Sensory attributes of seaweed

: Effects of fat and cultivation

Abstract

The world’s population is increasing drastically and thus, an increase in environmentally friendly and sustainably produced protein sources are needed to feed the entire population. Incorporation of new protein sources, with smaller impact on the environment, in the diet may be a way of solving this problem. Seaweed is a possible future protein source that may be a part of the solution. The objective of this study is to investigate how different fat contents in emulsions, which are commonly occurring in the food industry, affect the sensory attributes of seaweeds. Further, the study will examine how different cultivation conditions designed to enhance the protein content of seaweeds may affect their sensory attributes. The test design consisted of four cultivation conditions and four different fat contents in emulsions that were assessed by a trained sensory panel using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis. Attributes assessed included appearance, odour, texture, taste and flavour. The appearance as well as odour attributes are affected by both cultivation conditions and fat content of the emulsions. Texture attributes are affected by the fat content, but not by cultivation. Tastes and flavours are neither affected by cultivation nor by fat content of the emulsions, indicating that these attributes are dependent on the seaweed itself.

Date of Award	2021-Dec
Original language	English
Supervisor	Karin Wendin (Supervisor) & Elisabet Rothenberg (Examiner)