Sensory Analysis: Relevance for Prebiotic, Probiotic, and Synbiotic Product Development

Abstract

Sensory analysis represents a decisive step during the various stages of food product development. For probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic foods, which have shown continuous and significant consumption in the functional food category, the choice of an appropriate technique allows obtaining relevant sensory information that contributes to consumer acceptance. This review focuses on the importance of sensory analytical techniques in prebiotic and probiotic food product development. Examples of the most known sensory methodologies applied to these important functional foods are presented, as well as some considerations about consumer attitudes that can influence acceptance of these products. Moreover, applications of such techniques on functional product evaluation are provided.

The eff ect of replacing pork fat of inulin on the physicochemical and sensory quality of guinea fowl pate

“…Inulin added as powder tends to increase the hardness of meat products, whereas when added as a gel, it gives softer products. Texture modifi cation through the use of diff erent forms of inulin inclusion in a range of meat products is well documented in the literature (Alvarez and Barbut, 2013;Cegiełka and Tambor, 2012;Cruz et al, 2010;Keenan et al, 2014;Ktari et al, 2014;Menegas et al, 2013;Méndez-Zamora et al, 2015). In this study, inulin gel was used, and this can explain the decreased hardness and chewiness of the pâtés with Means ±standard deviation in the same row followed by diff erent lowercase letters indicates signifi cant diff erences (p < 0.05) among formulations (n = 30).…”

“…Alvarez and Barbut (2013) found that fat reduction in cooked pork batters from 20% to 5% brought about a 35% decrease in hardness, and other parameters of texture. According to Cruz et al (2010), the addition of inulin signifi cantly aff ects the texture of products, because it is incorporated into the food matrix, promoting and strengthening connections between the various components. It could be also attributed to diff erences in composition, resulting in a diff erent protein/fat/water ratio, which is a determining factor of the resulting gel consistency.…”

Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 5422 in fructooligosaccharide and whey protein wall systems and its impact on noodle quality

“…Worldwide market of functional food is dominated by gut health products particularly foods incorporated with probiotics (Cruz et al 2010). Probiotics are live microbial food supplements, several studies have shown that certain strains of bacteria belongs to genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium confer health benefits such as control of diarrhoea, lactose intolerance, intestinal infections, immune system modulation and risk associated with carcinogenicity (Shah 2007).…”

“…Probiotics are live microbial food supplements, several studies have shown that certain strains of bacteria belongs to genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium confer health benefits such as control of diarrhoea, lactose intolerance, intestinal infections, immune system modulation and risk associated with carcinogenicity (Shah 2007). In addition, the probiotic approach of directly introducing live cells as dietary supplements another possible way to promote the growth of probiotic bacteria is through supplementation with prebiotics (Cruz et al 2010). Prebiotics are non-digestible short chain carbohydrates (e.g.…”

Formulation of a peach ice cream as potential symbiotic food

“…In general, incorporating prebiotic ingredients into ice cream may have a greater influence on flavor and texture, compared to probiotics, which may affect primarily flavor (Cruz et al, 2010). The metabolism of the probiotic cultures can result in the production of components that might contribute negatively to the taste and aroma of the product (Mohammadi et al, 2011).…”