Sensory attributes that drive consumer acceptability of dry-cured ham and convergence with trained sensory data

The paper investigates the degree of convergence between trained panelists and consumers with regard to overall quality assessment and acceptability, respectively. In particular, the main sensory drivers used by both groups of assessors in their valuations, are investigated: first, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is applied to identify main dimensions underlying sensory data, and second, the external preference mapping (PREFMAP) technique, that regress consumers’ hedonic valuations on the PCA sensory dimensions, is applied. A total of eight samples of dry-cured ham was analysed by 14 trained panelists and 213 consumers in a northern city of Spain (Zaragoza). The results showed that both, consumers and trained panelists make use of the same sensory attributes to elicit their assessments, which are crumbliness, softness, flavour and sweetness. However, trained assessors are able to discriminate better the quality across ham samples, as we would expect, according to a higher degree of expertise. Interestingly, the PREFMAP technique showed a certain degree of heterogeneity in consumers’ preferences, highlighting clusters with opposite liking trends.     

Consumers’ acceptability of cured ham in Spain and the influence of information

The paper aims at studying consumers’ acceptability of cured ham. A Double Censored Tobit is applied, in order to first, evaluate to what extent the information conveyed by an array of observable characteristics (origin, quality certification label, brand and breed) affects consumers’ hedonic valuation of cured ham in both, blind and informed experimental conditions; and second, estimate the influence of some individuals’ traits on their preference towards specific ham attributes. In particular, we study if personal rooting in the region and store loyalty leads to a better hedonic valuation of regionally produced ham and store brands, respectively. Iberian breed and the own regional origin are the most influential attributes in blind and informed scores, while a foreign origin is further penalized when recognized. The Quality Certification Label (PDO, PGI or TSG) conveys valuable information to consumers only in some specific cases (ej. PDO Teruel), while the Distributors’ brand, when attached to superior quality categories, has a higher impact on overall liking than a Producers’ brand. The cognitive component of the origin Teruel as a cue for quality prevails over the affective component while no relationship has been found between store loyalty and the hedonic valuation of store brand.     

Consumers' preferences for beef in the Spanish region of Extremadura: a study using conjoint analysis

The study of consumers' preferences is of great interest in the beef sector, where the BSE crisis generated deep changes in the basic conditions of demand for meat and in the behaviour of consumers. Previous qualitative research showed that ‘price’, ‘origin’, ‘production system’ and ‘labelling’ were the main attributes affecting preferences for beef in Extremadura (SW Spain). The data were obtained by a survey carried out between February and April 2002 with a sample of 575 regular consumers of beef. Conjoint Analysis has been used to estimate the relative importance of those attributes and to determine the existence of consumer segments with similar preference profiles. Results show that the origin of the product is the most important attribute for the choice of beef, followed by quality labelling, production system and price. Three groups of consumers were identified through cluster analysis, according to their preferences for beef. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lipid and protein oxidation and sensory properties of vacuum-packaged dry-cured ham subjected to high hydrostatic pressure

The effect of HHP treatment (600 MPa) on the oxidative stability of lipids and proteins of vacuum-packaged Iberian dry-cured ham and the impact on the sensory characteristics of the product was investigated. In order to assess how different commercial presentations are affected by HHP treatment, three different presentations of vacuum-packaged Iberian dry-cured ham were considered, namely, (i) intact format (IF) corresponding to non-sliced vacuum-packaged dry-cured ham, (ii) conventional-sliced format (CSF) corresponding to dry-cured ham slices placed stretched out in the package and (iii) alternative-sliced format (ASF) corresponding to dry-cured ham slices piled up horizontally. The oxidation of dry-cured ham lipids and proteins was enhanced by HHP-treatment with the presentation being highly influential on these oxidative reactions. Pre-slicing dry-cured ham results in a more susceptible product to oxidative reactions during pressurisation and subsequent refrigerated storage. Possible mechanisms, by which HHP-induced oxidative reactions would affect particular sensory traits in vacuum-packaged Iberian dry-cured ham such as colour, texture and flavour attributes, are discussed.     

A stated preference analysis comparing the Analytical Hierarchy Process versus Choice Experiments

Our paper compares individual preferences for attributes and levels of an agro-food product using two different methodologies. A key question is whether different results are obtained when asking consumers what they “prefer” versus what they would “buy”. Within this context, we compare empirical results obtained from Choice Experiments (CE) versus the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) due to their capacity to simulate the “purchasing” and “theoretical” stated preferences, respectively. We utilize a survey of restaurateurs’ stated preferences to include rabbit meat in their menus in Catalonia (Spain) in this exploratory study. Results demonstrate similarities and differences in the stated preferences for attributes and attribute levels with a 55.6% coincidence in their ranking between methods. Utility variation between levels in both approaches follows a similar shape for two of the three analyzed attributes.     

Preferences for lamb meat: A choice experiment for Spanish consumers

This paper analyzes consumers' preferences for different lamb meat attributes using a choice experiment. In particular, preferences for the type of commercial lamb meat (“Ternasco” and “Suckling”) and the origin of production (locally produced “Ojinegra from Teruel”) were evaluated. Moreover, we endogenously identify consumers' segments based on consumers' preferences for the analyzed attributes. Data come from a survey administrated in Spain during 2009. A latent class model was used to estimate the effect of the attributes on consumer utility, derive the willingness to pay and determine consumers' segments. Results suggest that consumers' preferences for both attributes are heterogeneous and two homogenous consumers' segments were detected. The largest segment (79%) did not value any of the analyzed attributes while the smaller one (21%) valued both of them positively. In particular, consumers in this second segment are willing to pay an extra premium for the “Ternasco” lamb meat, around double the premium they are willing to pay for the locally produced lamb meat “Ojinegra from Teruel”.     

Influence of sensory characteristics on the acceptability of dry-cured ham

The influence of different sensory attributes on the acceptability of dry-cured Iberian ham was studied. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that juiciness and several flavour traits were the major attributes positively influencing acceptability of dry-cured Iberian ham, whereas yellowness of the fat, dryness and fibrousness showed a negative influence. Using stepwise multivariate regression, juiciness and flavour intensity were the two traits that better explained the acceptability of dry-cured ham, the linear model obtained showing a regression coefficient of 0.526. The regression coefficient of acceptability with juiciness and flavour intensity was higher using a piecewise linear regression model (R²=0.759) showing, therefore, a discontinuous relationship between these variables. However, results on product acceptability have been obtained using trained panellists and it might be possible that the use of a consumer panel would change these conclusions.     

Functional and organic eggs as an alternative to conventional production: a conjoint analysis of consumers' preferences

BACKGROUND: In the current context of growing consumer demand for foodstuffs that are healthy and safe and that are obtained in a manner respectful to the welfare of animals, the analysis of consumer preferences towards attributes of this type takes on particular importance. These trends are especially clear in the case of the consumption of eggs because of their strong negative association with cholesterol levels and their extremely intensive systems of production. The introduction of variants that are more in harmony with current consumer demands represents an interesting market alternative. RESULTS: The present study was aimed at investigating the preferences of Spanish consumers for these alternative types of egg that are entering the market. The survey was conducted with 361 consumers from October 2007 to March 2008. The conjoint analysis allowed us to estimate the relative importance of the main attributes that affect consumer preferences for eggs and to distinguish segments of consumers with similar preference profiles. CONCLUSION: It was found that price is the most important attribute determining consumer preferences, followed by the hens' feed and their rearing conditions. It was also found that only some groups of consumers are willing to pay the premium necessary for alternative methods of production. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Estimation of the genetic admixture composition of Iberian dry-cured ham samples using DNA multilocus genotypes

Under current Spanish regulations, the pigs that provide the raw material for the preparation of the country's most appreciated meat-derived product, dry-cured Iberian ham, must be of a specific genetic composition. Only the Duroc breed is accepted for crossing with Iberian pigs, and a maximum of 50% of the Duroc genome is permitted in the animals used to make this ham. This paper describes a set of statistical procedures for detecting the 'breed composition' of Iberian ham via the use of multilocus genotypes obtained by the amplification of 25 microsatellite markers. The proposed procedure detected up to 20% of ham samples with a genetic composition incompatible with present legislation - either because the Duroc genome was present in a percentage greater than that permitted, or because of the significant presence (>25%) of white coat pig genomes. The probability of finding an illegal cured ham was greater in restaurants than in retail grocery stores, and in medium-low category restaurants or stores than in higher category establishments.     

Beliefs and attitudes of butchers and consumers towards dry-cured ham

The objectives were to evaluate the attitude of butcher and consumer towards soft and pasty texture problems in dry-cured ham and to assess the butcher and consumer behaviour when selecting and purchasing this product. Ninety-nine butchers and 200 consumers were interviewed with 17-question and 20-question surveys, respectively. The texture problems (softness and pastiness) were highly important for both butchers and consumers. The characteristics most frequently considered “important” or “very important” by butchers were processing time, smell/aroma and texture as selection criteria and salty taste and aged/matured flavour as sensory indicators of dry-cured ham quality. According to butchers’ opinion, salty taste and their own advice are the factors most frequently considered “important” or “very important” as affecting the consumer’s decision to purchase. For the consumer, the sensory attributes were considered more important than extrinsic characteristics when purchasing dry-cured ham.     

Beliefs and attitudes of butchers and consumers towards dry-cured ham

The objectives were to evaluate the attitude of butcher and consumer towards soft and pasty texture problems in dry-cured ham and to assess the butcher and consumer behaviour when selecting and purchasing this product. Ninety-nine butchers and 200 consumers were interviewed with 17-question and 20-question surveys, respectively. The texture problems (softness and pastiness) were highly important for both butchers and consumers. The characteristics most frequently considered “important” or “very important” by butchers were processing time, smell/aroma and texture as selection criteria and salty taste and aged/matured flavour as sensory indicators of dry-cured ham quality. According to butchers’ opinion, salty taste and their own advice are the factors most frequently considered “important” or “very important” as affecting the consumer’s decision to purchase. For the consumer, the sensory attributes were considered more important than extrinsic characteristics when purchasing dry-cured ham.     

Investigation of sensory attributes contributing to beer preference among Koreans by using fuzzy reasoning

The sensory attributes which contribute to preferences for different beers amongst Koreans were investigated and ranked in terms of their priority. The priority sensory attributes were those with high contribution weights to overall preference. Three sets of contribution weights of the attributes were determined by fuzzy reasoning from the votes through a survey from the groups of all consumers (group I), lager‐preferring consumers (group II) and ale‐preferring consumers (group III). In order to investigate the most reliable contribution weights, the overall preferences of 20 beers were sensory‐evaluated and compared with those estimated by fuzzy reasoning with the contribution weights. When the contribution weights of the attributes were most reliable, the estimates were equal to the total preferences of the samples. It was found that the estimates from groups II and III agreed with the experimental data better than those from group I. This indicates that the contribution weights from group I were less reliable, most likely because there are several groups of Korean consumers with a wide variety of preferences. Therefore, Korean priority sensory attributes for groups II and III were as follows. For group II, the attributes with the contribution weights in decreasing order were found to be ‘total CO₂’ > ‘bitterness’ > ‘duration aftertaste’ > ‘aromatic’ > ‘foam volume’ > ‘density’; for group III, the contribution weights were in the order of ‘aromatic’ > ‘total CO₂’ > ‘bitterness’ > ‘duration aftertaste’ > ‘density’ > ‘foam volume’. These findings will help develop beers appropriate for Korean tastes. Copyright © 2017 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The effect of moderating variables on consumer preferences for sustainable wines

Previous studies have shown that credence attributes play an important and often undervalued role in consumers’ product evaluation and purchasing behavior. By contrast, the factors moderating these effects have received less attention by scholars. The current study uncovers the moderating effects of consumers’ psychographic characteristics (i.e.: subjective knowledge, wine involvement, and sustainability concern) on their preferences for wine with different credence attributes related to sustainability. A non-hypothetical economic experiment, consisting of three rounds (blindtaste, info, infotaste), was performed in Italy and Germany to assess consumers’ preferences in terms of willingness to pay for conventional wine and wine differentiated by wine sustainable certifications (i.e.: Organic, VIVA sustainable wine, Vignaioli Indipendenti, Carbon footprint). Wine sustainable certifications positively affect consumers’ preferences, and these effects are mainly moderated by individuals’ wine involvement and sustainability concern. This holds if respondents have information about the wine but do not taste it. After tasting the wine consumers’ preferences are moderated only by respondents’ sustainability concern.     

A tentative characterization of white dry-cured hams from Teruel (Spain) by SPME-GC

Forty-six volatile compounds were identified and quantified in four parts (subcutaneous fat, and biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles) of 41 samples from Spain, France and Italy. The Univariate Brown–Forsythe test was used to determine the volatile compounds from each part of the ham that can distinguish the hams of Teruel from Iberian and white hams. Stepwise linear discriminant analysis was used in-tandem to refine the most discriminating volatile compounds. Six compounds (2-propanone, butanol, 3-methylbutanol, 3-methylbutanal, hexanal and limonene) were able to distinguish the dry-cured hams from Teruel, Iberian hams, and French and Spanish white hams simultaneously. MDS was also applied to the volatiles selected by SLDA. Information on the series of volatiles and individual compounds is also displayed.     

Factors affecting dry-cured ham consumer acceptability

The objectives of the present study were (1) to compare the relative importance of price, processing time, texture and intramuscular fat in purchase intention of dry-cured ham through conjoint analysis, (2) to evaluate the effect of dry-cured ham appearance on consumer expectations, and (3) to describe the consumer sensory preferences of dry-cured ham using external preference mapping. Texture and processing time influenced the consumer preferences in conjoint analysis. Red colour intensity, colour uniformity, external fat and white film presence/absence influenced consumer expectations. The consumer disliked hams with bitter and metallic flavour and with excessive saltiness and piquantness. Differences between expected and experienced acceptability were found, which indicates that the visual preference of consumers does not allow them to select a dry-cured ham that satisfies their sensory preferences of flavour and texture.     

Effect of pressure and holding time on colour,protein and lipid oxidation of sliced dry-cured Iberian ham and loin during refrigerated storage

The effect of high pressure (HP) treatments (200 MPa 15 min, 200 MPa 30 min, 300 MPa 15 min, 300 MPa 30 min) on colour, lipid and protein oxidation in sliced vacuum-packed dry-cured Iberian ham and loin during refrigerated storage (90 days, + 4 °C) was evaluated. Pressure level and holding time increased the extent of lipid oxidation in both products. Dry-cured ham showed a higher susceptibility to lipid oxidation than dry-cured loin since HP treatment increased TBA-RS values in dry-cured ham samples while HP treatment decreased TBA-RS values in dry-cured loin samples. However, HP treatment did not affect protein oxidation in both meat products. On the other hand, HP treatment affected instrumental colour since non-pressurized dry-cured meat products showed higher redness than pressurized ones. Regarding changes under storage, after 90 days of refrigerated storage lipid and protein oxidation increased while redness decreased in both HP treated and non-treated dry-cured meat products. Changes induced by HP were only noticeable after HP treatment, as storage reduced the initial differences between HP treated and non-treated samples. Therefore, the lack of differences in long stored dry-cured ham and loin HP treated and non-treated indicates that the application of HP (200–300 MPa/15–30 min) could not affect the quality of dry-cured meat products.Industrial relevanceDry-cured meat products are the meat-based products with the highest sensory quality in Spain and have a high projection in exterior markets. High pressure processing is effective in controlling pathogen and spoilage microorganisms in meat and meat products although it can promote color and oxidation changes that modify sensory characteristics. The study aimed the evaluation of pressure and holding time on color changes and protein and lipid oxidation at vacuum packed slices of Iberian dry-cured ham and loin during subsequent extended chilled storage. High pressure treatment of dry-cured Iberian ham and loin induce changes after treatment although initial differences are not maintained along refrigerated storage.     

The Choice of Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes is Driven by Different Key Quality Attributes Perceived by Consumers Having Different Familiarity with the Product

Canned whole peeled tomatoes are a premium tomato product; however, no information is available about the key intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes perceived by consumers when buying this product. This research considered consumers differing in the level of familiarity with peeled tomatoes, that is, knowledge, frequency of consumption, and availability of this product, on 3 markets: Chile (low), The Netherlands (medium), and Italy (high). The perceptions and preferences of each group were studied using first focus groups and subsequently conjoint analysis in order to identify the key quality attributes leading their preferences for this product. Focus groups identified 7 intrinsic attributes (color, packing medium, tomato consistency, acidity level, sweetness level, extra ingredients, and intensity of product taste), and 5 extrinsic attributes (packaging material, product type, country of origin, brand, and label design). Significant variations according to the familiarity were found. The conjoint analyses showed that color of tomatoes was the most important intrinsic quality attribute for all groups, while packaging material was the most important extrinsic quality attribute for Chileans and Dutch, being a glass container or a can with easy open the preferred packaging for respective groups. In contrast, country of origin was the most important parameter for Italians. We concluded that intrinsic and extrinsic attributes were strongly influenced by the degree of familiarity with canned whole peeled tomatoes.     

Consumer Attitudes and Preferences for Fresh Market Tomatoes

This study established attractive attributes and consumer desires for fresh tomatoes. Three focus groups (n = 28 participants) were conducted to explore how consumers perceived tomatoes, including how they purchased and consumed them. Subsequently, an Adaptive Choice Based Conjoint (ACBC) survey was conducted to understand consumer preferences toward traditional tomatoes. The ACBC survey with Kano questions (n = 1037 consumers in Raleigh, NC) explored the importance of color, firmness, size, skin, texture, interior, seed presence, flavor, and health benefits. The most important tomato attribute was color, then juice when sliced, followed by size, followed by seed presence, which was at parity with firmness. An attractive tomato was red, firm, medium/small sized, crisp, meaty, juicy, flavorful, and with few seeds. Deviations from these features resulted in a tomato that was rejected by consumers. Segmentations of consumers were determined by patterns in utility scores. External attributes were the main drivers of tomato liking, but different groups of tomato consumers exist with distinct preferences for juiciness, firmness, flavor, and health benefits.