Browsing by Author "Costa, Ana Isabel A."
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- Chemical-sensory properties and consumer preference of hibiscus beverages produced by improved industrial processesPublication . Monteiro, Maria João P.; Costa, Ana Isabel A.; Fliedel, Geneviève; Cissé, Mady; Bechoff, Aurélie; Pallet, Dominique; Tomlins, Keith; Pintado, Maria Manuela E.The need to increase sustainability and add value to traditional foods claiming health benefits led to the introduction of key improvements in the production of hibiscus beverages in Senegal. The physicochemical and sensory properties of three resulting products (an under-vacuum concentrate, a dilute-to-taste syrup and a ready-to-drink infusion) were assessed, vis-à-vis those of conventionally manufactured beverages, and their impact on local consumer preference determined (n=146). New beverages had more intense, redder colour and higher monomeric anthocyanin content, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Moreover, their colour evaluations by trained panellists were mainly linked to colour density and anthocyanin/polyphenol content, while flavour assessments were associated to titratable acidity and sugar-to-acid ratio. Consumer evaluations, in turn, were driven by the beverages' red colour intensity, aroma strength and balance between sweetness and acidity. This explained why they overwhelmingly preferred the under-vacuum concentrate, regardless of their age, gender or frequency of hibiscus beverage consumption.
- Cross-cultural development of hibiscus tea sensory lexicons for trained and untrained panelistsPublication . Monteiro, Maria João P.; Costa, Ana Isabel A.; Franco, Maria Isabel; Bechoff, Aurelie; Cisse, Mady; Geneviève, Fliedel; Tomlins, Keith; Pintado, Maria Manuela E.Given the growing interest in high quality hibiscus teas and the scarcity of information about their sensory profile, lexicons were developed in French, Portuguese, and English. Twenty‐two samples, including freshly prepared and ready‐to‐drink (RTD) infusions, syrups, concentrates, and an instant tea were evaluated by trained panelists, resulting in 21 defined and referenced descriptors, subsequently assembled in a sensory wheel. The vocabulary used by untrained panelists was investigated in Senegal, Portugal, France, and United Kingdom through professional meetings (n = 30), consumer focus groups (n = 75) and check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) studies (n = 490), resulting in graphical lexicons with 27 sensory and 15 overall impression terms. Training, food culture, and product familiarity influenced results. Trained panelists used precise terms to describe the aromatic profile of hibiscus teas (e.g., “reminiscent of dried hibiscus flowers,” with “berry,” “raisin,” “hay,” and “sweet” aromatic notes), whereas untrained ones were more prolific in general expressions (e.g., “strong in hibiscus” in Senegal; “floral” and “fruity” in Europe).
- Eating out of home in Portugal: characterization and effects on dietary intakePublication . Silva, Mariana; Rodrigues, Sara S.P.; Correia, Daniela; Rei, Mariana; Severo, Milton; Costa, Ana Isabel A.; Torres, Duarte; Lopes, CarlaThis cross-sectional study aims to describe and compare energy, nutrient intake, and food consumption according to eating location and by age groups using data from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015/2016). Dietary intake was estimated by two non-consecutive days of food diaries (children)/24-hour recalls (other age groups) and four eating location categories were defined according to the proportion of meals consumed at out of home locations: Home (at least 80% of meals at home), Other Homes, School or Work and Restaurants and Other Places. The majority of meals (69.1%) were consumed at home. Meals were also often taken at school by children and adolescents, and in restaurants and similar outlets by adults and elderly. Children and adolescents in the School or Work category ate more fruit, vegetables and pulses and cereals and starchy tubers, whereas adults in this category ate more red and processed meats, sugar sweetened beverages and sweets. Compared to Home category, Restaurants and Other Places was associated with worse diet adequacies among children (β=-1.0; 95%CI=-2.0,-0.04), adolescents: (β=-2.4; 95%CI=-3.2,-1.5) and adults (β=-1.3; 95%CI=-1.6,-1.0) reflecting higher intakes of energy, fat, trans and saturated fatty acids, and sodium. The elderly consumed more free sugars and fat when eating out of home in general. Overall, findings reflect important variation in nutrient profiles by eating location, with meals taken at school or work contributing to higher consumption of nutrient-dense foods and those taken in restaurants and other similar settings implying higher consumption of energy-dense foods.
- Food product introduction failure: reasons and remediesPublication . Costa, Ana Isabel A.; Monteiro, Maria João P.This article reviews the causes of product introduction failure in the Food & Beverage industry, focusing on consumer and marketing factors, and advances potential remedies. It first introduces key concepts in product acceptance/adoption theories: the consumer decision-making process, main drivers (product, adopter and social system) and barriers (passive/active resistance), and the evolution of hedonic responses to new products. It then discusses specific reasons for failure: food neophobia, novel technology rejection, optimal stimulation level, sensory/consumer research shortcomings and poor marketing support. Lastly, it describes the development of hibiscus beverages of African tradition for the European market to illustrate some practical challenges and solutions.
- Quality improvement and new product development in the hibiscus beverage industryPublication . Monteiro, Maria João P.; Costa, Ana Isabel A.; Tomlins, Keith I.; Pintado, Maria ManuelaHibiscus beverages have a potential health benefit. An important challenge faced by the beverages industry is understanding sensory perception and the chemical-sensory drivers of acceptance, as well as developing new products that effectively meet consumers’ quality expectations and preferences. To this end, this chapter summarizes and discusses extant research on Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa ruber calyx and extract production, the phytochemical and chemical-sensory properties of hibiscus extracts, the sensory characterization of hibiscus beverages, and consumer acceptance of such products in different country markets.