Stability in consumer responses to familiar and new chocolates during a period of exposure

The aim of this paper is to study the effects of exposure to different types of chocolate on consumer responses. Three different chocolates were considered, one established market leader and two new chocolates from a product development project. A group of consumers participated two times in a central location test and were exposed to different chocolates over a 4 weeks period between the two occasions. Main focus is on informed liking with the inclusion of brand name. Both average effects and individual differences in consumers’ responses are discussed. The main conclusion of this study is that the liking of the established chocolate was similar before and after exposure (with a slight decrease in liking) while the liking went significantly up for one of the new products.     

The consumer acceptance of novel vegetable-enriched bread products as a potential vehicle to increase vegetable consumption

Currently UK fruit and vegetable intakes are below recommendations. Bread is a staple food consumed by approximately 95% of adults in western countries. In addition, bread provides an ideal matrix by which functionality can be delivered to the consumer in an accepted and convenient food. Therefore, enriching bread with vegetables may be an effective strategy to increase vegetable consumption. This study evaluated bread enriched with red beetroot, carrot with coriander, red pepper with tomato or white beetroot (40 g vegetable per 100 g) compared to white control bread (0 g vegetable) for consumer acceptance. Consumers (n = 120) rated their liking of the breads overall, as well as their liking of appearance, flavour and texture using nine-point hedonic scales. Product replacement and purchase intent of the breads were rated using five-point scales. The effect of providing consumers with health information about the breads was also evaluated. There were significant differences in overall liking (P < 0.0001), as well as liking of appearance (P < 0.0001), flavour (P = 0.0002) and texture (P = 0.04), between the breads. However, the significant differences resulted from the red beetroot bread which was significantly (P < 0.05) less liked compared to control bread. There were no significant differences in overall liking between any of the other vegetable-enriched breads compared with the control bread (no vegetable inclusion). The provision of health information about the breads did not increase consumer liking of the vegetable-enriched breads. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that vegetable-enriched bread appeared to be an acceptable strategy to increase vegetable intake, however, liking depended on vegetable type.     

The influence of preparation method on children’s liking for vegetables

This study aimed to investigate how different preparation methods influence children’s liking for vegetables. Participants were children from three age groups (4–6 years N = 46; 7–8 years N = 25; 11–12 years N = 23) and young adults (18–25 years N = 22). The participants tasted and ranked six preparation methods for carrots and French beans: mashed, steamed, boiled, stir-fried, grilled and deep-fried. In addition, the different vegetable preparations were rated on 15 attributes. All participants preferred boiled and steamed vegetables over the other preparations (p < 0.05). Boiled and stir-fried were the most familiar preparation methods for both vegetables. Vegetable liking was positively related to a uniform surface and the typical vegetable taste, and moderately related to crunchiness, whereas brown colouring and a granular texture were negatively related to vegetable liking. On the basis of these results, we conclude that children’s vegetable liking is influenced by a complex mixture of a uniform appearance, easily controllable textures and a typical, familiar vegetable taste.     

An investigation on the appropriateness of chocolate to match tea and coffee

The aim of this study was to provide some recommendations for selecting a befitting tea and coffee to match chocolate with different cocoa contents. Three coffee samples (chocolate flavored, vanilla flavored and unflavored coffee), four tea samples (black tea, green tea, vanilla flavored tea and citrus flavored tea) and three chocolates (30%, 70%, and 99% cocoa) were hedonically rated by eighty regular chocolate consumers. The beverages were then paired with each chocolate, and the consumers were asked to indicate the hedonic liking of the resulting pairings, and to indicate whether the chocolate or beverage flavor dominated the pairing flavor. This study showed that liking of chocolate and coffee pairings and chocolate and tea pairings significantly varied (p < 0.001) across samples. Consumers preferred pairings with 30% cocoa and 70% cocoa chocolate to pairings with 99% cocoa chocolate. Overall, coffee is significantly (p < 0.001) preferred to tea as a chocolate partner.Chocolate and beverage pairing liking was biased by the liking of the beverage tasted alone, the liking of chocolate tasted alone, beverage type, chocolate type and the level of flavor match between chocolate and tea or coffee in a given pairing. When chocolate and beverage flavor balanced out in a given pairing, chocolate and coffee/tea pairings were significantly preferred by the consumers. A significant decrease in acceptance was observed when beverage or chocolate flavor dominated the flavor of the pairing, much more so when the chocolate flavor dominated the pairing flavor. However consumers don't enjoy any preferred chocolate with any preferred tea or coffee because some flavors match better than do others. Indeed, consumers formulate their hedonic responses taking into consideration what flavors go well together more than they rely exclusively on their hedonic judgments of the chocolates, the teas, and the coffees tasted alone.     

Effects of an evoked refreshing consumption context on hedonic responses to apple juice measured using best–worst scaling and the 9-pt hedonic category scale

Awareness of the need to consider a product’s consumption context when measuring consumer hedonic response of a product is increasing among consumer sensory researchers. This study investigated the effects of evoking a consumption context using a written scenario on hedonic response measured using best–worst scaling and the 9-pt hedonic category scale. Hedonic responses for four apple juices with relatively large sensory differences were compared when measured in the evoked context ‘when having something refreshing to drink’ using best–worst hedonic scaling (n = 65) and the 9-pt hedonic scale (n = 48). Best–worst scaling discriminated between the four apple juices when a refreshing context was evoked (p < 0.01), while the juices were equally liked using the 9-point scale (p = 0.41) when the same context was evoked. Consumers perceived best–worst scaling to be more difficult than the 9-pt scale, however there was no difference between the two methods for consumers perceived accuracy of their liking information. The present study highlights that the effect of an evoked context on hedonic response may not be universal for hedonic methods. Further research is needed to understand the effect of evoking context on the liking of products, and to determine whether this measure reflects product liking in an actual consumption context.     

Effects of interval length between tasting sessions and sweetener level on long-term acceptability of novel green tea drinks

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the interval length between sessions (1-day vs. 3-day), the sweetener level (Optimal (OP) vs. Low (LO)), and the number of stimuli (one vs. two) on long-term acceptability of a novel green tea drink. Two consumer groups (N = 80) rated their liking of two drinks (OP and LO) while another 4 consumer groups (N = 162) rated only one drink over 10 sessions at either 1-day or 3-day intervals. Repeated consumption led to an overall increase in liking of the novel drink even though the patterns of increase were different according to the sweetener level and the interval length. Higher sweetener level and shorter interval length might contribute to increase in liking score during the earlier sessions and stable liking during the later sessions for novel green tea drink.     

Sensory profile,acceptability, and their relationship for diabetic/reduced calorie chocolates

The purpose of this study was to determine the sensory properties and acceptability of lab developed prototypes of conventional, diabetic (with no sugar), and diabetic/reduced calorie milk chocolates (no sugar and 25% calorie reduction) with high-intensity sweeteners, sucralose and stevioside, and partial fat replacement with whey protein concentrate (WPC). PLS was performed in order to relate sensory properties and consumer acceptability and to determine drivers of liking and disliking. There was no difference between conventional, diabetic and diabetic/reduced calorie milk chocolates for brightness, cocoa aroma, cocoa butter aroma, and cocoa flavor (p > 0.05). Acceptability was higher for sucrose substitution by sucralose than by stevioside and partial fat replacement reduced acceptability of flavor even more (p ? 0.05). Crucial attributes which determine consumer acceptability in samples are sweet aroma, melting rate, and sweetness, whereas bitterness, bitter aftertaste, adherence, and sandiness were drivers of disliking.     

Relating dynamic perception of reformulated cheese pies to consumers' expectations of satiating ability

Designing satiating food is not an easy task. Food reformulation is normally done by altering the proportion of basic ingredients or by adding new minor ingredients. In general, the texture varies concomitantly with these changes, altering the way the food is processed orally and the complete eating experience. This highlights the interest of discovering how variations in minor ingredients influence texture and how this affects the dynamics of the oral trajectory. Six cheese pie formulations were prepared: basic recipe (Base), no egg (− Egg), no corn starch (− Corn starch) no sugar (− Sugar), added diary cream (+ Cream) and extra skimmed milk powder (+ Milk powder). Temporal dominance of sensations was used to show that the appearance and disappearance of each texture sensation dominance experienced in the mouth during the eating process differed among the six pies, as did their relation to the consumers' expectation of satiating capacity scores and to the changes in composition. Two extreme behaviors were found: suppression of egg/addition of extra milk powder made the pies initially drier and harder, while suppression of corn starch/addition of cream gave the samples a soft, moist early sensation. The former elicited higher expectations of satiating capacity. In addition, overall liking, liking evolving with time (dynamic liking) and the level of several key texture attributes' divergence from those of an “ideal” cheese pie were evaluated on bipolar just-about-right scales and through penalty analysis to gain insights into potential directions for reformulating acceptable pies.     

Antioxidant capacity of cocoa beans and chocolate assessed by FTIR

The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) of cocoa beans and chocolate produced from spontaneous and inoculated fermentations of different cocoa varieties were evaluated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as conventional methods: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), was used to determine TAC and TPC. Chocolate showed higher (p < 0.05) TPC (47.17–57.16 mg GAE/g) and TAC (1.66–2.33 mM TE/g and 8.86–11.35 mM TE/g as measured by DPPH and ABTS, respectively) than cocoa beans (6.30–26.05 mg GAE/g, 0.24–1.17 mM TE/g and 1.29–4.83 mM TE/g for TPC, DPPH and ABTS, respectively). Partial least square (PLS) model for infrared data showed a good calibration coefficient (R²cal > 0.94), indicating that the FTIR technique represents a fast and reliable tool to evaluate TPC and TAC in cocoa beans and chocolate.     

Effect of active and modified atmosphere packaging on quality retention of dark chocolate with hazelnuts

The present study investigated the effect of active and modified packaging as well as packaging material oxygen permeability on quality retention of dark chocolate with hazelnuts. Dark chocolate was packaged in: a) polyethylene terephthalate//low density polyethylene (PET//LDPE), and b) polyethylene terephthalate coated with SiOx//low density polyethylene (PET-SiOx//LDPE). Samples were packaged either under, vacuum or N₂ or with an oxygen absorber and stored in the dark at 20 °C for a period of 12 months. “Commercial” control samples for comparison purposes consisted of chocolate packaged in aluminum foil in air while “model” control samples used for sensory evaluation consisted of chocolate packaged in glass jars and stored at ? 18 °C. Quality parameters monitored were: peroxide value, hexanal content, color, fatty acid composition and volatile compounds. Of the sensory attributes color, texture, odor and taste were evaluated. PV ranged between 0.80 for fresh dark chocolate with hazelnuts and 6.51 meq O₂/kg chocolate fat for commercially packaged samples after 12 months of storage. Respective values for hexanal were 0.53 and 7.56 mg/kg. % Saturated fatty acids (SFA) increased with a parallel decrease in monounsaturated fatty acids (MFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) after 12 months of storage mainly in least protected samples (commercial package). Likewise, after 12 months of storage an increase in concentration of aldehydes, ketones, alcohols and alkanes (p < 0.05) with a parallel decrease in pyrazines where observed especially in case of least protected products after 6 and 12 months of storage. In general after 12 months of storage chocolate showed whitening of the surface resulting to an increase in L* and a* values (p < 0.05) and a decrease in b* value. Dark chocolate with hazelnuts retained acceptable quality for ca. 8 months in commercial packages. For samples packaged in PET//LDPE irrespective of storage atmosphere the shelf life was 8 to 9 months and for samples packaged in PET-SiOx//LDPE irrespective of storage atmosphere the shelf life was 11 months. Finally for samples packaged with an oxygen absorber irrespective of packaging material the shelf life was at least 12 months.Industrial relevanceChocolate packaged with an oxygen absorber in a barrier packaging material will maintain its aroma, taste and nutritional quality substantially longer than other packaging methods.     

Vegetable preparation practices for 5–6 years old Australian children as reported by their parents; relationships with liking and consumption

Vegetables are the food category least accepted by children, which is a key reason for their low intake. Common sense suggests that vegetable preparation, liking and consumption is idiosyncratic to each vegetable, e.g. carrots may be eaten raw, but raw broccoli may be unacceptable, however scientific evidence is largely lacking. This study measured children’s experiences, liking and consumption of vegetables in relation to preparation practices at home. Questionnaire data were collected for a comprehensive range of preparation methods (raw, boiling, steaming, frying, roasting, and seven ways of preparing it with other dishes (e.g. soup)) across five common vegetables, i.e. carrot, potato, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. Measures included experience with preparation methods (yes/no), liking (9 point hedonic scale) and consumption frequency (5 point scale). Data were reported by parents for their child (N = 82, 5–6 years, low and high vegetable intake), and child/parent pairs were recruited from the Sydney metropolitan area. Parents reported that children consumed an average of 6.8 (SD 3.4) different preparation methods for vegetables at home, including many mixed dishes. The number and type of preparations the child consumed depended on the vegetable type (p < .0001). Preparation method was associated with liking of carrot and potato (both p < .0001), and with consumption frequency of all vegetables (all p < .05). The most and least liked preparations were vegetable specific. Parents reported that vegetables in mixed dishes were generally well accepted by their children, and flavourings were added on average by 54%. The results also showed that a higher vegetable consumption was related to a higher liking, and exposure to more preparation methods. This study demonstrates the potential for further experimental research into preparation practices to increase vegetable acceptance and intake in children. A vegetable by vegetable approach is recommended, with potential cross-vegetable opportunities for flavour–flavour learning and flavour masking strategies including the use of mixed dishes.     

Temperature of served water can modulate sensory perception and acceptance of food

Cross-cultural differences exist in the typical temperature of water served with meals. North American people typically drink iced water/beverages while eating, whereas European or Asian people show a preference for room temperature water or hot water/tea, respectively. It has been reported that food perception and acceptance are influenced by oral temperature, as well as by serving temperature of food. Based on the fact that the iced or hot water served with meals can alter the oral temperature, the present study aimed to determine whether the temperature of served water can affect the sensory perception and acceptance of food subsequently consumed. Following a mouth rinse with water served at 4, 20, and 50 °C for 5 s, two different types of food, dark chocolate and cheddar cheese, were evaluated in terms of sensory intensity and overall liking. For the dark chocolate, the intensity ratings for sweetness, chocolate flavor, and creaminess were significantly lower when following water at 4 °C than when following water at either 20 or 50 °C. However, the modulatory effect of water temperature on sensory perception was not obtained with cheddar cheese. In addition, the temperature of served water altered the acceptance for the foods subsequently presented. Specifically, the overall liking for the dark chocolate was significantly lower when following water at 4 °C than when following water at either 20 or 50 °C. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates new empirical evidence that the consumption of iced water can decrease perceived intensities of sweetness, chocolate flavor, and creaminess for subsequently consumed chocolate. Our findings may provide one of plausible answers to the question of why North American people, who are more used to drinking iced water, show a strong preference for more highly sweetened foods.     

Dynamic aspects of liking: post-prandial persistence of sensory specific satiety

The time dependence of the liking of foodstuffs was investigated in a study with 25 subjects, consisting of three parts: (1) on day one, a sensory specific satiety study, which was extended until 125 min after consumption; (2) on days two to seven, a repeated in home taste and evaluation study; (3) on day eight, a second sensory specific satiety study as in 1.In parts 1 and 3, subjects were asked to eat either cheese biscuits or pears in light syrup to satiety. The change in liking of both foodstuffs, after eating one of the two foodstuffs to satiety, was followed during 125 min. In part 2, the same subjects were asked to taste and evaluate each product at home, every day for six days.In the sensory specific satiety studies (parts 1 and 3) a significant decrease in liking was observed for the product eaten to satiety, as long as 125 min after consuming that product to satiety. For both products contrast effects were observed: the liking of the uneaten product increased after eating the other product to satiety, while the liking of the eaten product decreased. This contrast effect lasted longer after eating cheese biscuits to satiety, than after eating pears to satiety.In the in home taste and evaluation study, a significant and linear decrease in liking was observed for both products during six days. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05) of eating cheese biscuits to satiety in the sensory specific satiety study on day 1, on the liking ratings of the in home consumption study. No such effect was observed for the pears.The results indicate that sensory specific satiety is relatively strong for more than 2 h after consumption and can have effects on liking ratings for more than 24 h. These effects were different for the products tested. Based on these results, we suggest that combining eating a product to satiety and in home evaluation over several days, could possibly be useful as an accelerated method to predict changes in liking upon repeated consumption.     

Self-reported food-evoked emotions of younger adults,older normosmic adults,and older hyposmic adults as measured using the PrEmo2 tool and the Affect Grid

Food-evoked emotions may provide relevant consumer insights, beyond liking alone. Previous research, using the EsSense25 method, showed that the food-evoked emotion profiles of adults vary along the two dimensions valence and arousal, whereas those as reported by seniors vary mainly in valence. However, it is unknown to what extent these findings can be replicated using other self-reported emotion measuring tools. This study therefore compared food-evoked emotion profiles of 71 younger adults (mean age 30.8 (years) ± 9.3 (SD)), 86 older normosmic adults (i.e. normal sense of smell, mean age 67.5 (years) ± 5.4 (SD)), and 70 older hyposmic adults (i.e. impaired sense of smell, mean age 68.2 (years) ± 5.9 (SD)). These groups evaluated three types of gingerbread and three types of chocolate using the self-reporting emotion measurement tools PrEmo2 tool and the Affect Grid. In line with previous observations, the self-reported emotion profiles differed between the age groups. The emotion profiles of younger adults varied for both methods along the dimensions valence and arousal, whereas, for the older groups, this valence/arousal differentiation was less clear. The effect of olfactory function was less pronounced, as the older adults with normal and impaired olfactory function had similar emotion profiles. For the PrEmo2 tool specifically, the older adults had generally lower scores for negative emotions compared to the younger adults. Hence, age should be considered an important factor when self-reported food-evoked emotions are being measured in order to develop food products targeted at specific consumer groups.     

Effect of information about organic production on beef liking and consumer willingness to pay

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of information about organic production on beef liking and consumer willingness to pay. Mean scores of perceived liking were higher for organic beef (OB) as compared to conventional beef (CB). Expected liking scores were higher for OB than for CB. For OB the expected liking was significantly higher than the perceived liking expressed in blind conditions (negative disconfirmation), whereas for CB no difference was observed. Consumers completely assimilated their liking for OB in the direction of expectations. Consumers showed a willingness to pay for OB higher than the suggested price (P < 0.001), the latter corresponding to the local commercial value for organic beef. We conclude that the information about organic farming can be a major determinant of beef liking, thus providing a potential tool for meat differentiation to traditional farms.     

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.     

Fruit and vegetables liking among European elderly according to food preferences,attitudes towards food and dependency

As the population ages and dependency for food-related activities increases, it becomes crucial to better understand food expectations of elderly consumers. Fruit and vegetables (F&V) are generally appreciated by elderly people. However, few studies have investigated elderly peoples’ F&V liking, taking into account their dependency and countries’ specificities. The present study aims to identify the liking of F&V, eating styles and food selectivity depending on the country of residence and levels of dependency. A European survey was conducted with 420 elderly people delegating meal-related activities, living at home or in nursing homes. Based on general food preferences, three eating styles were identified. Results showed that F&V liking is a segmenting variable. Elderly people from the style 1 (n = 145) do not really appreciate fruits nor desserts. On the contrary, elderly people from style 2 (n = 121) are really fruit lovers. Finally, elderly people from style 3 (n = 126) liked desserts, fruits, and even more vegetables. Results showed that elderly people were nor selective towards F&V, even if there were some exceptions as exotic fruits (disliked by 19%) and fennel (disliked by 33%). Fruit and vegetables selectivity was significantly different between countries (p < 0.001), but not between men and women, or between categories (p > 0.05 in both cases). Selectivity for F&V was very variable and could reach 32 vegetables among 42 and 28 fruits among 34. The most selective participants were from Finland and the least ones, from the UK. These results can be used to design and/or adapt F&V-based products according to elderly consumers’ liking, taking into account their country of origin and their dependency.     

The influence of product- and person-related factors on consumer hedonic responses to soy products

Consumers in Western countries increasingly appreciate health benefits of soy products. However, several barriers prevent full acceptance of these products. This study investigates the effects of product-related factors (perceived familiarity and expected healthiness) and person-related factors (food neophobia and health interest) on consumer hedonic responses to various soy products. In the pre-study, 48 German-speaking participants assessed the perceived familiarity, healthiness and tastiness for 21 soy products. In the main study, four soy products that differed in familiarity and healthiness were presented to German consumers (n = 327) as images supplemented by product names and slogans stressing either health or taste benefits. Participants rated their attitudes towards the product, product liking, taste expectations and willingness to try the products in a 2 (familiar or unfamiliar products) × 2 (healthy or tasty products) × 2 (low or high food neophobia) between-subject design. As hypothesized, neophilic consumers showed more positive responses to soy products compared to neophobic consumers. Neophobics showed more positive responses to familiar soy products, whereas the responses of neophilics were not influenced by product familiarity. Health interest positively influenced the willingness to try soy products. However, the effect of healthiness manipulation on hedonic responses to experimental products was not significant. The results of the study suggest that perceived familiarity might be more important for acceptance of soy products than expected healthiness. Successful marketing strategies for soy products should target neophobic consumers by increasing the level of familiarity of soy foods.