Sensory Evaluation and Flavor Analysis in Food Science

Dear Colleagues,

Sensory evaluation and flavor analysis are pivotal components of food science, providing invaluable insights into consumer preferences, product quality and sensory perception.

They serve as indispensable tools for food scientists, manufacturers, and marketers to optimize product development, enhance sensory appeal, ensure consistency in quality, and meet consumer expectations in the dynamic landscape of the food industry.

This Special Issue invites researchers to submit original research articles or reviews related to the following:

• Sensory analysis in food product development and optimization;
• Instrumental analysis (e.g., electronic nose, electronic tongue) in food product development and optimization;
• Food analytical techniques, especially flavor analysis in food;
• Consumer studies: consumer expectations of food; consumer perception and purchase behavior; role of consumers in food product development; factors affecting consumer choice and consumption of food products;
• Innovations in sensory evaluation and flavor analysis in food.

Dr. Katarzyna Świąder
Dr. Anna Piotrowska
Dr. Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sensory evaluation
• flavor analysis
• food science
• expert evaluation
• consumer assessment
• sensory characteristic
• functional food
• novel food

Title: "PROJECTIVE SENSORY ANALYSIS" AS A MEAN OF ACCESSING SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF NOVEL FOODS: THE CASE OF CULTURED MEAT
Authors: Roberto Fasanelli; Ernesto Casella; Sonia Coppola; Sofia Foglia; Assunta Luongo; Alfonso Piscitelli
Affiliation: Department of Social Science, University of Naples Federico II, Vico Monte di Pietà, 80138 Naples, Italy
Abstract: While numerous studies have delved into the realm of 'novel foods' in recent years, the theoretical framework of Social Representations has remained largely unexplored. This paper marks a pioneering effort to investigate the socio-symbolic impact of synthetic foods using this framework. The focus is on how different audiences, including experts and nonexperts, as well as carnivores and noncarnivores, interpret the unfamiliar, particularly in the context of a new food technology: cultured meat. The research is designed to comprehensively describe and compare the social representations of synthetic meat that are co-constructed and circulating among a diverse range of social groups (N = 350). These groups are identified based on their proximity to the object and their level of expertise. The research is firmly rooted in the methodological framework of the structural approach. As such, it explores the structure (core and peripheral patterns) and content (information, opinions, attitudes, and beliefs) of the social representations in question. This exploration is facilitated by various mixed strategies, including hierarchical evocations, a food neophobia scale, checklists, open-ended questions, and the innovative technique of projective sensory analysis. The data is meticulously processed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Preliminary results show that generative processes, cognitive polyphasia, and sensory anchoring play an essential role in the co-construction of social representations of cultured meat. Respondents' chemical-genetic objectification, metaphors, and clichés reverberate debates on the possible implications of synthetic meat consumption for the environment and society. The conclusions drawn from this research underscore the importance of considering social knowledge and cultural variables in food studies. These insights could prove invaluable in understanding cultured meat's sensory characteristics that should be replicated or avoided. This understanding is crucial, particularly in the context of communication strategies aimed at promoting the consumption of cultured meat.

Title: Effects of Nitrite Reduction and High-Pressure Processing (HPP) on the Colour, Odour, and Texture of Cooked Ham
Authors: Jan Roland Molina; Stergios Melios; Emily Crofton; Jesus Maria Frias Celayeta; Declan Bolton; Cristina Botinestean
Affiliation: a Teagasc Food Research Centre Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland; b Technological University Dublin, Dublin 7, Ireland; c School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

Title: Impact of coconut coprah waste byproducts incorporation on granola quality characteristics
Authors: Léanne Vinceslas; Ewa Pejcz; Audrey Vingadassalon; Genica Lawrence
Affiliation: Université des Antilles, COVACHIM M2E (EA 3592), UFR SEN, Campus de Fouillole, F-97110 Pointe-à-Pitre, France; Department of Biotechnology and Food Analysis, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, 53-345 Wroclaw, Poland