In recent years, the interest on craft beer has been increasingly growing. In this work, sensory traits of five Italian artisanal beers were explored by a trained panel, through different sensory analysis methods: Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) and a sensory dynamic method, Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS). The sensory profiles obtained through these methods were compared to the description given by an expert beer taster. The trained panel (n = 12) evaluated five Tuscan beers, manufactured in Maremma area, Tuscany region, first through QDA. Twentyeight sensory properties (visual, tactile, flavor and aromatic traits) were evaluated through a nine point scale. The descriptive profile was enriched by a dynamic sensory evaluation method, TDS. TDS was used by panelists to obtain a "real-time" flavor profile of the craft beers. During tasting, TDS provided information on the most striking flavor traits chosen among: floral, honey, roasted, chestnut, spicy, fruity, hoppy, and malty, of each beer. A PCA analysis showed the importance of the flavor attributes for beer profile compared to the expert taster description. Results highlighted the main traits of each beer and showed the validity of different profile methods. The interesting outcomes both provided useful profile patterns for brewers aiming at targeting specific segments of beer market and supported the development of interesting instruments for beer sensory analysis.

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The containment measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected food-related activities, influencing dietary behavior, food habits, and dietary choices. This study aimed to compare the relationship between food involvement and dietary choices before and during the pandemic, investigating the role played by food in dietary habits. Responses given by 2773 Italian consumers to an online survey were studied through the Food Involvement Scale (FIS) and correlated to eating habits. FIS scores were then used to explain the importance given to food in circumstances related to well-being, health, and protection against COVID-19 and used to study the relationship between FIS and bioactive compound knowledge, use, and efficacy against COVID-19. The consumers more involved in food issues recognized the importance of food in circumstances related to well-being, health, and protection against COVID-19 and improved their diet during the pandemic. Moreover, consumers who gave more importance to food also revealed higher attention to the use of healthy substances, such as bioactive compounds, considering them effective against COVID-19. These results showed that food experiencing and involvement could be important elements to promote healthy dietary habits that are essential to maintain physical and mental health during emergency periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A comprehensive lexicon is a necessary communication tool between the panel leader and panelists to describe each sensory stimulus potentially evoked by a product. In the current scientific breeding and trading scenario, a multilingual sensory lexicon is necessary to ensure the consistency of sensory evaluations when tests are conducted across countries and/or with international panelists. This study aimed to develop a reference multilingual lexicon for raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) to perform comparative sensory tests through panels operating in different countries using their native language. Attributes were collected from state-of-the-art literature and integrated with a detailed description of the sensory stimulus associated with each term. A panel of sensory judges was trained to test lexicon efficacy. After training, panelists evaluated three cultivars of blueberry and raspberry through RATA (Rate All That Apply), which allowed missing attributes to be excluded while rating those actually present. Results showed the discerning efficacy of the lexicon developed can be a valuable tool for planning sensory evaluations held in different countries, opening up further possibilities to enrich blueberry and raspberry descriptor lists with emerging terms from local experience and evaluations of berry genotypes with peculiar traits.

Understanding climate change awareness and its related risks is crucial to plan efficient climate-smart strategies. An online survey was conducted on Italian consumers with the aim to understand consumers’ inclination toward food products obtained with climate-smart strategies. Specifically, consumers’ awareness about climate change and willingness to choose and pay for products derived from climate-smart agriculture were investigated. Results highlighted two targeted consumers, one more interested in economic issues and more “conservative” and the second one more concerned with climate changes risks with a higher interest in environmental and ethical values (fair trade), representing the primary target consumers for climate-smart foods. This segmentation can be useful to identify expectations and purchase drivers that can facilitate climate-smart policies and the establishment of the climate-smart foods on the market.