Abstract Cheese ripeness is an important step of cheese manufacturing that provides a kind of food with complex sensory characteristics and nuanced differences. The importance of generating rapid/easy consumer perception of a new product is without question. The aim was to evaluate the Santo Giorno cheese sensory profile, at different ripening times and with different starter cultures, evaluated by trained assessors and consumers using CATA questions. The two methods generated similar results. However, the results from CATA revealed that consumers are able to discriminate between cheeses with different ripening times but not describe them in detail. The application of the technique also made it possible to perceive that the two starter cultures used did not reflect different sensory elements and that the spicy and salty attributes are more easily perceived by consumers when evaluating ripened cheeses.

ABSTRACT: Excess sodium in foods is one of the factors in chronic non-communicable diseases whose importance is on the rise. Thus, the aim of this study was to optimize a replacement for sodium in an appetizer-type Mignon cracker on an industrial scale. For this, a mixture design consisting of seven formulations were prepared with sodium replacement ranging between 30 and 60 %. The partial sodium replacement used industrial ingredients (Nutek Salt and PuraQ NA4, and modified KCl and flavor), to assess the impact on sodium content and texture (hardness). No significant differences were found in the hardness attribute. Sodium reduction ranged from 943.43 to 637.21 mg 100 g–1, and formulation 7 (F7) with 60 % replacement could cash in on the “Reduced in sodium” appeal. A sensory Quantitative Descriptive Analysis accessed the sensory profiles of formulations, and significant differences were observed (p < 0.05) in salty taste, sweet taste, bread aroma, and formulation 4 (40 % replacement) but were not significantly different from the formulation in salty taste. In PCA, the first main component showed variability between samples of 84.6 %, while the second axis explained 11.5 % of this variability. Acceptance (taste and overall quality) and purchase intention (above > 70 %) showed that the substitution did not affect consumers’ perceptions, with no significant difference between controls, F4 and F7.

Considerando-se a evidente busca por alimentos de rápido e fácil preparo, as comunidades industrial e científica vêm investindo no desenvolvimento de novos produtos que, além de atenderem a essa demanda, possam oferecer benefícios à saúde do consumidor. Dentre os alimentos que não demandam muito tempo para o preparo no domicílio, o hambúrguer merece destaque, em função do seu elevado consumo. No entanto, em razão de conter gordura saturada e por ser submetido a processo de fritura, o consumo demasiado desse produto pode ser prejudicial à saúde humana, podendo causar doenças crônicas, entre as quais, a obesidade e a hipertensão. Estudos têm demonstrado a possibilidade de substituição de ingredientes na formulação de hambúrgueres, com a intenção de incorporar substâncias com propriedades funcionais; portanto, substâncias que possam contribuir para a saúde e o bem-estar dos consumidores. Nesse contexto, esta revisão aborda questões referentes ao hambúrguer, no sentido de conceituar o produto e, à luz da literatura, oferecer alternativas possíveis e que têm sido estudadas para tornar esse alimento mais saudável, com foco na substituição de gordura animal por fibras e na redução do teor de cloreto de sódio.

Considering the evident search for quick and easy food preparation, industrial and scientific communities have been investing in developing new products that fulfill this demand and may offer health benefits to consumer. Among foods that do not require much time for preparation at home, the burger deserves attention due to its high consumption. However, due to its saturated fat contents and being subjected to frying process, the excessive consumption of this product may be harmful to human health and may cause chronic diseases, including obesity and hypertension. Studies have demonstrated the possibility of ingredients substitution in the formulation intending to incorporate substances with functional properties, so that they can contribute to consumers'health and well-being. In this context, this paper describes issues related to the burger, to conceptualize the product and, in the light of the literature, to offer studied alternatives to make it healthier, focusing on replacing animal fat by fibers and on sodium chloride content reduction.