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Nanotechnology is currently applied in food processing and packaging in the food industry. Nano encapsulation techniques could improve sensory perception and nutrient absorption. The purpose of this study was to identify the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of three types of commercial and two types of laboratory-developed soy milk. A total of 20 sensory attributes of the five different soy milk samples, including appearance, smell (odor), taste, flavor, and mouthfeel (texture), were developed. The soy milk samples were evaluated by 100 consumers based on their overall acceptance, appearance, color, smell (odor), taste, flavor, mouthfeel (texture), goso flavor (nuttiness), sweetness, repeated use, and recommendation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least square regression (PLSR) were used to perform the statistical analyses. The SM_D sample generally showed the highest scores for overall liking, flavor, taste, mouthfeel, sweetness, repeated consumption, and recommendation among all the consumer samples tested. Consumers preferred sweet, goso (nuttiness), roasted soybean, and cooked soybean (nuttiness) attributes but not grayness, raw soybean flavor, or mouthfeel. Sweetness was closely related to goso (nuttiness) odor and roasted soybean odor and flavor based on partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis. Determination of the sensory attributes and consumer acceptance of soymilk provides insight into consumer needs and desires along with basic data to facilitate the expansion of the consumer market.

The purpose of this study was to investigate sensory attributes identified using a CATA questionnaire and consumer acceptance of cookies using plant-based oils and to determine which sensory attributes influence and improve purchase intention of cookies using plant-based oils. Frequency analysis, one-way analysis of variance, correspondence analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple factor analysis were used for statistical evaluation. Six cookie samples, five with types of vegetable oil (canola, brown rice, coconut, soybean, olive) and one with butter, were evaluated by 112 consumers. Of the 28 sensory attributes, the 11 sensory terms of milk, savory, sweet aroma/odor, sweet, roasted grain, milk taste/flavor, hardness, “crispy”, “stuffy”, roughness, and “crumble” were significantly different among samples (p < 0.001). In the consumer acceptance and purchase intention tests, participants evaluated 12 attributes, namely, overall liking, appearance, color, aroma/smell, overall taste, savory flavor, flavor, sweet taste, aftertaste, texture, “smooth”, “crispy”, “try again”, recommendations, and familiarity, on a 9-point structured hedonic scale. All attributes except “smooth” were significantly different among the six cookie samples tested (p < 0.001). Samples with coconut oil and butter had the highest consumer acceptance. In particular, in a correspondence analysis, the samples with butter and coconut oil positioned in the positive direction (+) of Dimension (Component) 1 were closely related with mouthfeel, sweet aroma, sweet taste, “crispy”, “try again”, recommendation, familiarity, and overall liking. Our results suggest that cookies with coconut oil could be a substitute for animal-fat-based cookies with butter. We hope that our research will provide fundamental data for the development of vegan bakery products that meet the needs of consumers and food companies.

Urban agriculture is an important part of the food and nutrition security of many cities and is growing in importance, especially with social disruptions such as climate change and pandemics. Plant foods, in particular, provide bioactive compounds and other essential nutrients. Therefore, it is important to provide timely and useful research resources to horticultural sector and food-related industries that want to produce high-quality plant foods at low cost to meet the market demands of urban agriculture. This study focuses on up-to-date information on urban agriculture, the mechanisms of production of bioactive compounds in plant foods, and the main factors influencing the levels of bioactive compounds in plant foods. As a strategy to improve the bioactive compounds of plant foods in urban agriculture, the recent trends in urban agriculture were investigated according to four categories: ground-based uncontrolled or controlled agriculture and building-integrated uncontrolled or controlled agriculture. In ground-based urban agriculture, the application of short-term abiotic or biotic stresses, such as agronomic management practices, can significantly affect the bioactive compound levels in fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, in building-integrated urban agriculture, horticultural scientists have been interested in artificial lighting, cultivation medium, and water use efficiency to improve the level and composition of functional components of plants. The future trend of urban agriculture is expected to change from ground-based to building integration considering the sustainability of agriculture. Therefore, ongoing research on the growth and bioactive content improvement of plant foods using building-integrated agriculture is an important aspect for urban agriculture.

The oyster mushroom is cultivated globally, renowned for its unique texture and umami flavor, as well as its rich content of nutrients and functional ingredients. This study aims to identify the descriptive sensory characteristics, assess the consumer acceptability of new superior lines and cultivars of yellow oyster mushrooms, in addition to exploring the relationship between these descriptive characteristics and consumer acceptability. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares regression (PLSR). Twenty attributes were delineated, including three related to appearance/color (gray, yellow, and white), four associated with the smell/odor of fresh mushroom (oyster mushroom, woody, fishy, and seafood smells), three pertaining to the smell/odor of cooked mushrooms (mushroom, umami, and savory smells), four describing flavor/taste (sweet, salty, umami, and savory tastes), and five for texture/mouthfeel (chewy, smooth, hard, squishy, and slippery textures). Consumer acceptability tests involved 100 consumers who evaluated overall liking, appearance, overall taste, sweetness, texture, savory taste, MSG taste, smell, color, purchase intention, and recommendation. The general oyster mushroom (548 samples) scored highest in acceptability. Seven attributes, namely fresh mushroom smell, seafood smell (fresh), fishy smell (fresh), umami smell (cooked), nutty smell (cooked), salty taste, and MSG taste with the exception of appearance showed significant differences among samples (p < 0.001). The three yellow oyster mushroom samples were strongly associated with attributes like hardness, softness (texture), sweet taste (745 samples), MSG taste, salty taste, squishy texture, and fishy smell (483 and 629 samples). The development of sensory lexicons and increasing consumer acceptance of new superior lines and cultivars of yellow oyster mushroom will likely enhance sensory quality and expand the consumer market, aligning with consumer needs and preferences.