them positively. In particular, consumers in this second segment are willing to pay an extra premium for the “Ternasco” lamb meat, around double the premium they are willing to pay for the locally produced lamb meat “Ojinegra from Teruel”.     

An assessment of the effects of wine volatiles on the perception of taste and astringency in wine

The objective of this work is measuring the effect of different volatile extract compositions on the perception of taste, astringency, global intensity and persistence of wine. Six Spanish wines, two from Chardonnay and four from Tempranillo grapes, all of them showing different chemical and sensory characteristics, were selected. Wines were separated into volatile and non-volatile fractions by solid phase extraction and lyophilisation and further liquid extraction, respectively. Eighteen “reconstituted wines” were prepared, combining different volatile extracts and different non-volatile matrices and adjusting ethanol content to 12% (v/v), and were further described by a specifically trained sensory panel. Taste attributes (sweetness, acidity, bitterness), astringency, aroma intensity, global intensity and persistence were assessed in both, original and “reconstituted” wines by using a numerical category scale. The sensory properties of the original wines were retained by their corresponding “reconstituted samples”. The sensory assessment of the “reconstituted wines” showed that the addition of volatile fruity extracts from white wines brought about a decrease in astringency and bitterness and an increase in sweet perception in all cases. While global intensity and persistence of white wine matrices were also increased, they did not change in red wine matrices, which suggests that the volatile fraction plays only a secondary role in these attributes of red wines. Similarly, the effects of replacing the volatile fraction of a red wine by volatile extracts from other red wines were small and inconsistent, which confirms that taste and astringency are primarily driven by non-volatile molecules in these wines.     

Effect of defatted maize germ flour addition on the physical and sensory quality of wheat bread

Maize (Zea mays L.) processing produces large quantities of defatted maize germ (DMG) that is being used mainly for animal feed. The objective of this study was to exploit use of this nutrient-rich by-product in bread by replacing wheat flour at 5-20 g/100 g levels. Breads prepared with wheat-DMG flour blends were analyzed for loaf volume, density, instrumental dough hardness and bread firmness, Hunter color (“L”, “a”, “b”, chroma, and hue angle), and selected sensory attributes. Loaf volumes decreased significantly, from 318.8 ml to 216.3 ml, as the DMG flour supplementation was increased from 0 to 20 g/100 g; a similar effect was observed for bread specific volume. Increase in dough hardness (7.56-71.32 N) was directly related to increase in DMG flour levels. Instrumental firmness values were significantly higher for breads containing DMG flours, 61.58 N in 20 g/100 g DMG bread versus 32.84 N for the control bread, made with wheat flour only. The control bread was lighter in color, as shown by higher “L” values, than those having DMG flour, with chroma and hue angle values significantly higher in treatment breads. In general, no differences were observed for the sensory attributes of crumb color, cells uniformity, aroma, firmness, mouthfeel, and off-flavor in breads with up to 15 g/100 g DMG flour, while the overall acceptability scores showed a mixed pattern. The results of this study demonstrated that acceptable quality bread could be made with DMG flour addition at ≤15 g/100 g.     

Quality characteristics of strawberry genotypes at different maturation stages

The chemical composition and quality characteristics of nine promising hybrids and two varieties (“Osmanli” and “Camarosa”) of strawberries were evaluated for their quality attributes during ripening. Main soluble sugars, carboxylic acids, organic acids and ascorbic acid of experimental varieties were separated, identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array spectroscopic and refractive index detections. Titratable acidity (TA), pH, total soluble solids (TSS) and TSS/TA ratio and their correlations were determined at ripe maturation stages for the 11 genotypes. Hybrid no. 11, a new strawberry cultivar, had desired fruit quality characteristics similar to Osmanli, which has a pleasant taste and is popular in Turkey.     

How consumers choose olive oil: The importance of origin cues

This study investigates quality cues to explore the importance of origin attributes in the choice of olive oil by consumers in two countries: Tunisia and France (n = 245). We used best–worst scaling and latent class analysis to obtain consumer clusters. The results emphasize the importance of origin cues in consumer choice and identify three latent segments in both countries: “official cues”, “sensory cues”, and “origin cues”. French consumers tend to choose olive oil based on official signals, while Tunisian consumers mainly use origin and sensory cues.     

Correlations of ingredients with sensory attributes in green beans and peas under different storage conditions

The total ascorbic acid contents and the antioxidant capacity in green beans and in peas were measured during deep-frozen storage and compared to storage at 4 °C and 20 °C. In green beans only, the flavonols quercetin and kaempferol were measured. The results were correlated with sensory attributes which were evaluated at the same storage stages. The total ascorbic acid content is a good parameter for the storage time of both vegetables and showed, for peas, a positive correlation with the attribute “sweet taste” and a negative correlation with the attribute “musty” odour. The total ascorbic acid content of green beans was positively correlated with a “squeaky” texture and negatively with a “musty” taste. The flavonol content and the antioxidant capacity were more stable during the storage process and showed less correlation with sensory attributes.     

Assessing the associations between brand packaging and brand attributes using an indirect performance measure

Understanding the semantic associations driven by a given product is a key factor for developing effective marketing strategies, but a challenge for marketing research. Here we propose an instrument, based on an indirect behavioral measure, that is sensitive to both implicit and explicit semantic associations. We validate the effectiveness of this test in a series of experiments designed to investigate the association between packaging and specific brand attributes. Participants made speeded discrimination responses to a series of attributes and bottles of mouthwash (Experiment 1). The bottle and attribute assigned to each response key were hypothesized to be congruent in certain blocks of trials and incongruent in others. The results, showing a significant congruency effect, highlight the existence of an association between the bottle of Listerine mouthwash and the attribute “powerful” and between the bottle of Scope mouthwash and the attribute “gentle”. A similar congruency effect was observed in Experiment 2 when another group of participants were presented with the silhouette of the bottles or the brand names and the same attributes as in Experiment 1. These results are discussed in terms the utility of this compatibility task in helping sensory marketers/packaging designers to discriminate between a small range of different packaging solutions.     

Conditioning specific positive states to unfamiliar flavours influences flavour liking

Food products can have significant influence on consumers’ affective states. Flavours can be used to evoke affective states, and affective information has been shown to influence how much of a beverage is consumed. In this study we investigated whether novel flavours could be conditioned to two different specific positive states (“feeling active” and “feeling relaxed”). We associated flavours with these states by using different types of positive film clips and tested how this influenced liking and different behavioural attributes using implicit measures, in particular self-focus and activity. Participants consumed one of two unfamiliar flavoured drinks (one liked and one neutral) for five consecutive days while watching film clips evoking active, relaxed, or neutral states. We examined the levels of activity and self-focus evoked by the conditioned drinks using implicit measures. Activity was higher in the active film clip condition than in the neutral control condition. For the liked flavour, positive conditioning reduced initial liking, compared to the control condition. The pattern was different for the neutral flavour. Results show that it is possible to condition flavours to induce specific positive states and that this process affects product liking.     

Technical note: Evaluation of an ear-attached movement sensor to record cow feeding behavior and activity

The ability to monitor dairy cow feeding behavior and activity could improve dairy herd management. A 3-dimensional accelerometer (SensOor; Agis Automatisering BV, Harmelen, the Netherlands) has been developed that can be attached to ear identification tags. Based on the principle that behavior can be identified by ear movements, a proprietary model classifies sensor data as “ruminating,” “eating,” “resting,” or “active.” The objective of the study was to evaluate this sensor on accuracy and precision. First, a pilot evaluation of agreement between 2 independent observers, recording behavior from 3 cows for a period of approximately 9 h each, was performed. Second, to evaluate the sensor, the behavior of 15 cows was monitored both visually (VIS) and with the sensor (SENS), with approximately 20 h of registration per cow, evenly distributed over a 24-h period, excluding milking. Cows were chosen from groups of animals in different lactation stages and parities. Each minute of SENS and VIS data was classified into 1 of 9 categories (8 behaviors and 1 transition behavior) and summarized into 4 behavioral groups, namely ruminating, eating, resting, or active, which were analyzed by calculating kappa (κ) values. For the pilot evaluation, a high level of agreement between observers was obtained, with κ values of ≥0.96 for all behavioral categories, indicating that visual observation provides a good standard. For the second trial, relationships between SENS and VIS were studied by κ values on a minute basis and Pearson correlation and concordance correlation coefficient analysis on behavior expressed as percentage of total registration time. Times spent ruminating, eating, resting, and active were 42.6, 15.9, 31.6, and 9.9% (SENS) respectively, and 42.1, 13.0, 30.0, and 14.9% (VIS), respectively. Overall κ for the comparison of SENS and VIS was substantial (0.78), with κ values of 0.85, 0.77, 0.86, and 0.47 for “ruminating,” “eating,” “resting,” and “active,” respectively. Pearson correlation and concordance correlation coefficients between SENS and VIS for “ruminating,” “eating,” “resting,” and “active” were 0.93, 0.88, 0.98, and 0.73, and 0.93, 0.75, 0.97, and 0.35, respectively. In conclusion, the results provide strong evidence that the present ear sensor technology can be used to monitor ruminating and resting behavior of freestall-housed dairy cattle. Our results also suggest that this technology shows promise for monitoring eating behavior, whereas more work is needed to determine its suitability to monitor activity of dairy cattle.     

Olive oil traceability by means of chemical and sensory analyses: A comparison with SSR biomolecular profiles

The relationship between genetic diversity and phenotype in olive, instrumental to improve the efficacy of olive clonal selection, is still far from being fully understood. This work reports on a comparison made between plant SSR genetic data and quality of monovarietal olive oils. Nine monovarietal oils produced by selected genotypes were characterised under chemical and sensory profiles. Fatty acid compositions were determined to evaluate quantitative differences among oils; some fatty acids are actually highly correlated with the genetic matrix, and PCA of fatty acids composition explains 85.53% variability. Moreover some oils characterised by high levels of oleic acid appeared interesting from a nutritional standpoint. Organoleptic profiles evidenced differences especially for the attributes defined as “pleasant flavours”; oils obtained by different genetic matrices were characterised by different flavour intensities of tomato or artichoke, almond or aromatic herbs, correspondence analysis among sensory pleasant attributes and olive oil samples explaining 91.68% variability.     

Views on contentious practices in dairy farming: The case of early cow-calf separation

The public has become increasingly interested in the welfare of food animals, but the food animal industries possess few mechanisms for public engagement. Here we present results from a web-based forum designed to allow stakeholders to share views on controversial issues in dairying. In response to the question “Should dairy calves be separated from the cow within the first few hours after birth?” participants were able to indicate “yes,” “no,” or “neutral” and either write a reason in support of their view or select reasons provided by other participants. Four independent groups of participants were recruited (a total of 163 people); 31% said they had no involvement in the dairy industry; the remaining 69% (with some involvement in the industry) were students or teachers (33%), animal advocates (13%), producers (11%), veterinarians (9%) and other dairy industry professionals (3%). Overall, little consensus existed among participants across groups; 44% chose “yes,” 48% “no,” and 9% “neutral.” Responses varied with demographics, with opposition to early separation higher among females, animal advocates, and those with no involvement with the dairy industry. A fifth group was recruited at a dairy industry conference (an additional 28 participants); 46% chose “yes,” 32% “no,” and 21% “neutral.” Across all 5 groups, opponents and supporters often referenced similar issues in the reasons they provided. Opponents of early separation contended that it is emotionally stressful for the calf and cow, it compromises calf and cow health, it is unnatural, and the industry can and should accommodate cow-calf pairs. In contrast, supporters of early separation reasoned that emotional distress is minimized by separating before bonds develop, that it promotes calf and cow health, and that the industry is limited in its ability to accommodate cow-calf pairs. These results illustrate the potential of web-based forums to identify areas of agreement and conflict among stakeholders, providing a basis for the development of practices that address shared concerns.     

Chemical composition changes in four green olive cultivars during spontaneous fermentation

Changes in some physico-chemical characteristics (pH and free acidity) and chemical composition (sugars, total phenolic and flavonoid contents) of four olive cultivars during spontaneous fermentation in brine were investigated. The cultivars were typical of the Moroccan market: “Moroccan Picholine”, “Languedoc Picholine”, “Ascolana” and “Sevillana”. The physico-chemical changes of olives and brines during fermentation process were monitored. A similar pattern of pH was noticed for the “Moroccan Picholine”, “Languedoc Picholine” and “Ascolana” cultivars with a final pH ranging between 4.4 and 4.6. The profile of free acidity measured throughout fermentation period in brines was in agreement with the pH trend. The concentration of sugars, total phenolic and flavonoids contents in olives flesh and brines during fermentation is reported. The loss of flavonoids, sugars and total phenolic contents in the olive flesh by the end of fermentation process was up to 60%, 63% and 79% in “Languedoc Picholine”, “Sevillana” and “Moroccan Picholine”, respectively. The main phenols identified and quantified in the different brines at the end of brining process were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, (+)-catechin and quercetine. The highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were obtained in Moroccan Picholine brine after 71 days of fermentation.     

Polychlorinated biphenyl residues in the golden grey mullet (Liza aurata) from Tunis Bay,Mediterranean sea (Tunisia)

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determinated in the muscle tissues of mullets (Liza aurata) caught from two coastal marine areas in Tunis bay, “Raoued” and “Radès”. Twenty congeners were detected in all the fish samples analyzed, among which were 4 congeners recommended by the European Union for assessing pollution and 4 “dioxin-like” congeners. Residue levels of total PCBs ranged from 45 to 194 ng/g wet wt in the mullet from “Radès” and from 43 to 65 ng/g w wt in specimens from “Raoued”. Hexachlorobiphenyls were predominant in fishes caught from both “Raoued” and “Radès” areas, accounting for 43% and 40%, respectively. The individual PCB profiles were dominated by congeners 153 in mullet from “Raoued” and PCB 200 in fishes from “Radès”. The levels of TEQs of “dioxin-like” congeners were 3.4 pg/g w wt for fishes from “Raoued” and 2.5 pg/g w wt for specimens from “Radès”.     

Hazard perception of Dutch farmers and veterinarians related to dairy young stock rearing

A group of 110 dairy farmers and 26 bovine veterinarians participated in a web-based questionnaire using the adaptive conjoint analysis technique to rank their perception regarding several hazards during 6 subsequent periods of the process of dairy young stock rearing. The method applied only involved selected respondents with a high consistency in their answering (correlation >30%). For the ranking, answers were first transformed into a utility score (US) for each hazard. The final ranking for each of the 6 periods was based on the US per hazard separately for farmers and veterinarians. Besides the ranking, the absolute values and the US itself were also compared between farmers and veterinarians to determine any statistically significant differences between the levels of the score despite the ranking. The overall conclusion is that, for almost every designated period, the ranking of the hazards differed between farmers and veterinarians. Only 1 period was observed (period IV, Pregnancy period until 4 weeks before calving) where veterinarians and farmers had the same top 3 ranking of the hazards, namely “Mastitis,” “Abortion,” and “Poor growth rate of the pregnant heifer.” Major differences between farmers and veterinarians were seen during period II (feeding milk until weaning) for the hazard “Diarrhea in older calf,” which was considered less important by farmers compared to veterinarians, and period number III (weaning until insemination) for “Over-condition,” which, again, was seen as the most important hazard by veterinarians, but only ranked as number 5 by farmers. Besides the ranking, significant differences in absolute US values between veterinarians and farmers were seen in “Infection with Johne's disease” (14.5 vs. 7.8), “Diarrhea in newborn calf” (18.2 vs. 12.2), and “Insufficient feed intake” (16.2 vs. 8.4) in period I (colostrum until transition to milk replacer). Lameness represented the most important significant difference in absolute values in period III (weaning until insemination; 6.3 vs. 14.3), which was again significant in period V (4 wks before calving until calving; 7.4 vs. 12.1). The outcome of this study shows that hazard perception of veterinarians and farmers differs for most rearing periods (in ranking and absolute values). The outcome of this study can be used for 2 purposes: first, to improve communication between farmers and their consulting veterinarian about hazards and hazard perception in young stock rearing; and second, the US scores can be used to select top priority hazards which should at least be integrated into management advisory programs to improve dairy young stock rearing.     

Analysis of the volatile profile and identification of odour-active compounds in Bayonne ham

The aim of this work was to reliably identify odour-active compounds in dry-cured ham using powerful analysis methods for the volatile fraction. For this purpose, dynamic headspace gas chromatography combined with eight-way olfactometry using a panel of eight sniffers was used. One- and two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and (or) olfactometry were also used. More than 600 compounds from the volatile fraction of dry-cured ham were identified and their biochemical origins are discussed. They covered a wide diversity of structures and chemical functions. Only 29 of them proved odour-active. Comparison of the results of GC–O analysis with those obtained by orthonasal sniffing of the dry-cured ham helped to gain a better understanding of how these substances contributed to the overall aroma of the product. Thus, “Fruity–Floral”, “Green–Vegetable” or “Plastic–Chemical” odours intensively perceived by GC–O have been poorly perceived by orthonasal sniffing. By contrast, “Animal–Meat products” or “Butter–Lactic–Cheesy” odours have been much better perceived by orthonasal sniffing. These results indicate that to understand the interactions between odour-active compounds, experimental doping with carefully selected odour-active compounds will be necessary.     

Physico-chemical characteristics and sensory quality of two date varieties under commercial and industrial storage conditions

The physicochemical characteristics of two date palm varieties, “Khalas” and “Barhee”, commonly grown in the United Arab Emirates, were studied under commercial and industrial storage conditions. Storage conditions chosen were 2 months and 1 year at −3 °C and at room temperature (∼25 °C). Stored samples were analyzed for sugar, moisture, protein, ash and mineral element contents. Physical measurements on the date fruit, pit and flesh, measurements of the fruit's pitting pressure, shear pressure and modulus of elasticity, as well as sensory evaluation, were carried out on freshly harvested and stored samples. Significant variations in measured attributes were observed with storage treatments, but the two varieties did not behave similarly under matching storage conditions. Quality was best maintained after storage of 2 months at −3 °C for Khalas, and 1 year at −3 °C for Barhee. Overall, storage time and temperature as independent factors alone did not account for all of the observed variation in the studied attributes of Khalas and Barhee. Principal component analysis revealed that most of the variation of the stored dates comes from “size”, followed by “texture” variables. The work pointed to some probable chemical and physiological systems responsible for deterioration of dates, the understanding of which can prove extremely helpful in developing methods of short- and long-term preservation of the fruit.     

Terpenes and fatty acid profiles of milk fat and “Bitto” cheese as affected by transhumance of cows on different mountain pastures

The evolution of fatty acid (FA) and terpenoid profiles was studied in milk (n = 20) and “Bitto” (n = 3), a protected designation of origin cheese produced in a restricted Italian alpine area. Milk came from 25 Italian Brown cows successively grazing pastures at 1400, 2100 and 2200 m during transhumance in June–September 2006. The fat matter was analyzed for FAs and terpenes by means of gas chromatography and purge & trap/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, respectively. FA composition of milk fat varied significantly (p < 0.0001) in relation to contents of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), stearic, linoleic and trans-vaccenic acids. Similar monoterpene profiles characterized milk fat from cows grazing the different pastures and the highest amount of terpenes was measured in milk coming from cows grazing at 1400 m. High levels of δ3-carene in milk fat were likely related to the important presence of Ligusticum mutellina in the pasture. Only negligible amounts of sesquiterpenes were detected in milk fat whereas they were the most abundant class in fodder. Both FA and terpene profiles of ripened (70 days) cheeses resembled those of the original milks. Overall, results confirm the influence of the botanical composition of mountain pastures both in enhancing the ruminal synthesis of CLA and in modifying the FA and terpenoid profiles of milk and “Bitto” cheese. Nevertheless, neither the FA nor the terpenoid profiles revealed here can be considered as “unique” to “Bitto” cheese and, for this reason, they can hardly be assumed to be biomarkers for defining a specific relationship among grazing area, milk and “Bitto” cheese. They better represent the chemical fingerprint of the cow feeding, adopted in mountain areas.     

Content of flavonols in Italian bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) ecotypes

Methanol extracts of seeds from 23 accessions of 3 Phaseolus vulgaris ecotypes (“Sarconi”, “Lamon”, “Zolfino del Pratomagno”), grown in different Italian regions (Basilicata, Veneto, Tuscany) were analyzed for their flavonoid content. Flavonoid glycosides were found in the seed coat from ten accessions of the “Zolfino” ecotype and in one accession of the “Sarconi” ecotype. From highest to lowest concentration these compounds were kaempferol 3-O-glucoside (compound 2), kaempferol 3-O-xylosylglucoside (compound 1) and a not completely identified kaempferol monoglucoside (compound 3). Total flavonol content varied from 0.19 to 0.84 g/kg of seed fresh weight. A great variability in the total flavonol content, being between 18% and 50%, and in the relative abundance of different kaempferol derivatives was observed for the same genotypes sampled in the original locations in the 2001–2003 period. Fluctuation in flavonol content suggests that further researches are necessary for an exhaustive comprehension of physiological mechanisms influencing the expression of these phenolic compounds. Obtained results evidenced that some Italian bean ecotypes may be an important source of functional compounds as kaempferol glycosides.