Effect of Pleurotus ostreatus powder addition in vegetable soup on ß‐glucan content, sensory perception, and acceptability

Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible mushroom with interesting nutritional properties, which is able to grow on agri‐food waste and could in turn be used as an ingredient for food fortification. However, new food products have to face with the growing consumer consciousness about what they eat and hedonic responses, which represent a key factor in determining food preference and choices. The aim of this study was to design a vegetable‐based product (a pumpkin and carrot soup) added with increasing concentration of P. ostreatus powder rich in β‐glucans, which are fibers with demonstrated bioactivity in humans, and to obtain a sensory description of these fortified products to find the desirable and undesirable sensory properties that affect their acceptance. A total of 109 subjects (women N = 52; men N = 57; age = 36.1 ± 14.4 years) evaluated five samples of pumpkin and carrot soup added with increasing concentrations of mushroom powder (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and a hidden control at 0%) for liking and sensory properties by means of the check‐all‐that‐apply method. Results showed that creaminess, orange color, mild odor, and taste were positively related to vegetable soups liking, whereas strong taste, dark color, and mushroom odor described the less liked samples. Sample added with 2% of mushroom powder obtained comparable liking scores to the unmodified sample, while liking decreased with increasing concentration of P. ostreatus powder. The present results demonstrated that it is possible to fortify a vegetable soup with P. ostreatus powder developing well‐accepted foods by consumers. This product could be used to implement an everyday dietary intervention of β‐glucans over a long‐term period.