Optimization of protein flavour

How your new protein product tastes, smells, and is experienced is crucial to its success. Many proteins have some off-flavor and a scent that is not so pleasant. With the help of RISE's expertise and unique offerings in sensory analysis and aroma chemistry, the product can be optimized to get the best possible conditions.

RISE has a unique sensory analysis offering. We can perform sensory evaluations with trained panels and instrumental analysis, at the same time, in the same place and with the same product batch. The fact that both analyzes take place at the same time is important because the human is sensitive even to small variations in taste, and it is not always that measured values are consistent with the actual experience of the product. By minimizing a measurement uncertainty, it is more likely to get a valid result and to make the right decision in the end.

Aroma chemistry – the importance of a pleasant flavuor

Perceived flavour consists mostly of odorous compounds that can be describes as the smell or aroma of the product. Knowledge of the food’s aroma chemistry is essential during development of the food, if the product does not smell nice, then the consumers will not eat it. Still, the aroma from many vegetable proteins are not perceived as pleasant and the products need development in order to reach more consumers.

In aroma chemistry, RISE examines what chemical components of the raw material that contributes to the aroma of the product. It is a challenge with the vegetable proteins because they are a complex matrix with many chemical compounds that cause the flavour and they appear very different depending on how the protein is pre-treated. Once the odorous components have been identified, the process can be optimized to reduce the compounds, and obtain a protein and a product that is easier to use.

RISE also has long experience of off-flavour analysis, meaning we investigate why the product does not smell/taste as it should.

Sensory analysis – to understand the product's identity

Understanding the taste of a product is important for the development of new sustainable protein products. The most effective measurement method for this is to use people. Sensory evaluation describes the nature of the product and how any changes affect the taste.

In our trained panels some 30 people works, who are selected for their ability to discern and describe factors such as taste, scent, chew resistance, mouthfeel and what characterizes the product. The panels have long experience of working with alternative protein sources.

Please contact us for more information on how RISE can help your company with sensory and aroma.