Extrinsic attributes responsible for red wine quality perception: A cross-cultural study between France and Spain

Understanding quality perception requires focusing both on product proprieties and consumers’ representations. The goal of this study was to access the representations of perceived extrinsic wine quality of consumers from two different wine regions in two European countries with an important wine tradition: La Rioja-RJ-(Spain) and Côtes du Rhône-CdR-(France).Twenty commercial red wines (ten from RJ and ten from CdR) were evaluated in terms of quality by means of a categorization task. Ninety-five French and 93 Spanish consumers had to categorize the 20 wines according to four levels of quality going from very low to very high quality.Three clusters of French and two of Spanish consumers have been identified. Country-of-origin of wine arises as the most important extrinsic cue for less-involved French and Spanish consumers, while more-involved consumers with higher knowledge in wine are able to interpret and use a wider range of cues. Consumers’ knowledge, involvement and nationality appear to be good predictors of quality perception.These results are relevant for the field of sensory analysis in that they help understanding the construction of quality perception. The wine industry can benefit also from these results, especially when exporting wines. This cross-cultural study may help them to develop marketing strategies able to enhance the quality perception of wines and to make use of different extrinsic factors.     

The role of product familiarity and consumer involvement on liking and perceptions of fresh meat

The objective of this work was to compare consumer’s liking and perception of meat quality attributes as a function of their familiarity and involvement with fresh meat.Ninety-three meat consumers were classified on the basis of their familiarity with fresh meats. Socio-demographic differences between the clusters were found to relate to gender and age, and high familiarity (HF) consumers showed higher involvement with meat. HF consumers enjoyed consuming meat, and they associated a symbolic value to it. In addition, their liking ratings were higher than those of low familiarity (LF) consumers for both appearance and taste of three specific types of fresh meat over the course of product shelf-life. The perceived risks associated with meat consumption and product choice were similar between groups. Both consumer segments reported that the most important driver of fresh meat purchase is its appearance, while the role of extrinsic cues differed among the groups. The HF group needed more information when choosing meat. Regardless of familiarity level, liking was consistent with beef appearance as affected by storage, but the prediction of experienced sensory quality lacked consistency when the perceived intrinsic cue variation was not associated with meat freshness.     

Conjoint analysis on the purchase intent for traditional fermented soy product (natto) among Japanese housewives

Abstract: The effect of sensory and extrinsic attributes on consumer intentions to purchase the Japanese traditional fermented soybean product natto was evaluated using conjoint analysis. Six attributes with 2 levels each were chosen and manipulated: price (high compared with low), the country of origin of the soybeans (domestic compared with imported), stickiness (strong compared with moderate), smell (rich compared with moderate), attached seasonings (attached compared with no attached seasonings), and the environmental friendliness of the packaging (high compared with low). A fractional factorial design was applied and 8 hypothetical product labels were produced. A sample of 479 Japanese housewives ranked these product labels based on their purchase intentions. Overall purchase intention was affected by country of origin, attached seasonings, and price; those attributes accounted for 81.0%, while the sensory attributes of the product accounted for 19.0% of purchase intents. In order to estimate market segments for the natto products based on consumer preference, a cluster analysis was performed. It identified 4 segments of consumers: 1 oriented to attached seasonings, another conscious of the price, and the other 2 oriented to origins. The behavioral and demographic characteristics of the respondents had a limited influence on segment membership. Practical Application: This research was conducted to understand how consumers valuate various sensory and nonsensory product attributes based on their assessment of the overall product in the case of Japanese fermented soy product (natto). The data of this research would be of great importance both in understanding consumer behavior and in designing strategies for product development.     

The relative influence of packaging,labelling, branding and sensory attributes on liking and purchase intent: Consumers differ in their responsiveness

The relative impact of several extrinsic attributes on informed hedonic liking and purchase intent for wine is measured by combining a blind hedonic test with an informed tasting of the same wine packaged in different product concepts. This study separated the relative effect of various attributes and also considers differences between consumers in their responsiveness to various product cues.Five-hundred and twenty-one regular wine consumers participated in a central location test in three German cities in 2005. Respondents first rated hedonic liking of a white wine in a blind condition, then evaluated elements of product concepts differing in four extrinsic attributes, region of origin, grape variety, brand and packaging style, before indicating their liking and purchase intent in an informed condition.Overall, label style and brand evaluation were the strongest drivers for informed liking followed by liking in the blind condition. Purchase intent was influenced directly only by informed liking and price evaluation; the effect of the extrinsic and intrinsic cues is mediated through informed liking. A latent class regression resulted in three consumer segments that differ in the responsiveness of their informed liking to the different product characteristics. Younger inexperienced consumers utilised a mix of various cues, wine experienced consumers based their evaluation mainly on grape variety and blind hedonic liking, and older frequent wine consumers were influenced most strongly by brand and packaging. These findings provide insights into the relative impact of product packaging, branding and labelling on overall product liking and indicate strong differences in how consumers respond to different product characteristics.     

Acceptance of calorie-reduced yoghurt: Effects of sensory characteristics and product information

The main objective of this paper was to study acceptance of yoghurt with different levels of two specific sensory attributes, sweetness and richness, when corresponding information about sugar and fat content was given simultaneously with tasting. A conjoint design was applied to examine the effects of intrinsic attributes (sensory) and extrinsic attributes (health information) on acceptability and purchase probability for calorie-reduced vanilla yoghurt. Based on sensory profiling of 12 yoghurts produced according to an experimental design, four yoghurts varying in sweetness and richness were selected. In the conjoint study this sensory variation was combined with information concerning fat content and sugar content. 153 health conscious consumers participated in a blind testing and a conjoint study. Analyses of variance showed that sweetness and information about sugar content had significant effects on liking and purchase probability. The study showed that conjoint methodology was an appropriate tool to reveal effects of extrinsic and intrinsic product attributes.     

The importance of intrinsic and extrinsic cues to expected and experienced quality: an empirical application for beef

This study explains how consumers form in-store expectations about beef quality, and how these insights can help us to determine optimum levels of beef quality. Consumers infer the quality of beef on the basis of intrinsic (colour, freshness and visible fat) and extrinsic (price, promotion, designation of origin and presentation) quality cues. During consumption consumers evaluate experienced quality based on expected quality and quality attributes such as taste, tenderness and juiciness, confirming or disproving their previously formed expectations. Expected quality is a partial predictor of experienced quality, which confirms the importance of sensory perception at the time of consumption.     

Meat consumption: Trends and quality matters

This paper uses quality theory to identify opportunities for the meat sector that are consistent with trends in meat consumption. Meat consumption has increased and is likely to continue into the future. Growth is largely driven by white meats, with poultry in particular of increasing importance globally. The influence of factors such as income and price is likely decline over time so that other factors, such as quality, will become more important. Quality is complex and consumers' quality expectations may not align with experienced quality due to misconception of certain intrinsic cues. Establishing relevant and effective cues, based on extrinsic and credence attributes, could offer advantage on the marketplace. The use of extrinsic cues can help convey quality characteristics for eating quality, but also for more abstract attributes that reflect individual consumer concerns e.g. health/nutrition, and collective concerns, e.g. sustainability. However, attributes are not of equal value to all consumers. Thus consumer segmentation and production differentiation is needed.     

A 100-Year Review: Sensory analysis of milk

Evaluation of the sensory characteristics of food products has been, and will continue to be, the ultimate method for evaluating product quality. Sensory quality is a parameter that can be evaluated only by humans and consists of a series of tests or tools that can be applied objectively or subjectively within the constructs of carefully selected testing procedures and parameters. Depending on the chosen test, evaluators are able to probe areas of interest that are intrinsic product attributes (e.g., flavor profiles and off-flavors) as well as extrinsic measures (e.g., market penetration and consumer perception). This review outlines the literature pertaining to relevant testing procedures and studies of the history of sensory analysis of fluid milk. In addition, evaluation methods outside of traditional sensory techniques and future outlooks on the subject of sensory analysis of fluid milk are explored and presented.     

The silver sensory experience – A review of senior consumers’ food perception,liking and intake

It is commonly assumed that sensory impairments occurring with age negatively affect older people’s intake of foods in terms of both quality and quantity. This review discusses evidence published on the effects of age on sensory perception and the consequences for independently living seniors’ perception, liking and intake of food products. Because of anatomical changes in all the senses involved in human food perception, on average seniors perceive a lower flavour intensity than younger adults, are less sensitive to changes in the flavour profile of foods, and show a decreased ability to discriminate between different intensity levels of flavour and/or taste attributes. However, despite these differences in their sensory perception of foods, young adults and seniors seem to differ less in their initial hedonic appraisal of food products. Nonetheless, more research is needed to determine whether multisensory enrichment of foods across different modalities may lead to increased food liking in seniors both with and without olfactory impairment. Although limited, the current evidence suggests that sensory performance may be positively associated with BMI or body weight in specific senior populations. In addition, seniors fail to show a decreased appreciation of an eaten food, thereby increasing the risk of a monotonous diet. Taken together, these findings highlight the need for appropriate interventions and/or foods to improve and maintain adequate quantity and quality of food intake among independently living seniors, and especially those with low sensory performance. Such interventions should be holistic rather than focused on one modality and may also incorporate hedonic modulators such as past experiences, affective factors and external cues, e.g. brand names, labels or food packaging. In interventions and product development, segmentation of the senior consumer market is strongly advised to identify more homogeneous subgroups in order to deal with the large heterogeneity between independently living seniors. It is concluded that one size of the silver food experience will most likely not fit all senior consumers!     

Mapping determinants of purchase intent of concentrated yogurt (Labneh) by conjoint analysis

The relative contributions of sensory properties, fat content, price, method of processing, and presumed absence of preservatives in the product to purchase intents of concentrated yogurt (Labneh) were evaluated by conjoint analysis. Three hundred subjects tasted Labneh samples identified by different combinations of attribute levels and rated their intents to purchase the products. Analysis of the subjects’ responses revealed preference for higher levels of fat in the product and that purchase intents are largely dominated by sensory properties and fat contents. Fat levels and sensory properties accounted for 65.46% while price, method of processing, and presumed absence of preservatives in the product contributed for 34.54% of purchase intents. Cluster analysis identified four segments of consumers with similar preferences for sensory properties and fat levels and response to presumed absence of preservatives in products. Apart from the product purchased/consumed by respondents, behavioral and demographic characteristics of subjects were not related to segment membership. Information on fat levels and other extrinsic attributes of the product have secondary effects on purchase decisions of concentrated yogurt when evaluated by conjoint analysis models incorporating actual tasting of products in the study design. Actual tasting of products masked possible effects of behavioral and demographic characteristics of respondents on purchase intents of Labneh.     

Impact of chemical profile on sensory evaluation of tropical red wines

This study evaluated the correlation between the chemical composition of red wines and the sensory perception of the products. The visual, gustatory and flavour attributes of eight samples of tropical red wines were characterised by semi-trained panellists using the check-all-that-apply methodology. Titratable and volatile acidity, pH, contents of ethanol, total polyphenols and anthocyanins, and the chromatic parameters of the red wine samples were determined. The analysis of the correlations between visual attributes and sensory perception indicated that the evaluation of the wine colour attributes can predict other sensory characteristics related to aromas and flavours. This enabled the wine tasters to distinguish subtle variations in the visual attributes of the product. The results of this study indicated that panellists who underwent short-term training can sensorially perceive the influence of physicochemical variables on wine quality. Additionally, the correlation analysis enabled the identification of production adjustments and the understanding of the consumer perception of a complex product.     

Consumer perception of meat quality and implications for product development in the meat sector-a review

In the first part of the paper, the Total Food Quality Model is used as a frame of reference for analysing the way in which consumers perceive meat quality, drawing mainly on European studies involving beef and pork. The way in which consumers form expectations about quality at the point of purchase, based on their own experience and informational cues available in the shopping environment, is described, as well as the way in which quality is experienced in the home during and after meal preparation. The relationship between quality expectations and quality experience and its implications for consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase intent is addressed. In the second part of the paper, and building on the insights obtained on subjective quality perception, possibilities for consumer-oriented product development in the meat sector are addressed. Issues dealt with here are branding, differentiation by taste, healthiness and convenience, and by process characteristics like organic production and animal welfare.     

The influence of reputational concerns on purchase intention of fair-trade foods among young Japanese adults

This study explores whether reputational concerns have an effect on purchase intention for fair-trade food products among Japanese young adults. To manipulate reputation cues, we assessed consumers’ intentions to purchase fair-trade food products under two different experimental situations: the ‘observable’ condition, in which participants’ purchase behaviors were observable by others (N = 84); and the ‘anonymous’ condition, in which participants’ purchase behavior could not be observed by others (N = 106). The effect of six sensory and extrinsic attributes including fair trade, price, country of manufacture, taste characteristics, polyphenol content and caloric content on consumer intentions to purchase chocolate was evaluated using conjoint analysis. Results demonstrated that participants under the observable condition valuated fair trade higher than those under the anonymous condition, whereas the opposite tendency was observed for the valuation of price and caloric content for their overall purchase intention. These phenomena suggest that ethical consumption, such as purchasing fair-trade foods, is influenced not only by individual’s intrinsic motives for ethical issues but also by extrinsic social factors such as reputation-enhancing opportunities.     

Measuring perceptions of quality in food products: the case of red wine

Perceived quality in food products is complex and is often operationalized by multi-dimensional constructs, whose measurement requires the designing of sufficiently validated scales. Since the intrinsic characteristics of each individual product are different and the extrinsic attributes can have an effect that differs from expectations, it is necessary to adapt the scale to each considered product. Using an empirical study, we demonstrate that perception of wine quality has a dimensional structure (7 dimensions) and can be measured using a 21-item scale that has been satisfactorily validated. Through the methodology proposed and the operationalization of the items as perceptions minus expectations, we suggest using two different scales for food and beverage products, one for intrinsic attributes and another for extrinsic attributes.