Colour, rheology, flavour release and sensory perception of dairy desserts. Influence of thickener and fat content

This study aims to obtain information about how thickener type and concentration, and fat content influence colour, rheology, in-vivo aroma release and sensory characteristics of lemon-flavoured dairy desserts. Eight formulations were prepared varying in thickener type and concentration: carboxymethyl cellulose (1.1% and 1.3%) and modified starch (3.5% and 4.0%) and milk type (whole or skimmed). The amounts of the other ingredients were fixed. Regarding effects on colour and rheology, statistically significant interactions were detected between fat content, and thickener type and concentration. Colour was mainly affected by fat content; flow behaviour by thickener type, and viscoelasticity by thickener concentration. Thickener type and concentration and fat content significantly affected in-vivo aroma release. The delivery to the nasal cavity of the most lipophilic compound (linalool) mainly depended on fat content while thickener type and concentration mainly affected the release of the least lipophilic compound (. cis-3-hexen-1-ol). Differences perceived in colour, texture and flavour attributes were also affected by variations in ingredients differently and most of them could be related with those observed in instrumental data.

To MICINN of Spain for financial support (Project AGL 2007-63444). To Sistema Bicentenario Becas Chile for the fellowship awarded to author C. Arancibia and to Fondo Social Europeo for financing the contract of author S. Bayarri in the program I3P from CSIC. To CHR Hansen S.A., Akzo Nobel, Safic Alcan España S.A and Central Lechera Asturiana for providing free samples of the ingredients.