Methods for a deeper understanding of the sensory perception of fruit fillings

Summary

Variations in ingredients essentially affect the quality of fruit filling systems in terms of texture. The sensory perception of semi-solid systems is a rather subtle issue. Their oral processing is quite limited in terms of chewing, as almost no mastication for bolus formation is required. However, a number of textural features assessed during their consumption can modulate their perceived flavour and several relatively new sensory evaluation techniques can provide a deeper understanding of the perception of fruit fillings. In the present work, six fruit fillings were prepared with three different hydrocolloid systems: tapioca starch alone (TS), modified waxy corn starch (C), and a mixed system with tapioca starch plus pectin (P). Each of these was prepared with sucrose or with polydextrose and intense sweeteners. The samples were subjected to two sensory techniques: Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) with trained assessors (evaluating the texture and flavour modalities separately) and a check-all-that-apply question with consumers, including the evaluation of an “ideal fruit filling”. Finally, the results were correlated with the consumers' liking for the samples. The results indicated that flavour TDS curves mainly depended on the type of sweetener (sugar or intense sweetener) while, as expected, the texture TDS curve patterns were dependent on the type of hydrocolloid system. The best-liked set of samples was that with sugar (demonstrating that flavour dominated over texture for fruit filling acceptability) and, among these, TS was the preferred hydrocolloid system, for its creamy, fondant texture.