Revestimento comestível contendo carvacrol aplicado em tomates uva: um estudo de aceitação e percepção do consumidor

Abstract

Carvacrol is a constituent of oregano essential oil and is known for its antimicrobial properties, which make it a potential additive for use in food packaging. However, its intense flavor and odor may appear as disadvantages of its use. Adding it to the preparation of active coatings applied to tomatoes emerges as an important strategy for its use as a result of the combination of flavors already known between oregano and tomatoes. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the potential use of edible coating with carvacrol in grape tomatoes through sensory methodologies. For this purpose, the project was divided into three stages: i) definition of the carvacrol concentration through the sensory preference ordering methodology; ii) assessment of consumers' perception and acceptance (blind vs. conscious condition) in relation to the preferred sample using the sensory Word Association (PA) technique and hedonic scale; iii) investigating consumers’ knowledge and choices about edible toppings using Check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions. The ranking results indicated the samples at concentrations of 0.15 CA and 0.30 CA as the most preferred. For the next stages, in order to promote greater flavor intensity and greater microbiological efficiency, the 3.0 CA sample was used. The AP results revealed that the flavor characteristics were those that were influenced by the information about the presence of edible coating on the tomatoes during the test, but that overall, the holistic perception of the tomatoes brought by the AP test was positive. This result was corroborated by the hedonic test, where an acceptance rate of 80% was recorded for both groups. The results of the CATA application suggest a market potential for grape tomatoes with edible coating containing carvacrol through the addition of new textures and flavors, and also present a direction for the use of this ingredient in other recipes (pizza). The use of a natural antimicrobial in the coating proved to be interesting in relation to consumers' concern about keeping food fresh for longer, especially among women aged 25 to 35, with the majority preferring the use of natural ingredients in the composition. Young people and students are more willing to learn about and consume foods with edible coatings. The application of edible coatings containing carvacrol in grape tomatoes has emerged as a promising technology. However, dissemination and clarification on the topic is necessary, given the mention of negative terms in the AP and the greater choice of label with the word oregano.