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It is well established that treatment regime compliance is linked to the acceptability of a pharmaceutical formulation, and hence also to therapeutic outcomes. To that end, acceptability must be assessed during the development of all pharmaceutical products and especially for those intended for paediatric patients. Although acceptability is a multifaceted concept, poor sensory characteristics often contribute to poor patient acceptability. In particular, poor taste is often cited as a major reason for many patients, especially children, to refuse to take their medicine. It is thus important to understand and, as far as possible, optimise the sensory characteristics and, in particular, the taste/flavour/mouthfeel of the formulation throughout the development of the product. Sensory analysis has been widely practiced, providing objective data concerning the sensory aspects of food and cosmetic products. In this paper, we present proposals concerning how the well-established principles of sensory analysis can best be applied to pharmaceutical product development, allowing objective, scientifically valid, sensory data to be obtained safely. We briefly discuss methodologies that may be helpful in reducing the number of samples that may need to be assessed by human volunteers. However, it is only possible to be sure whether or not the sensory characteristics of a pharmaceutical product are non-aversive to potential users by undertaking sensory assessments in human volunteers. Testing is also required during formulation assessment and to ensure that the sensory characteristics remain acceptable throughout the product shelf life. We provide a risk assessment procedure to aid developers to define where studies are low risk, the results of a survey of European regulators on their views concerning such studies, and detailed guidance concerning the types of sensory studies that can be undertaken at each phase of product development, along with guidance about the practicalities of performing such sensory studies. We hope that this guidance will also lead to the development of internationally agreed standards between industry and regulators concerning how these aspects should be measured and assessed throughout the development process and when writing and evaluating regulatory submissions. Finally, we hope that the guidance herein will help formulators as they seek to develop better medicines for all patients and, in particular, paediatric patients.

Making fruit bars is a potential solution to the spoilage and transportation issues of the bulky, perishable, and underutilized jackfruit. Refractance Window (RW) drying is known for its quick-drying action whilst preserving food materials’ nutritional and sensory quality. For any food product development, organoleptic assurance is a crucial first step. This paper presents the sensory analysis study of nine RW-dried jackfruit leather samples with varying ratios of sucrose and pectin for compositional optimization. Two sensory approaches, the 9-point hedonic and the fuzzy approach, were used for sensory analysis using the attributes, namely, Colour, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, Aftertaste, Hardness, and Overall Acceptability (OAA). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the sensory data. The final best-accepted samples from hedonic and fuzzy approaches were leathers with 10% sucrose + 0.5% pectin and 10% sucrose + 0% pectin, respectively. PCA on sensory data revealed that overall acceptance of jackfruit leather increased with sucrose addition, and the effectiveness of pectin did not follow any trend. The difference in results from the two approaches lies in the comparative importance of the quality attributes taken into consideration in the fuzzy approach. Besides providing insights on correlations in the sensory data, PCA facilitates freedom of parameters-range selection for future studies targetting desirable sensory outcomes.

Burger is a practical source of animal protein for consumers, sold both raw (ready-to-cook) and cooked (ready-to-eat), and can be an alternative to stimulate the consumption of rabbit meat, which is a source of healthy animal protein. This study evaluated the effects of different levels of oat bran addition on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptance of rabbit meat burgers. Burgers were formulated with 0, 5, 10, and 15% oat bran plus garlic and salt, then manually processed and analyzed for composition, technological parameters (pH, cooking loss, shrinkage percentage, water holding, texture, and color), and sensorial acceptance. The higher the levels of inclusion of oat bran, the lower the burger moisture (p < 0.0001). Burgers with 15% oat bran presented higher content of lipids and carbohydrates, thus higher caloric value (p < 0.0001). The loss of water during cooking was greater in the burger without the inclusion of oat bran (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found for color and aroma attributes. Overall acceptability was higher for burgers with 5% oat bran. Rabbit meat burgers containing oat bran may represent a viable alternative to improving their sensory and technological profiles and overall consumer acceptance.

Coffee pulp, mucilage, and beans with mucilage were used to develop alcoholic beverages. The pulp of 45.3% pulp, 54.7% mucilage with seed, and 9.4% mucilage only were obtained during the wet processing of coffee. Musts were prepared for all to TSS (Total soluble solid) 18 °Bx and fermentation was carried out for 12–16 days until TSS decreased to 5 °Bx at 30 °C. Phenolic characteristics, chromatic structures, chemical parameters, and sensory characteristics were analyzed for the prepared alcoholic beverages. Methanol content, ester content, aldehyde, alcohol, total acidity, caffeine, polyphenols, flavonoids, chromatic structure, and hue of the alcoholic beverage from the pulp was 335 mg/L, 70.58 ppm, 9.15 ppm, 8.86 ABV%, 0.41%, 30.94 ppm, 845.7 mg GAE/g dry extract, 440.7 mg QE/g dry extract, 0.41, and 1.71, respectively. An alcoholic beverage from the pulp was found superior to an alcoholic beverage from mucilage with beans and a beverage from mucilage in sensory analysis. There is the possibility of developing fermented alcoholic beverages from coffee pulp and mucilage. However, further research is necessary for quality of the beans that were obtained from the fermentation with the mucilage.

Fu brick tea (FBT) is a distinctive microbial‐fermented dark tea from China; however, systematic studies on its fungal communities and “golden‐flower” fungi remain limited. In this study, 52 FBT samples from seven representative regions were analyzed to investigate their fungal community structure and “golden‐flower” fungi. High‐throughput sequencing revealed Aspergillus as the dominant genus (65.58%–98.85%), followed by Wallemia (0.17%–19.58%) and Candida (0.01%–18.47%). A total of 52 “golden‐flower” fungi, one from each sample, were isolated and identified as Aspergillus cristatus based on morphological features, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing, and multigene phylogenetic analysis (BenA, CaM, and RPB2). Haplotype analysis revealed four distinct haplotypes: Haplotype₁ and Haplotype₃ were shared across all regions, whereas Haplotype₂ and Haplotype₄ were unique to Hunan. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) results indicated that genetic differentiation was primarily attributed to individual differences among strains, with minor divergence among geographical groups. The fastest growing strain from each region was selected to assess its influence on summer‐autumn tea quality using non‐targeted and targeted metabolomics, along with electronic sensory analysis (electronic eye [E‐eye] and electronic tongue [E‐tongue]). These strains were found to reduce catechins, flavonols, flavones, and phenolic acids, while increasing polymerized catechins and their derivatives, thereby improving overall flavor. Notably, strains from Shaanxi, Anhui, and Sichuan exhibited superior fermentation performance compared to those from Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Zhejiang. This study provides new insights into the functional characteristics of A. cristatus in FBT, offering a scientific basis for quality improvement and the utilization of microbial resources in dark tea production. This study systematically investigated 52 Fu brick tea (FBT) samples collected from seven representative regions in China. High‐through put sequencing revealed that Aspergillus, Wallemia, and Candida were the predominant fungal genera across the samples. Atotal of 52 “golden‐flower” fungal isolates were obtained andall were identified as Aspergillus cristatus based on morphological characteristics, ITs sequencing, and multigene phylogenetic analyses using BenA, caM, and RPB2. To further evaluate the impact of regional strains on the qualityof summer‐autumn tea, the fastest‐growing A. cristatus strain from each region was selected for fermentation experiments. Their effects on tea quality were assessedusing integrated non‐targeted and targeted metabolomics combined with electronic sensory evaluation through E‐eye and E‐tongue analyses. These findings deepen ourunderstanding of A. cristatus diversity in FBT and highlight the functional differences among A. cristatus strains in shaping tea quality.

Jaboticaba (Plinia spp.) peel is an emerging co-product with high levels of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and differentiated sensory characteristics. During the industrial processing of jaboticaba, as in the production of juices, only the pulp is used, and the peel is discarded. This work aimed to produce sequilho biscuits with different concentrations of jaboticaba peel flour (JPF) and evaluate the technological and sensory properties of the products. Biscuits with four concentrations of JPF (B1= 0.75%, B2= 1.5% B3= 2.25% and B4= 3.0%) were prepared. The physicochemical analysis, instrumental texture, color, total flavonoids, and total anthocyanins were evaluated. Sensory perceptions were investigated using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) questionnaire, hedonic scale, and purchase intention scale. Jaboticaba peel flour had high levels of total flavonoids (227.9±14.6 mg 100 g-1) and total anthocyanins (114.2±4.2 mg cyanidin-3-glycoside 100 g-1). Specific volume and bite force were not affected by the addition of JPF. The global impression for all biscuits elaborated with JPF ranged from approximately 6.5 to 7.5. It positively influenced the global impression of the biscuits, with associations with the CATA terms of fruit flavor, jaboticaba flavor, and fruit aroma. However, terms related to the texture, such as fibrous and hard, negatively influenced the global impression. It is recommended to produce sequilho biscuits with JPF addition up to 1.5%. This study demonstrated that the food industry could better exploit the jaboticaba peel, meeting consumer demand for products with differentiated sensory characteristics

Consumers preference for healthier foods is increasing, especially regarding sugar intake as it is related to many diseases such as obesity and diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different types of sugar (white crystal, icing, raw, brown, and coconut) on the physical, physicochemical, and sensory attributes of guava jam in order to evaluate the feasibility of replacing traditional sugars by alternative and more nutritious ones. Physicochemical attributes, rheological properties, texture profile, microbiological risk and sensory acceptance of guava jams were assessed. Coconut and brown sugars gave rise to darker jams with an intense reddish-brown coloration and higher hardness. The jams with higher sensorial quality were the traditional formulations produced with typical sugars - white crystal and icing sugars -, and with raw sugar. It was observed that the sugar used influenced the consumers perception of the product. In general, the most nutritious sugars, brown and coconut, did not produce to jams with good sensory acceptance. White crystal, icing, and raw sugars were more convenient to make the jams since it presented better sensory results.  Clear appearance, less sweetness, more acidic, and softer jams are the features that most pleased the consumers.

Numerous factors contribute to specialty coffee quality, storage and cooling conditions. We may therefore assume that sensory evaluation results can be corrupted by measurement errors, especially when cuppers are not trained, leading to occurrence of observation outliers. Therefore, this study aimed to propose simulation scenarios considering parametric values of multilevel model fit with robust adaptive regressions to the presence of outliers in a real experiment with processed and unprocessed coffee beans stored at different times and temperatures. In this context, we considered computationally simulated scenarios in which sensory scoring errors can be made at L = 5 and 10 units. The proposed method was feasible for the sensory scoring of an experiment of coffee storage conditions and cooled environments. This is because it included robust characteristics of samples evaluated with up to 30% of outliers.

Sustainable irrigation strategies in Southeast Spain (one of the most arid regions in Europe) are essential to fight against desertification and climate change mitigation. In this way, Fondillón production is based on rain-based vineyards, over-ripe Monastrell grapes, and non-alcohol fortification. Thus, Fondillón is a naturally sweet red wine, protected within the Alicante Denomination of Origin, recognized by the European Union in its E-bachus database. The study aim was to evaluate the effect of the aging (solera factor) on Fondillón: (i) basic enological parameters (e.g., total, and volatile acidity), (ii) chromatic characteristics, (iii) antioxidant activity (ABTS•+, FRAP and DPPH•), (iv) total contents of condensed tannins and anthocyanins, (v) volatile composition, (vi) sensory profile, and (vii) overall liking. Experimental data proved that the wine (1960 solera) with the highest total contents of condensed tannins and anthocyanins and total antioxidant activity was the most liked by Spanish consumers. Experimental results clearly established a positive relationship among Fondillón chemical composition, its antioxidant activity, and overall consumer liking. Exceptional harvest with grapes having extremely high antioxidant power (e.g., 1960 solera) will result, even more than 50 years later, in high quality wines with high consumer acceptance and a high monetary worth.