The use of deficit irrigation techniques on olive orchards is the main trend aiming to optimize water savings while improving functional and sensory characteristics of oils from trees under deficit irrigation techniques. The brand hydroSOStainable has been defined for crops produced under water restriction conditions. HydroSOStainable olive oils obtained under two new regulated deficit irrigation and one sustained deficit irrigation treatments in “Arbequina” olive trees were evaluated by analyzing quality parameters, antioxidant activity, total phenol content, fatty acid profile, volatile compounds, and sensory descriptors. Results showed that some of these irrigation strategies improved the phenol content at “moderate” stress levels, slightly enriched the fatty acid profile (~3.5% increased oleic acid and simultaneously decreased saturated fatty acids), and increased some key volatile compounds and also several key sensory attributes. Therefore, hydroSOStainable olive oil may be more attractive to consumers as it is environmentally friendly, has a higher content of several bioactive compounds, and has improved sensory characteristics as compared to control (fully irrigated) oils.

HydroSOStainable table olives (cultivar Manzanilla) are produced from olive trees grown under regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies. Olives produced by RDI are known to have a higher content of some bioactive compounds (e.g. polyphenols), but no information about consumer acceptance (or liking) have been reported so far. In this study, the volatile composition, the sensory profile and the consumer opinion and willingness to pay (at three locations) for HydroSOStainable table olives produced from three RDI treatments and a control were studied. Volatile composition was affected by RDI, by increasing alcohols, ketones and phenolic compounds in some treatments, while others led to a decrease in esters and the content of organic acids. Descriptive sensory analysis (10 panelists) showed an increase of green-olive flavor with a decrease of bitterness in the HydroSOStainable samples. Consumers (study done with 100 consumers in 2-rural and 1-urban locations; n_total = 300), after being informed about the HydroSOStainable concept, preferred HydroSOStainable table olives to the conventional samples and were willing to pay a higher price for them (52% 1.35–1.75 € and 32% 1.75–2.50 € as compared to the regular price of 1.25 € for a 200 g bag). Finally, green-olive flavor, hardness, crunchiness, bitterness, sweetness and saltiness were defined as the attributes driving consumer acceptance of HydroSOStainable table olives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) constantly emphasize the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption; these natural products help in the prevention of major diseases. Smoothies are a simple and convenient way of doing so; thus, their demand is constantly growing and their market is becoming important for the food industry. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine Millennial consumer opinion towards novel fruit- and vegetable-smoothies available on the retail market. Napping^®, descriptive sensory analysis, and consumer studies were conducted. Napping^® results group samples into four clusters of smoothies; the main grouping factor was the type of fruit and the percentage of vegetables. Penalty analysis showed that smoothies need improvement mainly dealing with sweetness, bitterness, and vegetable flavors. Millennial consumers formed a homogeneous sensory group in which the overall liking was negatively correlated with the level of sweetness, and earthy, carrot, beetroot, and pear flavors. The key liking drivers were sourness and notes of mango, banana, and peach flavors. This research is a new insight into the perception of smoothies, provides comprehensive knowledge for the food industry, and can guide the design of new healthy smoothies.