Product perception is important for consumers’ acceptance, especially when it is associated with a geographical location. Consumers’ food-related lifestyles (FRLs) have been used to better identify the role that beverages have in people lives. The present study was conducted to understand the conceptualization of mezcal according to consumers’ FRLs. Four hundred mezcal consumers were surveyed in Mexico. Participants were asked to describe their experience with the product and consumption habits, to evaluate ten different FRL constructs, and to assess mezcal conceptualization using a check-all-that-apply test. A hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out on the composite variables of the evaluated constructs and their objective knowledge score to define segments. To visualize the relationships among FRL constructs and the terms used to describe mezcal, a multiple factorial analysis was carried out. The results showed four different mezcal clusters. The social and involved segment described the beverage with elements of traditional and food-related activities. The price–quality fixed segment was mainly associated with the product to handcraft process. Uninvolved consumers were not linked to specific terms and uninformed and unaware consumers were novice participants with mainly negative product connotations. Therefore, is important to consider consumers’ FRLs to have a better understanding of product conceptualization.

This study investigates agro-industrial by-products as sources of bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant properties. With growing interest in natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants due to safety concerns, this study highlights the health benefits of plant-derived phenolic compounds in food preservation and healthcare products. Traditional and advanced analytical techniques were used to obtain phytochemical profiles of various residue extracts, including espresso (SCG) and cold-brew spent coffee grounds (CBCG), pineapple peel (PP), beetroot pomace (BP), apple pomace (AP), black carrot pomace (BCP), and garlic peel (GP). Assessments of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) supported their revalorization. CBCG showed the highest TPC, TFC, and AC. TPC content in by-products decreased in the order CBCG > SCG > GP > BCP > PP > AP > BP, with a similar trend for TFC and AC. Phytochemical profiling via FI-ESI-FTICR-MS enabled the preliminary putative identification of a range of compounds, with polyphenols and terpenes being the most abundant. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed key patterns among samples. Strong positive correlations (Pearson’s R > 0.8) indicated significant contribution of polyphenols to antioxidant capacities. These findings highlight the potential of agro-industrial residues as natural antioxidants, advocating for their sustainable utilization.

Consumer interest in traditional food products (TFPs) has increased in recent decades. The concept of TFPs is made up of seven dimensions. However, it is not yet clear what the contributions of these dimensions are to the perception of the traditional image of a specific product. In addition, the effects of constructs such as habit, product involvement and objective and subjective knowledge on the traditional character of a product have not been explored either. The aims of this work were to evaluate the influence of the dimensions of the traditional food concept on the perception of mezcal and tequila and to understand consumer’s perception of the traditional character of the beverages through their segmentation characteristics. Eight hundred consumers were surveyed in four Mexican cities. A questionnaire was designed to assess the constructs, TFPs’ dimensions, sociodemographic information and consumption patterns. Results showed that the dimensions of the traditional concept allowed a better understanding of the traditional character of the product, as well as their individual relevance showing that frequent consumption is not always linked to the traditional character of a product. Three clusters were obtained for both products based on the assessed dimensions of the traditional concept. The presence of the segments showed variations in the contribution of the different dimensions to the concept of “traditional”. Geographic location, special dates and sensory dimensions are determinant in the traditional perception of both beverages, which is useful to design effective strategies to promote rational and responsible consumption.

In the academic literature, the analysis and description of the mezcal agave production chain has been approached from different perspectives. Most agree on the cultural, social, and economic importance of the chain for developing rural communities in Mexico. Directly and indirectly, the growth in the production of mezcal and its acceptance in the national and international markets contribute to the economy of the value chain participants, from the nurseryman to the marketer. However, most studies have focused on studying the physicochemical characteristics of mezcal and the physiology of agave. However, issues related to the culture, social value, and economy of the mezcal families of the indigenous and rural communities, who since ancient times have dedicated themselves to this activity as a means of family production, have been neglected which, although it began as a production for self-consumption and ceremonial, today its commercialization is the primary source of economic income for small producers and the means of subsistence for peasant families that depend on the production and commercialization of agave and mezcal. The book aims to understand and identify the social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors that positively or negatively affect the environment where the chain's different links operate. Each chapter provides knowledge about mezcal production systems from a social, cultural, economic, and environmental approach of mezcal agave, from the perception of producers, consumers, and managers, to raise awareness about the socioeconomic value of the agave-mezcal chain and generate strategies that facilitate the positioning of mezcal producers. En la literatura académica, el análisis y descripción de la cadena productiva del agave mezcal se ha abordado desde diferentes perspectivas. La mayoría coinciden en la importancia cultural, social y económica que tiene la cadena para el desarrollo de las comunidades rurales de México. Directa e indirectamente el crecimiento en la producción del mezcal y su aceptación en el mercado nacional e internacional favorece la economía de los participantes de cada uno de los eslabones de la cadena, desde el viverista hasta el comercializador. No obstante, la mayoría de los estudios se han enfocado en estudiar en las características fisicoquímicas del mezcal, la fisiología del agave. pero, se han descuidado temas relacionadas con la cultura, valor social, y la economías las familias mezcaleras de las comunidades indígenas y rurales, que desde tiempos ancestrales se han dedicado a esta actividad como medio de producción familiar; que, si bien inició como una producción para autoconsumo y ceremonial, hoy en día su comercialización es la principal fuente de ingreso económico para los pequeños productores y el medio de subsistencia para las familias campesinas que dependen de la producción y comercialización del agave y mezcal. El objetivo del libro es comprender e identificar los diferentes factores sociales, culturales, económicos y ambientales que afectan positiva o negativamente el entorno en el que operan los diferentes eslabones de la cadena. Cada capítulo de este libro aporta conocimiento sobre los sistemas de producción del mezcal, desde un enfoque social, cultural, económico y ambiental del agave mezcal, desde la percepción de productores, consumidores y gestores para concientizar sobre el valor socioeconómico de la cadena agave-mezcal y generar estrategias que facilite el posicionamiento de los productores mezcaleros.

Carminic acid is a natural pigment typically found in several insect taxa, including specific insects such as “grana cochinilla fina” in Mexico (Dactylopius coccus Costa). Commercially, it is also referred to as carmine, which is a more concentrated solution presenting as at least 50% carminic acid. To date, this dye has been used in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. Unfortunately, one of the main limitations has to do with establishing the appropriate extraction and purification protocol. Currently, there is growing interest in developing eco-friendly and efficient pigment extraction processes for various applications. In this study, we compare the ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction versus with a conventional method to obtain carminic acid from cochineal. To do this, we considered three factors that influence the extraction process as independent variables: solvent volume, temperature and irradiation time. The optimization was carried out using the response surface methodology, employing a three-factor and three-level Box–Behnken experimental design. Carminic acid contents were quantified by UV–Vis spectroscopy, and extracts were evaluated by infrared spectroscopy to verify the integrity of the carminic acid molecule. The yield obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction was 49.2 ± 3.25, with an efficiency of 31.3 mg/min, while microwave-assisted extraction showed a yield of 40.89 ± 2.96, with an efficiency of 27.3 mg/min. Both methods exceeded the extract yield (31.9 ± 3.4%) and efficiency (10.6 mg/min) obtained with the conventional method, demostrating that ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction are viable alternatives for obtaining carminic acid, with the potential to be scaled up to an industrial level.

Mezcal is a traditional beverage with relevant cultural and economic importance in Mexico, with different Protected Designation of Origin locations. This study focuses on creating a sensory lexicon for Mezcal with local producers by means of Free Choice Profiling. A selection of the most relevant descriptors was made to construct a sensory wheel. Subsequently, a sensory panel evaluated a total of 10 Mezcal samples using the sensory categories defined in the sensory wheel. Additionally, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was performed to analyze volatile components’ contribution to the aroma and flavor descriptors. A total of 87 terms were selected for the sensory wheel, using 41 descriptors within 10 categories for odor modality and 46 more within 13 categories for flavor modality. The main volatile compounds that were identified were 37 esters, 17 alcohols, 12 ketals and 9 terpenes, which were the foremost contributors to the presence of several sensory descriptors and were also found in most of the Mezcal samples. The quantitative analysis results exhibited a higher floral odor for Mezcal of the Angustifolia variety and the highest smoked odor for an earthenware distilled Mezcal, thus proving that the selection of the descriptors from the wheel was appropriate for differentiating Mezcal samples from different origins, agave species and distillation processes. Therefore, the sensory wheel developed in this study can be used both as a quality control tool and as a marketing tool that allows producers to differentiate their products in the market.