Getting the right texture: toolkit to help create more appealing food

Researchers at Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) have developed a toolkit to help manufacturers improve the texture of products to be more appealing to consumers.

The FaBA Texture Library Toolkit was created by University of Queensland (UQ) flavour chemist Professor Heather Smyth and food engineer Dr Jaqueline Moura Nadolny.

The UQ Sensory Panel is highly trained in texture and taste and helps researchers to refine products to meet market expectations.

Image credit: UQ

Smyth said the toolkit allowed companies to better understand a food or beverage product’s textural attributes and how it could be reformulated for a “product renovation”.

“The aim is to look at the sensory properties, flavours and textures of a product already in market and how it could be changed to make it more appealing,” Smyth said.

“We have a fully qualified sensory panel to provide feedback and advise how the product compares to competitors in the market.

“Texture is complicated, but we can help to reduce the complexity by working with our sensory panel and businesses to help improve products for consumers.”

In a recent project at UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Nadolny used the toolkit to help plant-based meat manufacturer v2food assess its in-house work on improving the texture of its burgers.

“Ultimately, we want to help companies improve the sensory quality of their products,” Nadolny said.

“One of the elements we considered was the juiciness of the burgers — was it juicy enough or was it too juicy?

“From simple yet highly correlated assessment methods a company can implement in their own facilities, through to complex textual techniques requiring specialist equipment, the toolkit balances speed and accuracy while the company is reformulating its product.”

v2food Chief Science Officer and UQ Adjunct Associate Professor Dr Lisa Ronquest-Ross said the Texture Library Toolkit streamlined R&D activities, helping the company avoid lengthy and costly validation testing.

“Working with FaBA has provided us with practical tools for our product improvements,” Ronquest-Ross said.

“Some solutions have been simple to implement, and we can also explore more complex formulation changes with FaBA.”

The FaBA Texture Library Toolkit can be used on any food product, while flavour and aroma toolkits can be developed for specific clients.

The Australian Government Department of Education supported the project through its Trailblazer Universities Program.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Alejandro Cajas