No information is currently available on the profile of producers and production process of dry-aged beef in Brazil, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. We surveyed 37 Brazilian companies that were producing dry-aged beef in 2020 to investigate this market. The absolute and relative frequency of responses was calculated to obtain the sum, average, minimum, and maximum values. From the respondents, dry-aged beef was first produced in 2009, and most producers are located in big cities. Most respondents control and monitor chamber temperature; however, humidity and air velocity only are monitored. The aging period (mostly between 22 to 60 days) was the main indicator of product readiness. The process losses (water loss and crust trimming) can reach 65%. Some producers perform microbiological analyses to ensure product safety and others use tools such as GMP and SOP. The results of this survey may help governmental institutions to develop a standardized industrial protocol for producing dry-aged beef in Brazil.

Greek yogurt, a traditional food with roots in Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and Central Asia, has become a dietary staple worldwide due to its creamy texture, distinct flavor, and rich nutritional profile. The contemporary emphasis on health and wellness has elevated Greek yogurt as a functional food, recognized for its high protein content and bioavailable probiotics that support overall health. This study investigates the sensory attributes evaluated by a panel of 22 trained assessors and the consumer preferences driving the acceptance of Greek yogurt formulations. Samples with higher consumer acceptance were characterized by sensory attributes such as “high texture in the mouth, surface uniformity, creaminess, apparent homogeneity, mouth-filling, grip in the mouth, ease of pick-up with a spoon, milk cream flavor, sweetness, and dairy flavor” (Tukey’s test, p < 0.05). These attributes strongly correlated with consumer preferences, underscoring their importance in product optimization. The findings provide a framework for refining Greek yogurt formulations to address diverse market demands, achieving a balance between sensory excellence and practical formulation strategies. This research reinforces the significance of Greek yogurt as a culturally adaptable, health-promoting dietary component and a promising market segment for ongoing innovation.

Margarine exhibits significant variations in composition, allowing it to cater to diverse consumer segments. This study aimed to characterize the physical and sensory attributes of margarine samples available in the Brazilian market. Twelve commercial samples from six different brands, encompassing 30% to 80% of lipid contents, were subjected to instrumental texture analysis and affective assessment. A total of 112 consumers participated in acceptance tests and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) evaluations, while another group of 62 subjects performed Projective Mapping. Samples with lipid percentages exceeding 70% achieved the highest average acceptance scores for taste and overall impression. The brand with the lowest lipid content (30%) exhibited a stronger association with negative attributes, including rancid flavor and aroma, bitterness, and metallic flavor, resulting in lower average scores for aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. However, these scores were not statistically different from samples with 50% and 60% lipid content. Reducing lipid levels in fat-based products such as margarine poses a challenge to food manufacturers, as consumers generally perceive higher lipid percentages as indicative of superior flavor quality.

Greek yogurt, a traditional food with roots in Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and Central Asia, has become a dietary staple worldwide due to its creamy texture, distinct flavor, and rich nutritional profile. The contemporary emphasis on health and wellness has elevated Greek yogurt as a functional food, recognized for its high protein content and bioavailable probiotics that support overall health. This study investigates the sensory attributes and consumer preferences driving the acceptance of Greek yogurt formulations. Samples with higher consumer acceptance were characterized by sensory attributes such as "high texture in the mouth, surface uniformity, creaminess, apparent homogeneity, mouth filling, grip in the mouth, ease of pick-up with a spoon, milk cream flavor, sweetness, and dairy flavor." These attributes strongly correlated with consumer preferences, underscoring their importance in product optimization. The findings provide a framework for refining Greek yogurt formulations to address diverse market demands, achieving a balance between sensory excellence and practical formulation strategies. This research reinforces the significance of Greek yogurt as a culturally adaptable, health-promoting dietary component and a promising market segment for ongoing innovation.

Margarine exhibits significant variations in composition, allowing it to cater to diverse consumer segments. This study aimed to characterize the physical and sensory attributes of margarine samples available in the Brazilian market. Twelve commercial samples from six different brands, encompassing 30% to 80% of lipid contents, were subjected to instrumental texture analysis, sensory profiling, and hedonic assessment. A total of 112 consumers participated in acceptance tests and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) evaluations, while another group of 62 subjects performed Projective Mapping. Samples with lipid percentages exceeding 70% achieved the highest average acceptance scores for taste and overall impression. The brand with the lowest lipid content (30%) exhibited a stronger association with negative attributes, including rancid flavor and aroma, bitterness, and metallic flavor, resulting in lower average scores for aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. However, these scores were not statistically different from those of samples with 50% and 60% lipid content. Reducing lipid levels in fat-based products such as margarine poses a challenge to food manufacturers, as consumers generally perceive higher lipid percentages as indicative of superior flavor quality.

Lipid‐coated aging has been proposed as an alternative to enhance flavor, particularly using butter as a coating material (butter‐aged beef). Thus, this study compared the wet‐aged and beef‐aged with different lipid‐based coatings: milk butter (butter‐aged), cocoa butter (cocoa‐aged), pork lard (lard‐aged), and beef tallow (tallow‐aged), all after 8 days of aging. Beef portions with lipid coatings developed cracks, particularly those coated with milk butter (16.7%), cocoa butter (100%), and beef tallow (100%), causing meat surface darkening. In lipid‐coated samples, total weight loss (14.3%–16.6%) and yield (83.4%–85.7%) were not affected by treatments. Water activity was higher in initial samples (0.9909) compared to lipid‐coated samples (0.9884–0.9890) ( p < 0.05). The aging process, with or without lipid coating, increased lightness and decreased redness, yellowness, and chroma compared to initial samples. Display storage time decreased L* , a* , and chroma values and increased hue angle, particularly after 6 days compared to Day 0 ( p < 0.05). Sensory evaluation revealed significant differences among treatments for aroma, flavor, and overall impression. Butter‐ and lard‐aged samples showed slightly higher aroma and flavor scores compared to tallow‐aged samples. Lipid‐coated aging influenced the volatile profile. Principal component analysis revealed that wet‐, butter‐, cocoa‐, and lard‐aged samples were more associated with positive descriptors, which were positively associated with overall impression scores, whereas tallow‐aged samples were associated with less desirable descriptors such as “bitter” and “rancid.” In conclusion, lipid coatings promoted sensory modifications, supported by differences in volatile compounds, but did not improve consumer acceptance compared to wet‐aged samples. Practical Applications: Lipid‐coated beef aging represents an alternative approach to explore modifications in aroma‐related attributes of aged meat. Under the conditions evaluated in this study, this technique promoted significant changes in aroma, flavor, and overall impression, which were supported by differences in volatile compound profiles. However, these changes did not translate into substantial improvements in overall consumer acceptance compared to conventional wet aging. This technique may be of interest for exploratory or niche applications focused on flavor differentiation or product innovation. However, the practical advantages of lipid‐coated aging remain dependent on processing conditions and should be further investigated.