Desenvolvimento de misturas de condimentos à base de ervas aromáticas

Abstract

Aromatic herbs are a part of the Portuguese cuisine, providing flavour, taste and colour to the dishes they’re added to. Furthermore, they can contribute to health promotion for their therapeutic properties and their ability to replace salt in food.Nowadays, there is an increase in availability of aromatic herbs in the Portuguese market, boosted by the growing interest of consumers in trying new flavours and in leading a healthier lifestyle. Convenience is a key factor in consumer choice, promoting innovation in the sector, in particular through the launch of new seasoning blends for culinary. Therefore, the aim of this project was to develop aromatic herb blends for four food categories: poultry, meat, fish and salads.The development of aromatic herb blends presents a number of challenges for the food industry, from the production of the herbs to the launch of the final product. The different process stages represent technological challenges that need to be accessed by the companies in this sector. In this project we focused on the grinding of the aromatic herbs to be used in the blends by studying their granulometry using different grinding equipment.Given the number of aromatic herbs available and the mixtures that could be made with them, it can be useful to resort to specialists in gastronomy and connoisseurs of the preferences of Portuguese consumers. Therefore five individual interviews were held with chefs with the aim of collecting information about the usage of each herb and the combinations they would do for each food category. The proposals suggested by the chefs were subsequently tested in the company and fine-tuned to consumer appreciation.In launching a new product consumer opinion must be taken into account, thus sensory analysis tests were performed to evaluate the consumers’ acceptance and preference with regard to the mixtures proposed. These tests made it possible to evaluate the acceptability of the seasoning blends developed and to choose the ones to be commercialized.The balance of the seasoning blends is an important factor to consider for the mixture to be appreciated by the consumer. The volatile compounds of each aromatic herb contribute to this balance and for this reason, as a complement to this project, the aromatic compounds of each herb used in the seasoning blends were studied, as well as the compounds of the blend itself.In conclusion, the seasonings industry is facing an opportunity for market growth. However, firstly it has to overcome some technological challenges in order to provide the consumer a gastronomic experience that can be prepared at home, in a convenient way and that promotes the health habits that he begins to look for.

Date of Award	16 Feb 2017
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria Manuela Pintado (Supervisor) & Francisco Manuel Morais Sarmento de Campos (Co-Supervisor)