Sensory Characteristics of Probiotic-Containing Foods: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Enhancing Acceptability and Consumer Adherence

Author: mycolabadmin
12/21/2025
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Summary

This review explains why we don’t eat probiotic foods regularly even though we know they’re healthy: they often don’t taste, smell, or feel good. The authors show that improving the taste, texture, and appearance of probiotic foods can help people stick with them. They discuss how using different bacterial strains, better food formulas, and clever cooking techniques can make these foods more enjoyable while keeping their health benefits intact.

Background

Probiotic foods are consumed globally for their recognized health benefits including gut microbiota modulation and immune function enhancement. However, despite strong scientific support, adherence to probiotic consumption remains limited due to suboptimal sensory appeal and high variability in consumer expectations. Sensory attributes including flavor, aroma, texture, and appearance strongly influence purchase and habitual consumption necessary for probiotics to exert therapeutic effects.

Objective

This narrative review explores the multidimensional interplay between sensory features, consumer perception, and probiotic efficacy. The authors aim to outline how technological innovation and sensory optimization can improve product acceptability and adherence by integrating evidence from nutritional science, microbiology, sensory science, and behavioral psychology.

Results

The review identifies key sensory dimensions (flavor, aroma, texture, appearance) and technological strategies for optimization including strain selection, metabolite profiling, matrix design, and microencapsulation. Cultural factors, consumer expectations, familiarity, and cross-modal perception significantly influence probiotic food acceptance. Emerging directions include sensory-driven strain selection, omics-based flavor profiling, and personalized sensory nutrition.

Conclusion

Sensory optimization is pivotal for translating microbiome science into sustainable dietary behaviors supporting the nutrition-gut-immunity axis. Success requires integrated multidisciplinary approaches linking microbial science, sensory design, food technology, neuroscience, and consumer psychology. Harmonization of transnational legislations is needed to enable manufacturers to invest in these categories and promote global health benefits.

Published in:Nutrients,
Study Type:Narrative Review,
Source: PMID: 41515150, DOI: 10.3390/nu18010032