ABSTRACT
Background: Providing educational content for children and parents can promote healthy nutritional habits. During the TITAN project, a pilot digital contest where participants have to developed ready-to-eat meatballs in sauce, using only plant-based ingredients, will be tested. The objective of this study was to develop the lexicon needed to objectively assess the sensory profile of this product. Methods: Eight judges were recruited and trained. Thirteen 1-hour sessions took place over three months. The steps followed were the selection of commercial reference, generation of descriptors, training of the panel, validation of the trained panel and product characterisation. The judges chose one commercial reference (using simple hedonic evaluation) to serve as a reference. The accepted intensity scale for the generated descriptors was from 0 (low intensity) to 9 (very intense). To test the first versions of the game, food product developers involved in the project, acted as participants, and used a mix of lentils, quinoa, and oats to enhance the commercial version. R-project software was used to analyse the performance of the panel and the sensory profiles. Results: A glossary with 14 descriptors was generated. The discriminatory capacity of the panel was confirmed by examining the significance of the product effect (p < 0.05). The product-judge interaction was not significant (p > 0.05) for most of the evaluated attributes, indicating a good degree of panel agreement. Overall, the panel was considered reproducible after 9 sessions. Although the appearance, firmness, fragility and chewiness were considered similar to the reference, juiciness and taste (understood as meaty flavour) of the new product were deemed improved. Conclusions: According to the panel, two of the most appreciated attributes associated with meat analogues, juiciness and taste, were improved compared to the commercial reference. Therefore, the first approach for further development of the contest/game was validated.
Don't you think it's important for a child to experiment with food from a very young age? Do they know where the food comes from? How do the products arrive to the supermarket? If the answer is yes and if your kids believe that meatballs can only be made with meat, this game is for them, and for you. "Imagine a future generation of children who, from a young age, have learned that vegetables are not just an alternative to meat, but a wholesome choice for nutrition and health". This is study is part of the TITAN project, where different gaming options using artificial intelligence will be tested to promote healthy nutritional habits in scholars aged 612 years. One of these games is being designed as a contest were students have to develop a ready-to-eat meal, similar to "meatballs in sauce" but using only plant-based ingredients. They will have to improve the sensory properties of a commercial reference. But, to establish a common criterion for assessing the results, it is necessary to develop a common lexicon with descriptors that a trained panel can use to assess the improved prototypes. In this study, 8 judges (4 men and 4 women) were recruited and trained to develop a sensory profile for this type of products. To test the first versions of the game, food product developers involved in the project, acted as participants, and used a mix of lentils, quinoa, and oats to enhance a commercial version. The panel of trained experts validated the results.
