Predicting taste and texture
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Yoghurts, especially those with flavours, fruits or specific health-related ingredients, are increasing in popularity. Taste and texture are the most important triggers for product acceptation and preference. Thus, good insight into the control of these attributes is required.
Consortium
In a 4-year research project, a dairy company, a flavour house and NIZO food research jointly studied the effect of variations in flavour composition and other yoghurt ingredients on the flavour and texture perception of strawberry-flavoured yoghurt.
Complex matrix
The flavour house already had a good understanding and could predict the effect of variation in type and concentration of flavour components on the perception of the flavour in watery solutions. However, this knowledge could not be directly translated to a much more complex system such as yoghurt. From daily experience, the dairy company already knew that yoghurt composition affects the perception of the yoghurt taste and texture. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms was required to facilitate new product development.
Tasty yoghurt
Fred van de Velde, project leader of the consortium, is proud of the results. “By applying a systematic approach and good communication within the team we were able to develop a predictive model which quantitatively relates variation in the ingredients to consumer perception of taste and texture. This tool will help the dairy company and flavour house in selecting ingredients for new product formulations.”