Sensory and physical characterization of cream cheese and baobab spreads containing seaweed (Alaria esculenta) and effect of LAB fermentation on consumer acceptance

In Western countries, brown seaweeds as a component in a meal are not well-accepted, mainly due to their ‘fishy’ and ‘ocean-like’ flavors. Therefore, ameliorating these notes might be essential for achieving wider acceptance of minimally processed seaweeds as ingredients in foods. In this study, brown seaweed Alaria esculenta (Badderlocks) was fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) and included in two products (cream cheese and creamy baobab spread). Their sensory and physical properties were compared with those enriched with untreated (fresh frozen) and lactic acidified A. esculenta at 10 or 15 % (w/w) in these foods. Consumer testing (n = 160) was conducted on cream cheese, comparing the overall liking of those with 10 % untreated to those with 10 % fermented A. esculenta flakes. In the sensory test, the spreads containing untreated seaweed had a stronger ‘seafood-like’ flavor and ‘harbor-like’ odor than those with fermented seaweed. The spreads’ texture and color varied, but pH, water activity, and moisture remained relatively constant during storage. The participants liked the cream cheese with the fermented seaweed more than the one with untreated seaweed. These findings support that seaweed fermentation is a promising processing route for developing new, functional seaweed-based foods with broader consumer acceptance.