DEVELOPMENT OF QUALIMETRIC MODEL FOR PREDICTING QUALITY INDICATORS OF PRODUCTS FROM AQUATIC BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL FOOD RATIONS
Authors:
1.
Kaliningrad State Technical University
(Candidate of Technical Sciences, Assistant Professor; Head of the Department of Food Technology)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
2.
Kaliningrad State Technical University
(Candidate of Technical Sciences; Assistant Professor of the Department of Food Technology)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Type:
Article
Pages:
from 116
to 122
Status:
Published
Received:
31.05.2022
Accepted:
14.09.2022
Published:
28.09.2022
Subject area:
UDK 641.56 Приготовление специальных блюд. Специальные блюда. Диетическое питание в целом
Language:
English
Keywords:
qualimetry, quality indicators, school meals, organoleptic evaluation, scoring
Abstract (English):
The analysis of school food rations was carried out in terms of satisfaction of schoolchildren and their legal representatives, as well as the state control bodies and representatives of the companies providing food services in schools in the quality, assortment, as well as in physiological needs. A questionnaire was developed to analyze the re-quests of potential consumers. The expert method of full pairwise comparison established the priority requirements of the consumers: the requirement not expressed during the survey regarding the absence of fish bones in the finished product and the expressed requirement about the presence of natural components in the food composition. The actual percentage consumption of school menu dishes was established on the example of schoolchildren in the Kaliningrad region. Based on the conducted qualimetric forecasting, recipes and technology for manufacturing a line of fish products were developed for including into the diet of schoolchildren both at school canteens and through a retail network for cooking at home.
The analysis of school food rations was carried out in terms of satisfaction of schoolchildren and their legal representatives, as well as the state control bodies and representatives of the companies providing food services in schools in the quality, assortment, as well as in physiological needs. A questionnaire was developed to analyze the re-quests of potential consumers. The expert method of full pairwise comparison established the priority requirements of the consumers: the requirement not expressed during the survey regarding the absence of fish bones in the finished product and the expressed requirement about the presence of natural components in the food composition. The actual percentage consumption of school menu dishes was established on the example of schoolchildren in the Kaliningrad region. Based on the conducted qualimetric forecasting, recipes and technology for manufacturing a line of fish products were developed for including into the diet of schoolchildren both at school canteens and through a retail network for cooking at home.
Keywords:
qualimetry, quality indicators, school meals, organoleptic evaluation, scoring
qualimetry, quality indicators, school meals, organoleptic evaluation, scoring
Introduction
A rapid growth, physical and mental development of children and adolescents, combined with a signifi-cant neuropsychic load due to an intensive learning process, which, starting from the age of 6, predeter-mine the need for a constant intake of a complex of all essential and nonessential nutrients with food, including proteins and amino acids, fats and fatty acids, various classes of carbohydrates, including dietary fiber, micronutrients (vitamins and vitamin-like substances, mineral salts and trace elements), bioflavonoids, nucleotides, etc. This requirement can only be met providing properly organized, rational (healthy, optimal, balanced) nutrition of children in preschool and school institutions and at home.
The rational nutrition of children and adolescents in organized groups is a system of requirements that can be briefly formulated as follows:
1. When forming school food rations, the energy value should be adequate to the energy consumption
of modern children and adolescents.
2. Substantiation of the ratio for all nonessential and irreplaceable nutrients, including proteins and amino acids, dietary fats and fatty acids, various classes of carbohydrates, vitamins and vitamin-like substances, mineral salts and microelements according to the level of physiological needs of this age group.
3. Systematic intake with food of the most impor-tant minor components: natural antioxidants, nucleo-tides, etc.
4. Compliance with the principles of biodiversity in the preparation of the diet.
5. Compliance with the interval between meals.
6. Technological processing modes aimed at maximum preservation of the original nutritional value and high taste indicators.
7. Accounting for the individual characteristics
of children (including their intolerance to certain foods and dishes).
8. Ensuring sanitary and epidemiological safety
of all processes of the product life cycle.
However, analysis of the state of nutrition of chil-dren in school organizations, which has been carried out on an ongoing basis in the past few years, as well as an analysis of a sociological study on the satisfac-tion of students and their parents with the organization and quality of nutrition in educational organizations, indicates significant deviations from these principles [1-4].
The state authorities and Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation have done a lot of work in terms
of ensuring the safety and balance of school meals. However, some food organizers, due to objective rea-sons, most often practically exclude fish dishes from the diet. The specific contingent of those who eat dic-tates special requirements for the taste, aroma and appearance of products. All these indicators form an organoleptic characteristic. Methods for organoleptic evaluation are selected depending on the objectives
of the study [5-10].
A critical factor in all sensory methods is the accu-racy and objectivity of measurements, as well as the appropriate interpretation of the results of these meas-urements, so that they can be analyzed objectively and arbitrary interpretation of the data obtained can be avoided. Through the process of data digitization, sensory evaluation becomes a quantitative science using statistical analysis, numerical modeling and forecasting.
The relevance of using objective methods for as-sessing the desirability of certain healthy foods in the diet of schoolchildren is beyond doubt.
Thus, the purpose of this study is to form a “house of quality” that allows to establish the relationship between consumer requirements for fish products, its quality characteristics and the requirements of regula-tory and technical documents.
Objects and methods of research
The objects of the study are minced fish products with the addition of products of plant and animal ori-gin, questionnaires of potential consumers and their legal representatives.
Research methods of determining organoleptic in-dicators are applied, according to GOST 7631-2008 “Fish, non-fish objects and products from them. Meth-ods for determining organoleptic and physical indica-tors”, determination of the mass fraction of moisture, protein, fat according to GOST 7636 “Fish, marine mammals, marine invertebrates and products of their processing. Methods of Analysis”. Design methods “House of Quality” [11].
Results and discussion
The results of the organoleptic evaluation of prod-ucts can be quantified by means of dimensionless numbers, commonly known as “scores”. A set of nu-merical values that combines the assessment of prod-uct properties in a given quality range forms a scoring scale. The method of scales is widely used due to its information capabilities and a large number of scales due to their various modifications. At the same time, the application of this method gave a large number
of doubtful and even erroneous results due to unjusti-fiably free circulation in the choice of scales, in the process of changing their range and content, in the statistical analysis of the results [12].
For sensory analysis, interval scales are most often used. Interval scoring scales differ in the number
of points used to evaluate the product, the quality range of the object under study, the method of assign-ing points, the verbal description of each quality level corresponding to a certain number of points, the method of overall evaluation of the product, the pres-ence or absence of coefficients of significance of indi-vidual organoleptic features. The significance coeffi-cient reflects the value assigned to individual indica-tors in assessing the overall quality.
Significance coefficients differ in value depending on the type of product, the country where they are installed, and other factors. The choice of significance factors is at the discretion of those responsible for quality control.
A five-point scale has become the most widely used scale in the practice of organoleptic evaluation. In particular, it is widely used in the assessment of fresh, frozen and canned fish and fish semi-finished products and culinary products. The use of a five-point scale allows a taster with average sensory sensitivity and experience to obtain fairly accurate results. A variant of a simple five-point scale is shown in Table 1.
Table 1
A variant of the five-point scale for assessing food quality
Verbal characteristic of quality Quality percentage Score
Excellent 80-100 5
Good 60-80 4
Average 40-60 3
Unsatisfactory 20-40 2
Very bad 0-20 1
When using a five-point system for a comparative evaluation of several samples, tasters may need to obtain a more differentiated assessment of them, for example, a half-point value, or express their attitude to the product in addition to the assessment of points with plus or minus signs. The five-point assessment system can be recognized as the main or reference.
Using extensive research experience in the field
of sensory assessment [12] of product quality, a five-point scale was developed to assess the quality of semi-finished fish and culinary products. This scale is double, i. e. contains positive and negative deviations from some average product quality and a verbal de-scription of each quality level. At the same time, gradually increasing positive quality indicators (from a product
of average quality to ideal) are located at the top of the table, and negative ones (from medium to very poor) – at the bottom. When developing the scale for organoleptic evaluation the following indicators were taken as the main ones: appearance, aroma, taste, texture, color. Each indicator has 5 levels of quality: optimal quality
5 points, very good – 4, acceptable (but undesirable) – 3, unacceptable – points 2 or 1 (Table 2).
Table 2
General characteristics of evaluation steps (for all product features)
Number of points Characteristics of the assessment steps
5 According to the corresponding feature, the product is characterized positively; no noticeable flaws or defects found
4 The product has minor flaws or defects that have little or no negative effect on the taste of the product
3 The product has flaws or defects, but the product meets the minimum requirements of the standard
2 Deficiencies or defects are found in the product, as a result of which, although the product does not meet the minimum requirements of the standard, it does not lose its suitability for consumption and, although it is no longer marketable, after appropriate processing it can still be used under certain conditions
1 The product is found to be so severely defective that it must be considered spoiled and, in any case not suitable for human consumption
The scoring system for determining product quality ensures clarity and uniformity of judgments, comparability of data, smoothes out the subjectivity of organoleptic evaluation.
The overall organoleptic evaluation of product quality is expressed as a total score, if the individual properties of the product are evaluated by points with-out a significance factor:
Х = Х1 + Х2 + Х3 + ... + Хn,
where Х – overall product quality in points; Х1, Х2,
Х3, …, Хn – scores given for each indicator.
When using a score with significance coefficients, the total score is calculated by dividing the sum of the product of scores by the significance coefficient
of each indicator by the sum of these coefficients:
Х = (К1 ∙ Х1 + К2 ∙ Х2 + К3 ∙ Х3 + ... + Кn ∙ Хn) / К,
where К1, К2, К3, …, Кn – significance coefficients; Х1, Х2, Х3, Хn – scores given for each indicator;
К – sum of significance coefficients.
An important element of the sensory study of food is the unambiguous description of perceived proper-ties. The concepts used to characterize perceived prop-erties should preclude or at least limit the possibility of their different interpretations. This implies the re-quirement to use standard concepts in the sensory study of food products. Practice has shown that it is impossible to obtain a generally recognized clear and unambiguous description of organoleptic features in the absence
of unification of the terms expressing them [5-10].
It is important to develop a questionnaire to assess the organoleptic characteristics of products and iden-tify consumer preferences (Table 3).
Table 3
Formation of a questionnaire to analyze the requests of potential consumers
Poll parameter Versions of answers
Age (if a student answers) 7-11
11-14
14-18
Relationships (if not a student answers) Mother/Father
Grandmother/Grandfather
Brother/Sister
Guardian
What foods students eat most often at school Brings home cooked food
Brings what his parents bought
Brings what he bought
Buys food cooked at the school canteen
Buys food at the school cafeteria
How often a student east fish products (dishes) More than 3 times a week
2 times per week
1 time per week
1 time per month
Doesn't eat fish
What qualities of fish products (dishes) are negative for you A specific fishy smell
Small bones
Allergic reaction
What characteristics need to be changed in order for fish products (dish) to cause a desire to eat Attractive color (not grey)
In appearance, it resembles a product (dish) from meat or poultry
Product (dish) made from minced meat or fillet (easily eaten)
What characteristics should an “ideal” fish product (dish) have? Useful products (the natural beneficial characteristics of fish are preserved as much as possible)
No preservatives
No artificial colors and flavor enhancers;
The products (dishes) include only natural ingredients
In the production of products heat treatment is used, with the exception of frying or deep-frying and smoking
Justification of the product parameters for school meals should consist of two parts of equal importance. First, the requirements of sanitary and regulatory documentation for food products for schoolchildren, taking into account the requirements for a balanced healthy diet. Second, it is the taste preference of schoolchildren, their organoleptic expectations from the products offered.
An important factor is that, in fact, a potential consumer is deprived of the opportunity to choose food products. Quality management plays a major role in assessing the level of attractiveness of products for children and adolescents. It can both maintain quality at the required level and improve it. Increasing expectations
of potential consumers leads to the fact that the concept of continuous improvement is increasingly used, which is directly dependent on the tools and methodologies used to manage and improve quality.
One of the goals of quality management methods is sufficient simplicity and visualization of solutions.
A fairly simple and well-known quality improvement technique - Quality Function Deployment (QFD) meth-odology - is a project of Japanese scientists that allows to translate the expected ever-increasing needs of food consumers into the detailed basic and additional characteristics of the products under study; the goal of this design is using the matrix “House of quality” (quality house) [11]. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is
a methodology for the systematic and structured transformation of the wishes of schoolchildren into quality requirements for fish dishes made in an industrial setting or in a school cafeteria. In accordance with the proposed QFD methodology, the wishes of schoolchildren and their parents are established, namely: color, taste, smell and texture. However, on the part of the state responsible for the health of the younger generation, important factors are: safety, absence of preservatives, flavors, dyes and production cost.
To identify the reliability of the applied categories of indicators, special questionnaires were developed and interviews were conducted with both potential consumers and their legal representatives, state control bodies and representatives of companies providing food services in schools.
The starting point is the official requirements for ensuring the normalized nutrient sufficiency estab-lished in the norms of physiological need [13].
In the course of the research, an assessment was made of the quality of fish dishes. In a comparative analysis, as a control sample, fish cakes were made according to traditional technology using wheat bread. All samples received satisfactory results, but two sam-ples differed significantly in organoleptic characteris-tics, which received the highest score and the lowest score.
The results of studying the requests of potential consumers made it possible to divide the requirements into three groups.
The first group – implied:
– absence of a distinct fishy smell;
– absence of gray tones in the color range of fin-ished products;
– absence of fish bones in the finished product.
The second group – unconscious:
– resembles meat or poultry products in appear-ance;
– no negative effects on the body (allergic reac-tions);
– ease of use (it is possible to eat without a knife, as knives are not always available in the school cafeteria).
The third group – expressed:
– useful (preservation of the native properties
of the components included in the composition);
– no preservatives;
– no dyes or flavor enhancers;
– natural ingredients;
– mild heat treatment;
– aesthetically attractive look.
Consumers’ requirements were prioritized. To do this, we used the expert method of full pairwise match-ing. As a result of the comparison, the most important requirement of the consumer turned out to be (the requirement that he did not express during the survey) the absence of fish bones in the finished product and the stated requirement – the presence of natural ingre-dients in the composition (Table 4).
Table 4
Prioritized customers’ requirements
Consumers’ require-ments Natural Ingredients Lack
of fish bones No preserva-tives or flavor en-hancers Ease
of use of prod-ucts Utility Gentle heat treatment Lack of
a distinct fishy odor Aesthetic appear-ance Product color range
Significance coefficients 0.3 0.1 0.03 0.09 0.15 0.13 0.08 0.07 0.03
As a result of the analysis of personal data and the established coefficients of significance, a “house
of quality” was built, shown in the figure. The pre-sented relationships allow us to correlate consumer requirements for fish products, which should be im-plemented in the menu of school canteens, with the requirements of regulatory documents and technical parameters of products, as well as to establish the rela-tionship between product characteristics.
Quantitative values of indicators have been estab-lished, which fish dishes should have for schoolchil-dren in order to meet the predicted consumer prefer-ences (Table 5).
Table 5
Quality indicators of fish products for schoolchildren for one meal (lunch)
Chemical composition Cutlets from minced white fish Cutlets from a combination of minced
white/red fish
Mass fraction of protein %, not less than 8.0 8.0
Mass fraction of fat %, not less than 1.0 5.5
Mass fraction of carbohydrates %, not less than 5.0 5.0
Energy value, kcal, not more than 180 180
Picture Preference Matrix “House of Quality”
Analysis of the relationship between quality indica-tors and the importance of the parameters of percep-tion of the product by the consumer made it possible to choose the appropriate optimum in quantitative terms
of indicators that most accurately characterize the quality of the final product. The choice of indicators was also influenced by the possibility of achieving important characteristics for the consumer, while the costs had to be minimized. As a result, areas for im-provement were identified. Creating a product range for schoolchildren has a number of limitations, primar-ily related to the inability to use various technological aids (preservatives, flavor enhancers, flavors and dyes).
Conclusion
Thus, the direction of improving the parameters
of products has been chosen, which ensures using the affordable and healthy natural ingredients. Particular attention is required to the development of technologi-cal regimes to ensure the absence of bones in the fin-ished product.
After a systematic analysis of the resource provi-sion of qualitative and quantitative indicators of the composition of fish raw materials, taking into account the requirements for food products for schoolchildren and the identified consumer preferences, it was de-cided to make minced products from frozen cod, hake and pollock as objects of study.
Based on the conducted qualimetric forecasting, recipes and technology for manufacturing a line of fish products were developed for inclusion in the diet
of schoolchildren both in school canteens and through a retail network for cooking at home for this category of the population.
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