Consumer Acceptance of a Polyphenolic Coffee Beverage

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutraceuticals
• Beverage Technology

Background:

• Grape seed pomace (GSP) is a wine production byproduct rich in antioxidants.
• Utilizing GSP as a functional ingredient can add value to food products.
• Coffee is a widely consumed beverage with potential for functional enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of incorporating Chardonnay grape seed pomace (GSP) into brewed coffee.
• To determine the impact of varying GSP concentrations on consumer acceptance of coffee.
• To assess the effect of GSP on the antioxidant capacity of coffee.

Main Methods:

• Two consumer panels (n=80 and n=67) evaluated coffee with 0% to 25% GSP replacement.
• Sensory evaluation used a 9-point hedonic scale for appearance, aroma, taste, and overall acceptance.
• Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay measured antioxidant levels.

Main Results:

• Consumer acceptance of coffee was not significantly affected at 6.25% GSP replacement.
• Higher GSP concentrations (above 6.25%) led to decreased acceptance and altered sensory attributes (tan, milky, dilute).
• GSP supplementation increased the antioxidant capacity of coffee compared to the control.

Conclusions:

• A 6.25% replacement of coffee with Chardonnay GSP is recommended for consumer-acceptable functional beverages.
• GSP incorporation enhances the antioxidant properties of coffee.
• Further in vivo studies are warranted to confirm the health benefits of GSP coffee.