Sensory Analysis as a Simple and Low-Cost Tool to Evaluate and Valorize a New Product from Local Fruits in Rural Communities: The Case of Highly Aromatic Vinegar from Prickly Pear Fruits
Ikram Es-Sbata,
Remedios Castro-Mejías,
Carmen Rodríguez-Dodero,
Rachid Zouhair,
Enrique Durán-Guerrero
Affiliations
Ikram Es-Sbata
Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences-IVAGRO, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, University Campus of Puerto Real, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Remedios Castro-Mejías
Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences-IVAGRO, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, University Campus of Puerto Real, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Carmen Rodríguez-Dodero
Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences-IVAGRO, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, University Campus of Puerto Real, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Rachid Zouhair
Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes 11201, Morocco
Enrique Durán-Guerrero
Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences-IVAGRO, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), University of Cadiz, University Campus of Puerto Real, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L). Mill.) is a plant that belongs to the Cactaceae family and can grow in arid and semi-arid climates. This fruit is considered a good source of nutrients, antioxidant constituents and health-promoting substances, such as betalains and polyphenols. One of the ways in which the communities in the cultivation areas can revalorize this fruit is by diversifying the products that can be made from it. This research proposes the elaboration of prickly pear vinegars and their sensory characterization. Their aromatic profile has been determined using two different methodologies, the traditional Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) and the Free Choice Profiling (FCP). Similar aromatic profiles have been obtained by both techniques, QDA and FCP, although the last one has proven to be a less time- and effort-demanding method. The vinegars with the highest aromatic intensity and the highest fruity and floral notes were those that had been produced through submerged culture at 30 °C and using Acetobacter malorum strains. It was revealed that the Free Choice Profiling sensory technique is a useful and low-cost tool for innovating in products obtained from a local sugary raw material.
