Consumer acceptance of new strawberry vinegars by preference mapping

Consumers’ acceptance of new strawberry vinegars was evaluated, and trained panellists described their sensory profiles. Four strawberry vinegars, three produced from puree and one from cooked must, were evaluated jointly. Due to obtaining the highest percentage of consumer acceptance, cooked strawberry must vinegar was considered to be the best. This vinegar stood out in general impression, raisin, and liqueur attributes. Internal preference maps confirmed a higher acceptance level for the strawberry vinegars over commercial vinegar. External preference mapping, obtained by PLS2 analysis, revealed that the main sensory attributes driving consumers’ preferences are raisin, toasted caramel, spicy, and liqueur aroma.     

Utilisation of red palm olein in formulating functional chocolate spread

Novel functional chocolate spreads were formulated by replacing butter fat in conventional chocolate spread by red palm olein at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% levels. Sensory evaluation revealed that chocolate spread made from 20% red palm olein (RPOL) and 80% butter fat was accepted as the conventional chocolate spread (100% butter fat). Hence, the former two chocolate spreads were selected for further study. Samples were stored at room temperature and fridge for 6 months and monitored for their physical properties, fat stability, fatty acid composition and natural antioxidants.     

Effect of pulse flours on the physiochemical characteristics and sensory acceptance of baked crackers

Pulse flours offer nutritional alternatives to wheat flour in the production of baked snacks due to their high protein and fibre levels and low glycaemic index. In this study, broad‐bean (Vicia faba), yellow‐pea and green‐pea (Pisum sativum) flours were each blended with wheat flour at 40% in the formulation of chemically leavened crackers. The effects of flour type and baking time on the physiochemical properties, sensory acceptability, nutritional composition and antioxidant activity of the crackers were observed in comparison with 100% wheat crackers. Broad‐bean crackers had the highest protein content and antioxidant activity (13 g per 100 g DM and 38.8 mgAAE per 100 g DM, respectively). Yellow‐pea crackers had the highest fibre content (12 g per 100 g DM). Physical dimensions and colour attributes were significantly affected by pulse‐flour substitution. Yellow‐pea and broad‐bean crackers were significantly preferred by consumers compared to the control, demonstrating the potential application of these flours to improve the eating quality and nutritional profile of crackers.     

Identifying drivers for consumer acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortilla

ABSTRACT:  The traditional production of corn tortilla has been modified by new processing technologies to make possible a commercial-scale production; this practice has resulted in products having sensory properties different from those produced by the traditional method. There is no published information on sensory attributes driving acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortillas. Identifying sensory drivers for acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortillas will help commercially produce products that satisfy consumers' expectations. A consumer study was conducted to evaluate acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortillas and determine drivers of acceptance and purchase intent of the products. Ten samples of corn tortillas were selected to represent a variety of corn tortillas available in the Mexican market. Three hundred Mexican consumers evaluated acceptability of appearance, color, thickness, rollability, resistance to tearing, aroma, chewiness, taste and aftertaste, and overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale. Overall acceptance and purchase intent were determined with a yes/no scale. Analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance revealed that consumers were able to differentiate differences in sensory acceptability among 10 samples. For example, 2 homemade and 1 small commercial-scale samples, with an overall liking score of 6.6 to 6.7, were more acceptable than others. Rollability, resistance to tearing, and chewiness were attributes underlying overall differences among 10 samples. Attributes determining overall acceptance of corn tortillas were chewiness and overall liking. Purchase intent was influenced by overall appearance, rollability, chewiness, taste, and overall liking. This study revealed critical sensory attributes and their weights given by Mexican consumers when making decisions for acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortilla.     

Sensory Characteristics of Apple Juice Evaluated by Consumer and Trained Panels

ABSTRACT: To identify sensory characteristics of unclarified apple juice and to compare unclarified and clarified types, 140 consumers and 10 trained panelists evaluated 16 commercial apple juice samples (4 clarified and 12 unclarified). Unclarified and clarified juices were clearly separated by the first principal component (PC1), whose main factor was fresh, green, and sweet aroma. It was difficult to predict consumer preference by regression models using trained panel preference and analytical attributes. Mapping consumers' overall preferences on a sensory profile made by PC1 and PC2, the consumer panel preferred apple juice with moderately increased fresh and green aroma and thoroughly decreased sour and astringent.     

Consumer acceptance of fresh blueberries in bio‐based packages

BACKGROUND: Instrumental analyses have shown that non‐vented bio‐based containers made from poly(lactic acid) (PLA) have the capability to enhance blueberry shelf life as compared with commercial vented petroleum‐based clamshell containers. However, consumer preference has not been explored so far. In this study, two sensory evaluations, triangle and paired preference tests, were performed after storing fruit in both containers at 3 and 10 °C for 7 and 14 days. In addition, physicochemical analyses were performed after each tasting in order to correlate instrumental findings with consumer preference. RESULTS: The results of the triangle test showed the capability of the consumer to differentiate (P?0.001) between blueberries from different packages at both storage temperatures. A consumer preference for flavour, texture, external appearance and overall quality (P?0.001) of blueberries packaged in PLA containers was observed in the paired comparison test. The instrumental analyses showed that blueberries in the PLA packages exhibited a weight loss below the limit for marketable life, a stable soluble solid content and titratable acidity and no fungal growth during storage. CONCLUSION: Consumers distinguished between blueberries from different packages and preferred those packaged in the PLA containers. The instrumental analyses showed that the usable life of the berries was extended in the PLA containers. A correlation between consumer preference and instrumental evaluations was found. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Consumer Perception of Cultured Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) and Its Market Competitors

ABSTRACT:  Aquaculturists are concerned with performance of cultured yellow perch against its wild-caught market competitors. In this study, consumer perception of cultured yellow perch was compared to that of wild-caught walleye, ocean perch, and zander. In 2 experiments, species were ranked for preference, rated for liking, and rated for degree of difference from a reference (cultured perch). Results were analyzed using Friedman's analysis of ranks, analysis of variance, and method of maximum likelihood. In Experiment 1 ( n = 50), there was no significant difference in preference or liking, and all wild-caught species were significantly different from the reference. In Experiment 2 ( n = 68), the species were trimmed to the same thickness for a more fair comparison of these species. Cultured yellow perch was equally preferred to all species but was rated significantly higher than walleye in overall liking. In addition, ocean perch and walleye were found to be significantly different from cultured perch, while zander was not.     

Consumer preference of Chinese traditional fermented fava pastes

The present study was designed to investigate the consumer preference and the quality attributes of five brands of Chinese traditional first-grade fava pastes, following which their quality differences were evaluated in order to identify the key drivers or factors, which can be applied to explain the behavior of consumer preferences. Consumers ranked these samples based on the 9-point method. An obvious preference for sample P1 was observed with 35% of participants settling on extremely liked option, giving the said sample the highest overall preference score of 7.8 ± 0.2. Further sensory and physicochemical properties, and volatiles were conducted to identify the major drivers of the consumer behavior. Sensory evaluation showed that sample P1 also produced the highest overall sensory score (85 ± 3). Though all the samples exhibited similar physicochemical attributes, significant differences were observed in the species and the concentration of volatile compounds. Accordingly, the content of free amino acids (FAAs) and low-molecular-weight (MW) fraction (≤5 kDa) represented the trend that fell in line with sensory score. PLS2 correlation analysis indicated that physicochemical indices and volatiles could be used to explain the consumer preference, which was likely to be synergistically affected by FAAs, protein, amino nitrogen, dietary fiber, Ca, P, Fe, δ-Ε, and some volatiles, especially the positive drivers of FAAs and low MW proportion to sample P1. The work would not only provide valuable information for grading of fava pastes in the industry but also guide actual producing toward the expectation of consumers, especially increasing those positive drivers.     

Quality characteristics of refined,bleached and deodorized palm olein and banana chips after deep‐fat frying

The changes in quality characteristics of refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) palm olein used for deep‐fat frying of banana chips (180°C for 3 min at 17 min intervals for 2 h day^?1, to give six fryings per day and 30 fryings over five consecutive days) were studied. Four frying systems were used: RBD palm olein without antioxidant (system 1); RBD palm olein with 0.2 g kg^?1 α‐tocopherol (system 2); RBD palm olein with 1 g kg^?1 oleoresin rosemary (system 3); and RBD palm olein with the combination of 0.1 g kg^?1 α‐tocopherol + 0.5 g kg^?1 oleoresin rosemary (system 4). Fried oil samples were analysed for fatty acid composition, peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AnV), totox value, free fatty acids (FFA) value, iodine value, at 232 and 268 nm, colour and viscosity. The crispness and sensory evaluation of the banana chips fried in this study were also evaluated. The results showed that RBD palm olein with added antioxidant reduced PV, AnV, totox value, at 232 and 268 nm, FFA and viscosity. The order of effectiveness in inhibiting oil oxidation in RBD palm olein was: oleoresin rosemary > α tocopherol + oleoresin rosemary > α‐tocopherol > control. For the crispness, the force values of banana chips fried in all systems were comparable. Sensory evaluation of fried banana chips for each system showed that there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in terms of colour, flavour, odour, texture and overall acceptability. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

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.     

Sensory Characterization and Consumer Preference Mapping of Fresh Sausages Manufactured with Goat and Sheep Meat

The main objective of this study was the sensory characterization, by a taste and a consumers’ panel, of fresh sausages from 140 culled goats and 140 culled ewes. Species and type of preparation effects were studied. All data were previously analyzed by analysis of variance. Taste panel data were analyzed by a Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). Consumers’ panel data were analyzed by Preference Mapping. The 1st 2 factors explained 88.22% of total variation in GPA. Different sausages samples were perfectly differentiated by assessors. Goat sausages have been considered harder, more fibrous, and less juicy than sheep sausages. The panelists observed that sheep sausages without paprika had greater intensity of flavor, tasted spicy, and had an off‐odor, while goat sausages with paprika were considered sweeter. Consumers’ panel did not show any preference for the different types of sausages. This means that all types of sausages can have market opportunity.     

Consumer perception of extruded snacks containing brown rice and dried mushroom

Effects of mushroom type, seasoning and health benefit information (HBI) on consumers’ saltiness expectation, sensory liking, elicited emotions and purchase intent (PI) of extruded snacks were investigated. Five snacks were evaluated: straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) extrudates without (SME) or with seasoning (SMES), phoenix mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) extrudates without (PME) or with seasoning (PMES), and the control without mushroom and seasoning. Hedonic scores and positive emotions were generally higher for seasoned mushroom-containing snacks (SMES and PMES) with 65% and 75.83% of consumers reporting willingness to purchase, respectively, after receiving HBI. Bored, interested and satisfied were identified as significant emotional predictors for PI odds. Flavour, saltiness, overall liking, bored, good and interested were critical attributes, differentiating snacks. This study demonstrated that sensory liking and PI of extruded brown rice-based snacks containing mushroom could be improved through savoury seasoning addition, which also allowed saltiness expectations to be met.     

Total phenolic content, consumer acceptance, and instrumental analysis of bread made with grape seed flour

Grape seed flour (GSF) from grape pomace, a waste product generated during winemaking, was explored for use in bread production due to its potential health benefits. This study evaluated the consumer acceptance and physical properties of bread, including total phenolic content (TPC), made with varying levels of GSF. Dough and breads were prepared using different levels of replacement of hard red spring wheat flour (HRS) with GSF (0 to 10 g GSF/100 g HRS) and stored for 0, 2, or 6 wk at -20 °C. Replacement of 10 g GSF/100 g HRS increased the bread TPC from 0.064 mg tannic acid/g dry weight to 4.25 mg tannic acid/g dry weight. Consumer acceptance and instrumental analyses were used to investigate changes in sensory and texture properties due to GSF replacement. Replacement above 5 g GSF/100 g HRS decreased the loaf brightness and volume, with an increase in the bread hardness and porosity. Generally, breads containing ≥ 7.5 g GSF/100 g HRS were characterized by lower consumer acceptance. A reduction in overall and bitterness acceptance was observed in bread at 10 g GSF/100 g HRS, with decreased acceptance of astringency and sweetness at 7.5 and 10 g GSF/100 g HRS. Based on these results, the replacement of 5 g GSF/100 g HRS is recommended for the production of fortified breads with acceptable physical and sensory properties and high TPC activity compared to refined bread. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study shows that grape seed flour (GSF) can be used to replace hard red spring wheat flour (HRS) in bread production, with moderate impact on the physical and sensory properties of the bread. Replacement of up to 10 g GSF/100 g HRS significantly decreased overall consumer acceptance of the bread, with lower consumer acceptance of sweetness and astringency at 7.5 and 10 g GSF/100 g HRS. Thus, a replacement value of 5 g GSF/100 g HRS is recommended for the production of fortified breads.     

Different Oils and Health Benefit Statements Affect Physicochemical Properties,Consumer Liking,Emotion, and Purchase Intent: A Case of Sponge Cake

Effects of different oils on physicochemical properties, consumer liking, emotion, and purchase intent of sponge cakes were evaluated. Three healthy oils (extra virgin coconut oil, EVCO; extra virgin olive oil, EVOO; rice bran oil, RBO) compared with butter (the control), were used at 20% (w/w, wheat flour basis) in sponge cake formulations. Five positive (calm, good, happy, pleased, satisfied) and 3 negative (guilty, unsafe, worried) emotion terms, selected from the EsSense Profile^® with slight modification using an online (N = 234) check‐all‐that‐apply questionnaire, were used for consumer testing. Consumers (N = 148) evaluated acceptability of 9 sensory attributes on a 9‐point hedonic scale, 8 emotion responses on a 5‐point rating scale, and purchase intent on a binomial scale. Overall liking, emotion, and purchase intent were evaluated before compared with after health benefit statement of oils had been given to consumers. Overall liking and positive emotion (except calm) scores of sponge cake made with EVCO were higher than those made with EVOO and RBO. Specific volume, expansion ratio, and moisture content of control, EVCO, and EVOO were not significantly different, but higher than RBO sponge cake. JAR results showed that sponge cake made with RBO had the least softness that was reflected by the highest hardness (6.61 to 9.69 compared with. 12.76N). Oil (EVCO/EVOO/RBO) health benefit statement provided to consumer significantly increased overall liking, positive emotion, and purchase intent scores while decreased negative emotion scores. Overall liking and pleased emotion were critical attributes influencing purchase intent (odds ratio = 2.06 to 3.75), whereas calm and happy became not critical after health benefit statement had been given.