Comparison of techno-functional and sensory properties of sponge cakes made with egg powder and different quality of powdered blood products for substituting egg allergen and developing functional food.

Animal blood is a valuable resource, which is usually not utilized in a value-added way by the industry like other animal by-products, even though it has plenty of benefits in terms of sustainability and human health, particularly against iron deficiency anemia. Animal blood is perfectly suitable for providing special functions, which are necessary for functional foods, and improving techno-functional properties based on the previous reports published in the literature. In this paper, egg powder was substituted by powdered animal blood products (whole blood powder, blood plasma powder, and hemoglobin powder) in sponge cake. Techno-functional and sensory properties (texture by texture profile analysis and three-point breaking test, water activity, dry matter content, and color) were instrumentally measured and then a sensory evaluation was carried out by unskilled panelists. Quality characteristics (texture, color, and dry matter content) were daily measured on the day of baking and then every 24 h for 3 additional days because freshly baked cakes are usually consumed within 3 days. Based on the results, powdered blood products are suitable for substituting the egg powder in sponge cakes and developing functional foods. Blood powders can increase the hardness, chewiness, and breaking force of cakes, giving them the ability to be stuffed with more fillings and molded into special shapes without compromising on the sensory characteristics. They can also increase the intensity of the cocoa flavor, which results in a richer, darker color without deceiving the consumers.

Possible inhibitory effect of microbial transglutaminase on the formation of biogenic amines during Trappist cheese ripening.

Trappist cheese (semi-hard, rennet-coagulated cheese with round eyes) was manufactured and matured for 4 weeks at 12 ± 1°C, 85% relative humidity (RH). The effect of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) was followed by measuring the levels of free amino acids (FAAs) and biogenic amines (BAs) every 2 weeks during 4 weeks of cheese ripening. Results show that MTGase can decrease the cadaverine production by 30%, but only at the initial stage of ripening. Application of MTGase results in 49% less putrescine, 12% less tyramine production at the end of 4 weeks ripening time, and can decrease histamine levels by 8% after 2 weeks of ripening time in the examined semi-hard cheese type.

Development of a Novel Ultrasonic Spectroscopy Method for Estimation of Viscosity Change during Milk Clotting.

Ultrasonic testing is an emerging non-destructive testing technology with high repeatability and precision. Milk is a very complex liquid and the change of its viscosity is a highly relevant property throughout conversion into other dairy products. In the following paper, we propose a novel method for the monitoring of viscosity during enzymatic milk clotting by ultrasonic spectroscopy. An ultrasonic transducer-receiver couple with a 250 kHz nominal frequency was submerged in the samples and an enveloped sweep ("chirp") signal was applied in a through-transmission mode. Simultaneously, the change in viscosity was measured with a rotational viscometer at a constant shearing speed. The data were analyzed with an algorithm developed by the authors for spectral ultrasonic testing. Estimations yielded a high adjusted R2 (0.963-0.998) and low cross-validated estimation error (RPD: 4.38-14.22), suggesting that the method is suitable for industrial use given the right instrumentation.

Cricket-Enriched Oat Biscuit: Technological Analysis and Sensory Evaluation.

Insect-containing products are gaining more space in the market. Bakery products are one of the most promising since the added ground insects can enhance not only the nutritional quality of the dough, but technological parameters and sensory properties of the final products. In the present research, different amounts of ground Acheta domesticus (house cricket) were used to produce oat biscuits. Colour, hardness, and total titratable acidity (TTA) values were measured as well as a consumer sensory test was completed using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method. An estimation of nutrient composition of the samples revealed that, according to the European Union's Regulation No. 1924/2006, the products with 10 and 15 g/100 g cricket enrichment (CP10 and CP15, respectively) can be labelled as protein sources. Results of the colour, TTA, and texture measurements showed that even small amounts of the cricket powder darkened the colour of the samples and increased their acidity, but did not influence the texture significantly. Among product-related check all that apply (CATA) attributes, fatty and cheesy flavour showed a significant positive effect on overall liking (OAL). On the other hand, burnt flavour and brown colour significantly decreased OAL. OAL values showed that consumers preferred the control product (CP0) and the product with 5 g/100 g cricket enrichment (CP5) samples over CP10 and rejected CP15.

Use of JAR-Based Analysis for Improvement of Product Acceptance: A Case Study on Flavored Kefirs.

A common question of dairy product developments is the possible success of the new product. Several publications reported successful results using just-about-right (JAR) scales; although there is some debate about their advantages/disadvantages. This study highlights the limitations and opportunities of JAR scales and penalty analysis of fruit flavored kefirs. The first question is whether penalty analysis results help to improve the product and thus its overall liking (OAL)? The second question is what happens to those who rated the products "ideal" (JAR) before product development when evaluating the new products? Fruit flavored live-flora stirred-type kefir samples were formulated and evaluated by 92 consumers before and after the JAR-based product development. The OAL of two products significantly increased after product development. A new visualization tool is introduced, which shows what happens to those who rated the attribute as JAR but the attribute has been modified. A general product development scheme is also introduced for JAR-based kefir product development.