Nutrition & Food Science

Colour and appearance of chilled mousse: a factorial study of ingredient and processing effects
Nazlin Imram
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Nazlin Imram, (1999),"Colour and appearance of chilled mousse: a factorial study of ingredient and processing effects",
Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 99 Iss 1 pp. 19 - 23
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Colour and appearance
of chilled mousse: a
factorial study of
ingredient and
processing effects
Nazlin Imram
The author
Nazlin Imram is a PhD Student in the Department of
Downloaded by LINNEUNIVERSITETET At 19:57 20 June 2016 (PT)
Applied Consumer Studies, Queen Margaret College,
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Keywords
Consumer attitudes, Food, Taste
Abstract
Investigates the effects of ingredients and processing
procedure on colour and appearance properties of chilled
dairy dessert products, namely mousse. Chilled mousse
products were formulated via a factorial design involving
several ingredients and processing factors. Sixteen
formulated dairy dessert mousses were presented to a
trained sensory panel. A screening experiment was carried
via a fractional factorial design involving eight factors at
two levels. The effects were examined by means of
graphical half normal plots using the software Design Ease
(Stat-Ease Inc., USA). Five factors were identified as being
the more significant factors which were cream level (CRE),
mix time (MIX), blue (BLU), yellow (YEL) and red (RED)
colouring agent levels. A further full factorial formulation
design was carried out involving four factors: CRE, MIX,
BLU, RYR (ratio of red to yellow additive) in a series of
sensory perception experiments. Results verified by
multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that
it was the level of cream and colouring agents that were
the most significant factors (p<0.001) affecting colour and
appearance aspects of chilled mousse.
Nutrition & Food Science
Number 1 · January/February 1999 · pp. 19–23
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0034-6659
19
Introduction
The food product system under investigation
in this study is a dairy dessert gel formulation
not unlike that of the mousse. Mousse is a
culinary term derived from a French word
meaning frothy or foamy. It is an aerated
dessert with a structure supported by foam
stabilisers. It is traditionally a whipped high-
fat milk product which is stable at ambient
temperature. Traditionally, mousse was made
of flavoured cream, milk or purée base and
thickened with egg yolks and stiffly beaten egg
whites. Sweet mousses may be frozen to
resemble ice cream or may be served cold as a
dessert. Currently, this dessert is being pro-
duced on a large scale industrially with the
typical composition of industrially manufac-
tured mousse differing from the home made
versions.
In industrially manufactured mousse, the
product would typically be based on cream,
skimmed milk, skimmed milk powder, sugar,
emulsifier or stabiliser, flavourings and
colourings. Andreasen and Nielsen (1992)
report that the fat content of mousse may vary
from 0 to 12 per cent and above. Foam struc-
tures vary from open to closed with a fine air
cell distribution. Fat-free mousse will have a
very closed structure while high fat mousse
will be a more open structured product. The
physical structure of the product would inad-
vertently affect its visual structure.
Mousse sugar content may vary between 8
to 15 per cent. Below 8 per cent sugar,
mousse becomes insipid. Total solids content
is often kept at a minimum of 31 per cent in
order to obtain good body and consistency. If
the fat content, milk solids (non fat) and sugar
level are kept low, then total solids content
can be manipulated (Andreasen and Nielsen,
1992). Milk solids (non-fat) consists of pro-
teins, lactose and minerals with the main
component being protein. Milk proteins can
act both as emulsifiers and as water and fat
binders in food (Baardseth et al., 1992).
The use of emulsifier or stabilisers makes it
possible to regulate and control parameters
such as: air distribution, creaminess, smooth-
ness and brittleness. Emulsifiers enhance
emulsions by reducing the surface tension.
Emulsifiers commonly used in dairy mousse
are mono diglycerides of fatty acids and lactic
acid esters of mono glycerides. Stabilisers
have an immobilising effect on water by form-
ing hydrogen bonds. These would include
 Colour and appearance of chilled mousse
Nazlin Imram
gelatine, alginate, carrageenan, microcys-
talline, modified starch and pectin. Gelatine
serves to increase the viscosity of the cream.
Colour and appearance properties of a
food product comprise several different
aspects. Such aspects may include colour,
gloss and opacity, visual structure, visual
texture and visual flavour attributes (Imram,
1988). Aspects of colour and appearance have
been known to influence consumer percep-
tion of a product (Clydesdale, 1993; Hutch-
ings, 1994). Rolls et al. (1982) claim that the
manipulation of colour in some products can
also be used to enhance intake and sales. This
is especially pertinent when the appearance of
the food product is displayed during sale.
Thus, the investigation into the factors that
affect the colour and appearance aspects of
chilled mousse is relevant in that it will pro-
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vide food formulators with information on the
factors to manipulate in order to achieve a
desired colour and appearance within mousse
products and other products of similar gel
structure.
Materials and methods
Sample preparation and processing
Raw materials and ingredients
The ingredients used in the formulation
procedures were cream, granulated sugar, a
vegetable-based gelling agent, skimmed milk
powder, a Supercook black food dye (liquid
form), artificial water soluble colouring
agents; Kingfisher Quinoline Yellow, King-
fisher Ponceau and Kingfisher Brilliant Blue
(powder form) and water.
Experimental design
There were two stages involved in the experi-
mental design, the initial trial or screening
stage and the main formulation stage. The
formulation trials aimed to efficiently narrow
down the critical factors that significantly
affected the visual properties of chilled dairy
dessert gels from a collection of many poten-
tial factors.
The trial formulation stage involved the use
of a fractional factorial design. There were
eight factors studied which included levels of
cream (CRE), gelling agent (GEL), sugar
(SUG), ratio of skimmed milk to black dye
(SKM), red (RED), blue (BLU) and yellow
colouring agents (YEL) and mixing time
(MIX). Each factor was studied at two levels
(low and high).
20
Nutrition & Food Science
Number 1 · January/February 1999 · 19–23
A fractional factorial design allowed for the
investigation of these eight factors at two
levels in 16 trials which is a quarter of the full
factorial of 64 trials. Since the full factorial
experiment was not run, two factor interac-
tions could not be independently estimated.
However, the main objective of this experi-
ment was to study the main effects of each
factor. Fractional factorial designs are able to
manage the data such that the effects that are
expected to be important are not confused
with each other (Joglekar and May, 1987).
A factorial design was preferred over the
“one variable at a time” approach as the
factorial design enabled all the possible inter-
actions between the factors to be studied
while employing a reduced number of trials.
The costs and time of experimentation was
considerably reduced while still managing to
achieve the project objective.
Main formulation stage
The second stage which followed in the for-
mulation procedure was the main formulation
stage. It involved a complete factorial design
with four factors. These four factors that were
studied included the levels of cream (CRE),
levels of blue colouring agent (BLU), ratio of
red: yellow colouring agent (RYR) and mixing
time (MIX). All these factors were measured
at two levels. A control sample with mid
amounts of the ingredients was produced.
Five factors had been found to be signifi-
cantly important in affecting the colour and
appearance aspects of chilled mousse colour-
ing agents. However, a full four-factor factori-
al design was run for this series of experiments
over four replicates. The panel was presented
with 16 samples over two blocks, i.e. sessions.
This was because the panel exhibited visual
fatigue if the sample numbers were increased.
As such, the experiment was carried out
within these constraints. In order for a full
factorial to be carried out, only four factors
could be considered. The factors RED and
YEL were combined in order to incorporate
both these factors into the investigation. RYR
at low level would indicate that the yellow
colourant would be dominant while RYR at
high level would indicate that red was domi-
nant. There was always an interaction of
colours between RYR and BLU. It must be
noted that none of the samples was com-
pletely blue, red nor yellow. The 16 samples
comprised peach, light green or yellow-green
and light purple colours.
 Colour and appearance of chilled mousse Nutrition & Food Science
Nazlin Imram Number 1 · January/February 1999 · 19–23

The factorial design for both formulation were sealed in 5.5oz plastic containers
stages were generated using the software labelled with random three digit codes. The
Design Ease and the formulation run orders mousse were chilled in a refrigerator at 4°C
were automatically randomised. overnight.

Sensory evaluation
The sensory analysis was performed by a
sensory panel trained solely in visual profiling
(Imram, 1988). The sensory panel consisted
of 17 trained panellists. A continuous uncate-
gorised line scale was used for evaluation. The
left of the scale corresponded to the lowest
intensity of each attribute while the right side
of the scale corresponded to the highest inten-
sity of each attribute. The panel scored the
samples using the TASTE system (Reading
Scientific Services Ltd). The attributes evalu-
ated were:
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Results
Identification of critical factors at the
screening stage
Half normal plots were used to identify the
critical factors involved in affecting the colour
and appearance attributes of the dessert gel
formulations. This method is considered
effective in identifying statistically significant
factors when there are a minimum of 16 trials
(Joglekar and May, 1987) as is the case with
this study. If the factors and its interactions
are statistically insignificant, i.e. due to instru-
mental error or distributed normally, then the

(1) colour identity;

(2) colour strength; data will fall along a straight line from the
(3) colour uniformity; origin. Figure 1 shows an example of factors
(4) lightness; having a statistically insignificant effect on the
(5) naturalness; attribute, savouriness. Significant effects can
(6) vividness; be identified when they are found on the right
(7) glossiness; of this line. Figure 2 illustrates the effect of
(8) gloss uniformity; cream level on the attribute graininess, while
(9) opaqueness; Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the effect of
(10) opacity uniformity; colourants on the attributes colour strength
(11) graininess; and lightness respectively.
(12) structural uniformity; Half normal plots were analysed using
(13) firmness; Design Ease and it was found that CRE,
(14) wobbliness; BLU, RED, YEL and MIX were the more
(15) creaminess; significant factors of the eight factors studied
(16) frothiness; in most of the two descriptors analysed by the
(17) stickiness; trained panel.
(18) thickness;
(19) surface dryness;
(20) general wateriness; Figure 1 Half normal plot of the lack of effects of factors
(21) sweetness; on “savouriness”
(22) sourness; Normal % Prob
(23) butteriness;
(24) fruitiness; 99
(25) flavour identity; and
95
(26) flavour intensity. 90
Attributes 1 to 6 are colour attributes, 7 to 10 80
70
are gloss and opacity attributes, 11 to 20 are
50
visual texture attributes while 21 to 26 are
visual flavour attributes. 30
20
The panel was trained for the visual char-
10
acteristics of the product before the screening 5
trials started.
All the samples were presented in sealed 1
plastic containers. So no hint of odour or lack
of it would be released to the trained panellists 0.000 0.250 0.500 0.750 1.000
visually evaluating the products. The mousse Effect

21
 Colour and appearance of chilled mousse Nutrition & Food Science
Nazlin Imram Number 1 · January/February 1999 · 19–23

Figure 2 Half normal plot of the effect of CRE on Figure 4 Half normal plot of the effect of RED and CRE on
“graininess” “lightness”
Half Normal % Prob Half Normal % Prob

99 99

97 97 CRE
CRE
95 95

90 90 RED
85 85
80 80

70 70
60 60

40 40

20 20

0 10
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0.000 14.505 29.010 43.516 58.021 0.000 3.948 7.896 11.844 15.792
Effect Effect

Mean values for each of the four replicate

Figure 3 Half normal plot of the effect of YEL on “colour sessions were calculated. Manova (Pillais
strength” statistics) on this data set showed that there
Half Normal % Prob were significant factor effects caused by CRE
(F = 7.02, DF = 26, p<0.001), BLU
(F = 36.54, DF = 26, p<0.001) and RYR
99
(F = 12.28, DF = 26, p<0.001). A significant
two-way interaction effect caused by BLU-
97 YEL RYR (F = 12.24, DF = 26, p<0.001) was also
95
found. MIX was not found to have a signifi-
90 cant effect on the visual attributes. Table I lists
85 the attributes which were affected by the
80 factors.
70
60 Table I Factors’ effects on the colour and appearance attributes

Factors Attributes affected

40
1. Cream level (CRE) Opacity, Firmness, Wobbliness,
20 Frothiness, Stickiness, Thickness,
10 Surface dryness, General
wateriness and butteriness
0.000 6.917 13.833 20.750 27.667
Effect
2. Blue colourant level (BLU) Colour identity, Lightness,
Naturalness, Creaminess,
Sweetness, Sourness, Butteriness
Multivariate analysis of variance and Fruitiness
(Manova)
3. Ratio of red to yellow Colour identity, Colour strength,
Manova was carried out on the data from the
colourant (RYR) Vividness, Butteriness, and
main formulation stage. Strong assessor and
Flavour intensity
sample effect was observed over all attributes.
There was also assessor by sample interaction 4. Interaction between BLU Colour identity, Lightness,
effects for some attributes. A rank interaction and RYR Naturalness, Vividness,
test was then carried out and found to be Sweetness, Butteriness,
satisfactory. Fruitiness and Flavour intensity

22
 Colour and appearance of chilled mousse
Nazlin Imram
Discussion
Colour is only one of the more obvious and
more researched aspects of appearance. Other
visually perceived attributes are perhaps less
obvious but have equally important roles in
forming the total appearance of a food
product. These are aspects of gloss and
opacity, visual texture and visual flavour
(Hutchings, 1994).
The effect of ingredients on colour, gloss
and opacity
The effect of colouring agents on colour
attributes were not surprising in that most of
the colour attributes were significantly affect-
ed by the colourants. However, colouring
agents did not appear to have any significant
effect on gloss and opacity. Cream levels did
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appear to have a significant effect on opacity.
The influence of ingredients on visual
texture
Manova results indicated that the level of
cream, unsurprisingly, had an effect on sever-
al visual texture attributes. However, it was
interesting to note that the level of blue
colourant appeared to affect the perception of
creaminess amongst the trained panel.
It has been reported by MacDougall
(1988) in his study with dyed evaporated milk
that the CIELab values of lightness (L*), hue
(h*) and chroma (C*) were affected by a
change in food dye levels. These changes
affected the Kubelka-Munk absorption and
scatter coefficients (Kubelka, 1948) of the
product which in turn affected the appearance
aspects of the product. The perception of
creaminess might have been affected by the
blue colourant in a similar manner in this
case.
The influence of ingredients on visual
flavour
Colouring agents appeared to have several
significant effects on the trained panel percep-
tion of visual flavour. Manova results indicate
that the level of blue colourant has an effect
on the perception of sweetness, sourness,
butteriness and fruitiness; while the ratio of
red and yellow colourant has an effect on
butteriness and flavour intensity. According to
Manova results the interaction between these
two factors affects all the visual flavour attrib-
utes with the exception of flavour identity,
23
Nutrition & Food Science
Number 1 · January/February 1999 · 19–23
while the level of cream only appears to affect
the perception of butteriness.
Conclusion
It did appear that the manipulation of ingredi-
ents in the chilled mousse had an effect on the
perception of several aspects of appearance.
This may prove to be of particular significance
to food formulators in new product develop-
ment and the redevelopment of existing lines.
Further research is required involving actual
consumers before further deductions can be
made regarding the effects of ingredients on
quality perception. The results of this experi-
ment can be fed into further experiments
which investigate the extent of influence that
appearance exerts on the quality perception of
chilled dairy dessert products.
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