Perfil consumidor e avaliação sensorial de ovos de galinhas submetidas a dietas com diferentes extratos vegetais

Abstract

Considered a complete food, eggs stand out for their high nutritional quality, low cost and wide acceptance among consumers. The growing demand for safe foods free from synthetic additives has driven the adoption of natural alternatives in animal feed. In this context, the use of plant extracts, rich in bioactive compounds, has been gaining prominence due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potential, becoming a promising strategy for improving egg quality and promoting bird welfare. In view of this, the aim of this research was to evaluate the consumer profile and sensory effects of including plant extracts of moringa (Moringa oleifera), mastruz (Dysphania ambrosioides L.) and melão-de-são-caetano (Momordica charantia L.) in the diet of laying hens, with a focus on the organoleptic characteristics of the eggs produced. Initially, a structured questionnaire containing 9 questions was used to characterize the consumption profile of the interviewees, and was applied in person to 50 people of different age groups, recruited at random, at the Macaíba Campus of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. The same people then carried out the sensory analysis of the eggs, and were distributed in a completely randomized design, with four treatments (control, moringa, mastruz and melão-de-são-caetano) and 50 repetitions. For each repetition, ¼ of an egg from each treatment was used. The sensory attributes of appearance, aroma, texture, taste and overall evaluation were assessed using a five-point hedonic scale and purchase preference using a paired comparison test. The results of the hedonic scale were submitted to analysis of variance and Tukey's test (P<0.05), and the paired comparison using the Minimum Number of Coincident Responses Table, at 5% probability. Consumers (60%) indicated daily consumption, knowledge of the nutritional value of eggs (76%) and low perception of sensory changes with the length of time eggs are stored (54%). In addition, 58% of consumers did not store their eggs properly and 18% reported washing them before storage. In the sensory analysis, no significant differences were observed between the treatments for any of the attributes evaluated, nor in the preference between the samples (P>0.05). It can be concluded that although the extracts have aromatic compounds with expressive odors to the human sense of smell, these were not transmitted to the eggs in a way that could be perceived by the evaluators, so these extracts can be used as natural additives in the feed of laying birds without causing damage to the organoleptic characteristics of the eggs.