Colour and viscosity of milk and soybean vanilla beverages. Instrumental and sensory measurements

BACKGROUND: Differences in instrumental measurements of colour and viscosity were analysed in six commercial samples of vanilla beverages, three of milk and three of soybean. Sensory differences between them were assessed and an analysis was made of whether the perceived differences had any influence on consumer preferences with respect to these attributes. RESULTS: The milk beverages were a stronger yellow in colour (45.05≤b*≤60.02) than the soybean beverages (18.46≤b*≤21.96). The flow of all samples was Newtonian, showing viscosity values in the range 4.34–7.92 mPa s. Significant differences in viscosity were detected between samples. Sensory results revealed that the vanilla milk samples were perceived as having a stronger yellow colour and being thicker than the vanilla soymilk samples. The majority of people surveyed (n = 142) preferred the samples that were deeper yellow in colour; moreover, the thickness of milk samples was significantly more acceptable than that of soymilk samples. CONCLUSION: The instrumental measurement of colour relates well to the perceived differences in the colour of these products and explains the differences in consumer preferences. However, the instrumental viscosity values do not relate well to the thickness perceived or to the differences in acceptability of the beverages. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Does information about the source of functional ingredients influence consumer perception of functional milk desserts?

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present study were to study the influence of information about the source of two functional ingredients (antioxidants and fibre) on consumer perception of functional milk dessert concepts and to evaluate whether this influence depends on consumer attitudes towards health and hedonic characteristics of foods. RESULTS: Scores for expected liking decreased when information about the source of fibre or antioxidants was incorporated, which could be explained considering that when consumers knew the source of the functional ingredient they imagine the flavour of the source in the milk concept. This decrease in expected liking led to a decrease in consumer willingness to purchase, showing the importance of hedonic expectations on the acceptance of functional foods. Consumers with different attitudes towards health and hedonic characteristics of foods reacted differently towards information about the source of functional ingredients. CONCLUSION: Providing information about the source of functional ingredients would not be recommended as it might create negative taste expectations to consumers and a concomitant decrease in their willingness to purchase. These show that consumers would not compromise on the taste of milk desserts for health. Thus, the development of functional foods that taste worse than conventional ones may be a risky option. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fermented soymilk with a monoculture of Lactococcus lactis

Lactococcus lactis strain (LL3) isolated from mothers' milk was used to produce fermented soymilk. The strain survived at levels of over 7 log cfu/ml for 3 weeks in the fermented soymilk. A consumer survey was carried out to compare the acceptability of the fermented product with a similar product made with L. lactis ATCC11545 originally isolated from cow's milk. Blind samples produced by fermentation with the two strains were rated equally attractive, whereas information on the origin of the strains significantly enhanced the pleasantness of the fermented soymilk.     

Consumer perception,health information,and instrumental parameters of cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) goat milk yogurts

Although the demand for goat milk products has been growing, they have lower consumer acceptability than products derived from cow milk. However, the addition of cupuassu pulp can be used to improve the formulation of these products. For this reason, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of new goat milk yogurt manufactured with cupuassu pulp on physicochemical properties, consumers’ perceptions, and overall consumer acceptance. In addition, the effect of antioxidant health information on consumer acceptance and purchase intention of cupuassu goat milk yogurts was evaluated. The results demonstrated a positive expectation regarding linking and familiarity to goat milk products and products with cupuassu pulp. The pH, total phenolic content, lightness, redness, yellowness, and apparent viscosity were potentially affected by the addition of cupuassu, with the highest concentration of cupuassu (10%) exhibiting the greatest changes in parameters. Based on principal component analysis, partial least squares regression, and just-about-right and penalty analysis, the addition of cupuassu pulp improved some sensory attributes of goat milk yogurt, such as cupuassu aroma, cupuassu flavor, yellow color, consistency, and viscosity, which positively influenced product acceptance. In addition, antioxidant health information increased the acceptance and purchase intention of cupuassu goat milk yogurts. Taking into account the parameters investigated in this study, the best scoring formulation was goat milk yogurt with 10% cupuassu pulp. Our results suggest that cupuassu pulp can be considered a potential ingredient to improve the sensory and texture properties of goat milk yogurt. Furthermore, the antioxidant health information could be a sensory strategy to increase the acceptance of cupuassu goat milk yogurts.     

The Impact of Grape Skin Bioactive Functionality Information on the Acceptability of Tea Infusions Made from Wine By-Products

ABSTRACT: The effect of information on the health benefits of bio-active compounds on the acceptability of 5 tea infusions made from grape skins generated from wine processing waste (from Vitis vinifera var. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris) was investigated. Samples of tea infusions with natural additives (PNHGT25 and PGGT50) and without additives (control PN, control PG, and PNPG50) were evaluated by 45 in-home consumer panels (30 female, 15 male) before and after information on the health benefits of grape skins were provided. Information significantly increased the overall acceptability, overall aroma, flavor, and aftertaste of the infusions. The results obtained showed a clear tendency toward increased purchase intention (by 29%) when information on the health benefits of the tea infusion samples was provided to consumers. Interactions existed between gender/infusion samples and stage of information on the purchase intention. Females recorded a significant increase (by 53%) in purchase intention, whereas no change in the males' purchase intention was found after information was provided.     

Development of goat cheese whey-flavoured beverages

Beverages made from goat cheese whey, flavoured with strawberry and peach pulp, were processed and submitted to physicochemical analysis and affective tests. The beverages exhibited similar values with respect to all the analyses of the proximate composition and little variation in pH and titratable acidity during refrigerated storage. They also showed low caloric value. For colour, aroma and consistency acceptability, there was no significant difference ( P > 0.05) among peach and strawberry flavoured samples. The flavour acceptability was higher for the strawberry beverage than for the peach one ( P = 0.05). A positive purchase intent for strawberry flavoured beverage was reported by 76% of the consumers, while 50% affirmed a similar intention for the peach-flavoured product. The beverages produced showed potential for commercialization, serving as an additional alternative product derived from goat milk, with minimal additional cost to the dairy plant.     

Relationships Between Food Preferences and Food Acceptance Ratings

A study was conducted to assess relationships between food preference ratings and food acceptability ratings. Acceptability ratings for each of two discriminably different samples of nine food items were obtained using the 9-point hedonic scale. Regression analysis indicated that no linear relationship existed between these ratings and either hedonic or frequency preference ratings of the foods. In addition, the range of acceptability ratings was smaller than the range of corresponding’preference ratings. Panelists’expressed preferences had no effect on their assignment of differential acceptance ratings to different samples of the items. Correlations between preference ratings of laboratory panelists and military field panelists were good, in spite of higher absolute preference ratings assigned by the laboratory panel.     

Consumer behaviour towards chicken breasts affected with myopathy (Wooden Breast): face-to-face vs. online tests

The incidence of the Wooden Breast myopathy (WB) in the meat industry is increasingly high and causes economic losses. This work seeks to study the impact of this myopathy on consumer perception. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumers' degree of knowledge, acceptability and purchase intention of chicken breasts affected by the WB. In face-to-face scenario, 197 participants evaluated samples of Normal (N), Moderate (WBM) and Severe WB (WBS) breasts fillet, whereas in the online scenario 200 participants analysed the photographic images of the samples. Participants' perceptions did not show differences among informed conditions, conversely to the scenario. N samples show higher scores in both tests in the face-to-face scenario, but this was not the case for the samples evaluated in the online scenario, where WBM samples were better accepted and did not present differences compared with N breast samples regarding purchase intention. This work shed light on the importance of the scenario for consumer perception and the necessity of reformulated objectives and experimental designs in the current pandemic context.     

Influence of functional information on consumer liking and consumer perception related to health claims for blueberry functional beverages

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of functional labelling on the consumers acceptability and purchase intentions of blueberry functional beverages (BFB). A 2‐day consumer acceptance test was conducted independently with functional information (n = 60) and without any information (n = 80). The presence of functional labelling did not influence the liking attributes of BFBs (P > 0.05). However, functional information positively affected consumer perception of health‐related perceptions associated with BFBs, such as ‘aiding eye health improvement’ and ‘eye fatigue relief’. Subjects perceived more health‐related perceptions when informed test was conducted. The first‐order effect was observed, in which the degree of the first‐order effect was greater for BFBs that had a thicker mouthfeel. Findings from the results can practically guide product developers and marketers in the functional drink industry by providing the strategy for how to evaluate reformulated functional beverages for the consumer acceptance test by warning a counter‐balanced sample presentation.     

Nutritional Value of Protein from a Soybean Milk Powder

SUMMARY— Soybean milk powder was prepared from de-hulled soybeans by standard milk plant equipment. The product was tested biologically in young growing rats. When soymilk or skim milk combined with different amounts of corn starch to give a range of dietary protein levels was fed to rats, the nutritive value of the vegetable milk compared favorably with that of animal milk at the highest level of protein intake. The growth response was generally less with soymilk at low protein levels and this could be corrected by supplementation with methionine. Mixing cow's milk and soymilk in different proportions did not improve significantly the nutritional value of the protein, although such mixtures might have advantages for palatability, industrial feasibility, or consumer acceptability.     

Labelling effects on consumer intention to purchase for soybean oil

The effect of some soybean oil label attributes on consumer intention to purchase was evaluated by using conjoint analysis. Four attributes with two levels each were chosen and manipulated. They were: brand name (familiar and unfamiliar), price (high and low), nutritional information (with and without cholesterol, and rich in vitamin E) and soybean type (with and without the term “transgenic”). A complete factorial design was used and 16 hypothetical soybean oil packages were created and evaluated by 144 consumers based on their intention to purchase. The term transgenic had a negative impact on the purchase intention of 76% of consumers, i.e., they declared an intention not to buy the transgenic soybean oil. Overall purchase intention was affected by price, with the low priced oils obtaining a higher purchase intention.     

Application of a written scenario to evoke a consumption context in a laboratory setting: Effects on hedonic ratings

Consumer hedonic testing of products is typically conducted under controlled sensory laboratory conditions. This setting does not accurately represent how food and drink are consumed. Literature demonstrates that consumer hedonic ratings elicited in the natural consumption context differ to those elicited under controlled conditions. This suggests that when removing a product from its natural consumption context, accurate hedonic ratings may not be obtained. The interest of this research was to develop an approach that evokes a consumption context in the sensory laboratory and study its impact on hedonic ratings. A written scenario was developed that was effective at making participants imagine an occasion when they desired a refreshing beverage. Consumer hedonic ratings of four apple juice samples elicited using the evoked consumption context (context condition) were compared to those elicited in a control condition (i.e., no evoked context). Differences in mean hedonic ratings of the samples were observed between the two conditions with greater sample discrimination observed for the evoked context condition. Consumers using the evoked context found it easy to indicate their product liking/disliking, and felt that the liking information they provided was accurate, more so than consumers in the control setting. Sensory practitioners need to be aware of the potential use of an evoked context in a control setting for eliciting product hedonic ratings, and understand its impact on mean hedonic ratings.     

Quality and acceptability of a set-type yogurt made from camel milk

Camel milk (CM) set yogurts were formulated with gelatin, alginate (ALG), and calcium (Ca). Titratable acidity, pH, sensory properties, and acceptability of CM yogurts were studied. Twelve treatments were prepared; 3 using gelatin at 0.5, 0.75, and 1% levels and 9 with combinations of ALG and Ca at different levels. Titratable acidity and pH of fresh yogurt were not affected by the addition of gelatin or the ALG and Ca combinations. Trained sensory panel results showed that CM yogurt containing 1% gelatin or 0.75% ALG + 0.075% Ca had the highest intensities for firmness and body. Consumer results indicated that the hedonic ratings of the sensory attributes and acceptability of CM yogurt containing 0.75% ALG + 0.075% Ca were similar to that of cow's milk yogurt. The CM yogurts containing ALG + Ca and flavored with 4 different fruit concentrates (15%) had similar hedonic ratings and acceptability. Addition of 0.75% ALG + 0.075% Ca could be used to produce acceptable plain or flavored CM yogurt.     

UHT纯牛奶消费喜好和关键感官特性的关联分析

以14种市场上不同类型超高温（Ultra-high temperature,UHT）纯牛奶为研究对象,采用9点喜好标度、适合项勾选法（Check-All-That-Apply,CATA）和恰好标度,同时结合偏最小二乘回归分析（PLS）分析不同类型UHT奶消费喜好和关键感官特性接受性差异。研究表明：不同类型UHT奶的整体喜好值范围为4.07~6.25,脱脂奶和部分全脂奶的喜好值最低（<5）,全脂和低脂奶的整体喜好差异不显著（p>0.05）。不同类型UHT奶的乳香、甜味、余味、浓稠和爽滑5个关键感官特性接受性上存在显著差异（p<0.05）,通过PLS回归模型筛选出导致消费喜好差异的7个关键感官特性接受性指标,分别为余味、乳香、甜味、浓稠、爽滑（-）、甜味（-）和乳香（-）。甜味和乳香偏弱以及爽滑度不够是分别导致低脂奶和部分全脂奶样品整体喜好偏低的关键感官特性。相关研究旨在为后期UHT纯牛奶消费喜好和产品感官品质研究提供基础理论和数据参考。     

Using a fractional model to measure the impact of antioxidant information,price, and liking on purchase intent for specialty potatoes

A procedure for analyzing categorical purchase intent data from consumer tests is demonstrated using data from a test of fresh market specialty potato varieties. Due to the probabilistic nature of purchase intent a fractional model is based, just as a binary choice analysis using probit or logit would be, on a non-linear cumulative distribution function. The results from a fractional model are compared to an ordinal model.Participants in the consumer test evaluated six unreleased varieties and one commonly available variety of potato, the Yukon Gold. Four of the new varieties had colored red or purple flesh rated highly for antioxidant content. The effect of antioxidant information and other variables on the probability of purchase for red and purple potatoes was compared to the effect on the yellow potatoes using a fractional model and an ordinal model. Other variables include liking, price, gender, age, education, income, potato usage frequency, health interest, and food interest. As expected hedonic ratings and price had significant positive and negative effects respectively on purchase intent for both categories of potatoes. Antioxidant information, whether simple or detailed, increased purchase intent for the colorful potato varieties. Interactive variables between health interest and antioxidant information level demonstrate the impact of personal health interest in conjunction with the information.     

Consumers' acceptance of a high-polyphenol yerba mate/black currant beverage: Effect of repeated tasting

The effect of repeated tasting may improve the acceptance level and positive emotions associated with an unusual food. Our aim was to analyze this effect on the consumer acceptance, emotional status, purchase intention and optimum level of sensory attributes of a yerba mate (YMI)/black currant (BC) drink with high polyphenol content and low palatability.Beverage formulations (%) were: YMI 50/BC 30 (S1); YMI 60/BC 20 (S2); YMI 60/BC 20/diet sweetener 0.05 (S3). All samples had 15% maltodextrin, 0.01% aroma and 5.0% sucrose. One hundred participants (70 female, 30 male) aged 25 to 63 years (M = 38.9, SD = 10.9) evaluated the same three samples (S1, S2 and S3) during four sessions to determine the influence of repeated exposure, taking the first session as a control. Acceptance was measured by a 9-point hedonic scale, purchase intent by a 5-point scale and attribute diagnosis (sourness, sweetness, astringency, aroma and body) by a Just About Right scale. Consumers selected at least three terms from a list of 12 words (well-being, displeasure, familiarity, sadness, fear, freshness, anguish, simplicity, relaxation, anger, joy and surprise) to describe their emotional status after tasting the samples. Results showed that the last session displayed the highest values for acceptance demonstrating a repeated exposure effect. The samples with less acceptability in session 1 (S1 and S2) were those with the greatest increase in session 4. Purchase intention was not affected by product exposure. The oldest consumer group (50–63 years old) exhibited the minimum levels of acceptance and purchase intention. The attribute diagnostic evaluations did not change through the four sessions indicating that the consumer opinion of its optimum point was maintained at the same level as the first impression. The word “familiarity” was selected for all the samples in the fourth and final session and also for sample 3 at session 3, confirming its impact and showing the exposure level necessary to develop it.     

Consumer attitudes towards beef and acceptability of enhanced beef

The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer quality characteristics of enhanced steaks and roasts derived from cattle supplemented with vitamin E during finishing, and to assess the attitudes of these consumers towards beef. Twelve steers were fed either a control (E-) diet or a diet supplemented with dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (E+). Paired strip loins and rounds were either used as controls (C) or were pumped (P) to 110% of raw weight to contain 0.4% sodium chloride and 0.4% sodium tripolyphosphate in the final product. Consumers (n=103) evaluated roasts and steaks for juiciness, tenderness, saltiness, and overall acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale. Enhanced steaks and roasts were more acceptable than non-enhanced controls; E+ steaks were less acceptable than E- steaks. A beef quality questionnaire revealed that color, price, visible fat and cut were the most important factors underlying beef steak purchase, while tenderness, flavor and juiciness were weighted most heavily with regard to eating satisfaction.