Effect of expectations and the definition of product category on the acceptance of unfamiliar foods

Expected and actual acceptance of three unfamiliar vs. three familiar foods were examined among US subjects to determine the extent to which positive information about their origin, nutritional properties and flavor, in the presence or absence of product category information, contributed to their acceptance. Subjects (n=160) were divided into the following four conditions: (1) ‘NOI' Unfamiliar foods, no verbal information; (2) ‘INFO' Unfamiliar foods, positive information without product category; (3) ‘INFO+' Unfamiliar foods, positive information including product category; and (4) ‘CTR' Familiar foods, no information, control group. The subjects rated their expected liking/disliking prior to tasting (based on information in conditions 2 and 3, and based on appearance in all conditions), their actual liking, and the degree to which the foods matched/mismatched their sensory and hedonic expectations after tasting. Generally, positive information enhanced ratings of unfamiliar samples, but product-specific information effects were large, and no proof was obtained for the superiority of the INFO+ (compared to INFO) condition in the enhancement of liking. Actual liking was best predicted by expected liking based on either verbal information or on seeing the product. The expected liking was mainly predicted by the degree of liking and frequency of use of the specific familiar reference products. Thus, the acceptance of an unfamiliar food is largely determined by how it relates to familiar foods that are part of an individual's current diet.