Poster session 1 and refreshments

As consumer packaged goods organizations continue to globalize, the desire for consumer research across cultures has increased. In response, new methods are being examined to better address the needs and challenges that come with doing research globally. Emojis have emerged as a valuable medium for this type of research as they are visual and have fairly ubiquitous meanings across many cultures. A novel method, the K-State emoji scale, has been developed to measure consumers’ emotional response to products.

The K-State emoji scale has been applied in China and the US with children and adults. It was found to be suitable for measuring emotional response and showed adequate discrimination across samples. The products were in the same category, however, they were different flavors specific to their local country. In this study, the same products (chewable vitamin, gummy vitamin, smoothie, and immunity powder) and flavors were tested by 504 children, ages 4-12, in Seoul, Korea and the United States (Kansas). Approximately 60 children evaluated each product type in each country.

The K-State emoji scale was valid in both countries for all ages tested, providing clear guidance for product development. The presentation will highlight the similarities and differences in results between the two countries including range of scale used, product liking, and age of participant using a multifactor analysis with country, product, and age (4-7 and 8-12 years) as factors. In addition, the presentation will compare and contrast the testing approaches applied for conducting research with kids age 4-12 in both regions, including time for data collection, ballot translation, and staffing. Finally, benefits observed when using the K-State emoji scale with kids, such as ease of translation and engagement during test, will be discussed. The results of this study further support the validity of the K-State emoji scale with younger demographics.

Many foods on the market are developed specifically for children. Although there is extensive evidence that taste preferences are innate, in principle food preferences are formed between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Sensory testing with children can provide valuable data in basic research and can provide reliable consistent information about their food preferences. Despite this, children aged five have certain limitations in their cognitive abilities pertinent to sensory testing such as limited verbal skills, because they are either preliterate or have rudimentary reading skills, a short attention span, and task comprehension difficulties. Children are also strongly affected by irrelevant dimensions of complex stimuli. 

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of 5-year old children to perform an acceptance test using a hedonic scale. The sessions were prepared in advance by including activities at their schools and games similar to the sampling training sessions prior to carrying out the acceptance test. The children worked on the Using Our Senses unit in the pre-school classroom the week before attending the tasting session. On the same day of the acceptance test the following tests were carried out in the previous session in the form of games:  colour tests, taste tests (sweet, sour and salty), a texture test (soft, rough, hard, soft, crunchy) and an aromatic test (vanilla and lemon). After a break the children then carried out the acceptance test. The results obtained showed that the children were capable of understanding the test and of carrying it out correctly. Moreover, they were able to distinguish between the sensory attributes which they used in their choice. The carrying out of a previous session of the identification of smells and tastes motivates them and keeps them concentrated so that they can carry out the acceptance test.

Sensory characteristics of vegetables are thought to be an obstacle to children’s intakes, contributing to consumption well below dietary recommendations.    This project sought to understand the sensory characteristics of reported vegetable intakes by Australian children aged 2-18 years, including differences between children of different age cohorts, as a proxy for acceptance over time.

Dietary data collected via 24-hour recall in the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011/12  were augmented with the CSIRO Sensory-Diet database to examine the sensory properties of Australian children’s diets (n=2,812).  Vegetables were defined using the WHO definition, excluding starchy tubers and legumes, and an Australian (AUS) definition which includes these starchy vegetables.  Ten sensory characteristics were assessed by a trained panel (on 100 point scales) and a sensory density calculated (adjusting for energy (kJ) from vegetables). Differences between groups were considered significant when p<0.01.

Among vegetable consumers, vegetables contribute most to the bitterness of the whole diet (WHO 29%; AUS 23%), and made minor contributions to the overall flavour impact (WHO 13%; AUS 10%). Vegetables consumed were more sweet (mean WHO 14.2; AUS 10.4) than bitter (WHO 4.6; AUS 3.3).  For overall flavour impact, sourness and hardness, sensory density was highest in children 4-8rs, and declined in older cohorts (p<0.01).   In contrast, fatty-mouthfeel and umami increased with age.  No differences were found for bitterness or sweetness across age cohorts.  These data suggest the vegetables in children’s diets tend to be bland, with sensory characteristics peaking at ages 4-8 years and declining in adolescence.  Understanding the sensory characteristics of vegetables within current dietary patterns, may help to address barriers to consumption. 

Vegetable intake in children in Ireland is lower than recommended (Feeney et al 2014), as is intake across Europe and the US. Adequate vegetable consumption is associated with lower levels of overweight and obesity, and with adequate nutrient status. Since eating habits developed in childhood track into adulthood, it is essential to understand the drivers of vegetable acceptance.  

Evidence suggests that vegetable acceptance is strongly influenced by both taste and textural attributes (Duffy, Hayes and Feeney, 2017).  More recently, it was shown that shape can also influence perceived taste and pleasantness (Turoman, 2018), with rounded shapes being perceived as sweeter and more pleasant, while angular shapes were perceived as being more bitter, threatening and less pleasant. However, research in this area has been limited, performed mainly with the expected perception of a shape, rather than with food products, and mainly in adults.  

New 3D printing techniques offer the opportunity to manipulate shape while maintaining volume and other parameters, to determine whether shape can be used to design structures to enhance the acceptability of vegetables in children. 

This project used a Foodini 3D printer to print broccoli, in both angular and rounded formats, to investigate the effect of shape on perceived taste intensity (degree of bitter and sweet, measured via a generalised labelled magnitude scale) and on overall liking, using a 7-point smiling face scale, in a group of children aged 7-12 years and their parents. 

Background: Food oral processing depends on food properties and consumer characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of age, gender, ethnicity and eating capability on oral processing behaviour of liquid, semi-solid and solid foods. 

Method: Oral processing behaviour of 18 commercially available foods, ranging from liquids, semi-solids to solids, was compared between Dutch, Caucasian adults (18-30yrs), Chinese, Asian adults (18-30yrs), Dutch, Caucasian elderly (60-80yrs), and consumers with mild, swallowing problems and/or low mastication efficiency (18-80yrs). Participants were video recorded during food consumption and six oral processing parameters extracted. 

Results: Elderly consumed all foods with lower eating rates (g/s) than young adults by increasing consumption time (s). Females consumed solid foods with lower eating rates (g/s) than males by reducing bite size (g). Chinese, Asian consumers consumed liquid and solid foods with lower eating rates (g/s) than Dutch, Caucasian consumers by reducing bites size (g). Chinese, Asian consumers consumed semi-solid foods with lower eating rates (g/s) than Dutch, Caucasian consumers by reducing bite size (g) and increasing consumption time (s). Consumers with decreased mastication efficiency or mild swallowing problems showed similar oral processing behaviour than healthy consumers, probably because reduction in eating capability was limited in the group. This demonstrates that different consumer groups adapt eating rate (g/s) in different ways by modifying bite size (g), consumption time (s) or both.

Conclusions: To conclude, age, gender and ethnicity influence oral processing behaviour of liquid, semi-solid and solid foods differently. Understanding differences in oral processing behaviour of specific consumer groups can assist in steering sensory perception, food choice and energy intake of specific consumer groups such as the elderly.

Food craving has been defined as an intense desire to eat a particular food that is difficult to resist. Despite cravings are commonly experienced by most people, food cravings for specific tastes or food have been poorly investigated.

This study aimed to explore the food craving in a wide sample (n=809 subjects; females=62%; age range=18-79, average=32), its relationship with consumer personality traits and behaviours linked to sweet products.

Experimental consisted of the following questionnaires: Food Craving Trait questionnaire (FCt), Craving for sweet High Calories Food (CHCF), Sugar Intake Index (SII), Choice for sweet food (CS), the Reward domain of the Sensitivity to Reward and Punishment questionnaire (SPSRQ_Reward), the Restrained domain of the Dutch Eating Behaviour questionnaire (DEBQ_Restrained).

FCt status showed a normal distribution and had a significant effect on all considered variables. 

Gender had a significant effect both on the total score and on domains scores of FCt. 

FCt is negatively correlated with aging and positively correlated with CHCF, SII, CS, SPSRQ_Reward and DEBQ_Restrained. 

Based on quartile values obtained from FCt, subjects were classified in three classes (Low_FCt, n=207; Medium_FCt, n=414; High_FCt, n=188). 

The class of High_FCt had a significant (p<0.05) higher craving also for sweet high calories food, SII, CS, SPSRQ_Reward and DEBQ_Restrained compared to the class of Low_FCt.

When treating males and females separately, the effect of FCt was evident only in females (High_FCt females had a higher DEBQ_ Restrained than Low_FCt females).

From CHCF questionnaire, both in males and females when the craving is high (High_FCt groups) the effect for the type of item (chocolate, ice-cream, pastry, biscuits, cakes, candies) was less important, while in groups with low cravings (Low_FCt groups) the type of item became more discriminant.

Results suggest that food craving may strongly impact on food choices and behaviours and is mediated by personality traits.

Chocolate milk (CM) is popular among the children. The availability of CM for children in schools may be limited due to its high sugar content (~10% including 4% lactose and 6% sucrose). The removal of CM from schools lead to reduced consumption of milk by children and increased consumption of soft drinks. The objective was to investigate the perception of CM varying in added sugar (AS) and fat content. Methods: 40 children (20 boys and 20 girls, 11.7±2.3y) participated in two randomized, double-blinded studies. In study-1, children attended five sessions in five consecutive days. At each session, they tested CM with 0, 1, 2, 3.25 and 4% milkfat and varying in AS (0, 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4 and 5.5%). In study-2, children tested CM samples containing 3.3% of AS and varying in fat (0, 1, 2, 3.25 and 4%). The pleasantness, taste, sweetness, mouthfeel, flavour, and aftertaste were measured with 9-point PK hedonic scales for children and the intensity of sweetness, bitterness, and creaminess with 100mm visual analogue scales. Results: in study-1, independently of the fat content, adding sugar resulted in the improved sensory perception of CM (P<0.05), however, the perception of CM with 3.3% AS was not statistically different from CM with 4.4 and 5.5% AS. In study-2, adding fat resulted in the improved perception of CM containing 3.3% of AS (P<0.05). Our results suggest that the ultimate reduction of AS, and, similarly, the removal of fat, has a detrimental effect on CM perception and therefore may be denied by children. Conclusion: the reduction of AS to 3.3% in CM and presence of fat maintains pleasantness of CM and provides up to 45% reduction of AS that in turns reduces the risks associated with chronic metabolic diseases. Supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Natural, Homemade and Fresh are product industrialized characteristics strongly linked with a healthier product.¹ Naturalness is the top claim searched by consumers in Latin America.² Globally half of the consumers are seeking food and beverages with "natural ingredients" or "natural sources” claims. “Natural” labels are especially important to consumers when they are deciding what food to buy. This interest has remained steady (and high) over latest years.³ But, what is the meaning of Natural in emerging markets? Givaudan carried out qualitative and quantitative research, involving the biggest markets, considering the opinion of 6284 consumers across the region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru); in order to understand how Latin Americans perceive the Naturalness in foods and beverages. Natural is associated with healthy, fresh and organic. The less processed or complex the product, the more natural it is. In this research was concluded that natural is linked with the origin (raw material sources), process, environment contribution, and sensory experiences generated. The perception of all these parameters was evaluated in fifteen beverage and eighteen of food categories. The weight of each of the parameters varies from category to category, for some the origin is the most important, for others the process, but sensory performance is always present and it is relevant. Natural is not only associated with something healthier also with better sensory attributes. Flavour is the most important sensory characteristic in the natural perception, for example, in the case of beverages in general, the flavour has a weight of 61% related to the perception of naturalness. Finally Natural does not have the same meaning for all consumers, in accordance with their opinions five consumer profiles were identified:  Fundamentalist 26% of consumers (significant in Colombia & Mexico), Balanced 21 % (Brazil), Accustomed 19 % (Mexico), Distrustful 17 % (Chile & Peru), and Rejecting 17 % (Argentina).

Previous research suggests sensory quality, intensity and mouthfeel can influence our expectations of fullness and the portion of a food we choose to consume (McCrickerd and Forde, 2016). Compounds such as mono-sodium-glutamate (MSG) and inosine-mono-phosphate (IMP) are known to enhance savoury flavour intensity and may impact calorie perception independently of a foods actual caloric content. In the same way, kokumi compounds have been suggested to enhance sensations associated with calories such as mouthfulness, body-thickness and flavour-continuity (Kuroda 2012), but their impact on calorie estimation, expected fullness and portion selection remains unknown. We explored whether the addition of low-calorie taste and mouthfeel enhancers to a savoury broth could influence calorie estimates and portion selection, and thereafter identified the specific sensory properties that were responsible for these differences. A series of savoury and kokumi taste compounds including MSG-IMP, glutathione (GSH), and yeast extracts containing known kokumi compounds were added to beef-broths alone and in combination. A sensory panel (N=40) rated broth samples for their caloric content, expected fullness and the prospective portion they would consume to feel comfortably full. Sensory descriptive analysis was completed in addition to temporal assessments over 60-seconds using Temporal-Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA). The results highlighted savoury taste and mouthfeel enhancements with MSG-IMP, which were significantly stronger when combined with GSH and yeast extracts. Koku enhancements were the most distinct when kokumi compounds were combined with MSG-IMP and these combinations were associated increased mouth-coating, flavour-continuity and thickness-body. Despite negligible differences in actual energy, mixtures with the strongest savoury, mouthfeel and flavour-continuity characteristics were associated with higher calories, expected to deliver more fullness and were selected in smaller portions (lower kcals). These findings suggest an opportunity to utilise low-calorie savoury and kokumi enhancement to promote sensory cues that increase expectations of fullness and reduce calorie intake without compromising sensory appeal.

Lowering dietary intake of sodium is an important public health goal, and is currently a major driver of food product development. Reducing the salt content of food while maintaining the same structure and sensory quality is however no easy feat. While several strategies for reformulation exist, the available literature indicate that their effectiveness is highly product-dependant. The present research focused on different salt reduction strategies for potato chips (crisps), drawing on two consumer studies. 

In Study 1 (N=200) the effect of simple salt reduction and two salt replacers (KCl and MSG) on consumer perception is investigated, using a reference product as basis for systematic reformulation. The results indicated that sodium can be reduced up to 30% while maintaining the same palatability, and that replacement (up to 30%) by either KCl and MSG actually increased liking. Study 1 also addressed the issue of how information labeling affects consumer perception by comparing results in blind and informed conditions (N=100 each) and related results to individual consumer characteristics. A strong labelling effect was found, however, whereby consumers significantly preferred the reference product than any of the reformulation when informed of its content (whereas the same sample was the least liked in the blind test). The effect of labeling was moderated by consumers’ health orientation.

Study 2 (N=100) replicated the results and extended the range of experimental conditions by focusing on how salt reduction is affected by texture and seasoning type. Study 2 confirmed the main result of Study 1 across different seasoning types – that sodium can be reduced up to 30% while maintaining the same palatability (in blind) – thus enabling a more robust basis for generalization. The presence of a wavy (vs. smooth) texture influenced liking but, contrary to expectations, the effect was not dependent on salt content.

Sugar is an essential compound for human energy, functioning and survival; however, with an increasing rate of various serious health conditions, there has been a corresponding move away from sugar consumption in Australia. This in turn has had a significant impact on the local FMCG industry, both in terms of sales volumes and the direction of product innovation.

The current set of data and observations aim to understand what sugar is and why we are drawn to it.  It will explore how prevalent the “no sugar” trend is, how it has translated into changed consumer behaviour and the impact it has had on our food and beverage industry. Finally, sensory data will be reviewed to understand whether the trend towards reduced sugar consumption is evident in the taste preferences of consumers and whether natural sweeteners are a realistic solution.

Market data will show that the most sugar dense categories are among those decreasing in volume. It will also show where allowances are made in terms of products with links to natural ingredients or pure indulgence occasions. Longitudinal behavioural and sensory data will show a shrinking incidence of frequent sweet category consumers, the rejection of sweetness levels in common products, a negative correlation between overall liking and sweetness intensity and a negative correlation between sweetness and perceptions of naturalness. Finally, this data will also illustrate common rejection of natural sweetener and the confusion between natural and artificial sweeteners.

Although trends are often transient, they can have a devastating impact if not acknowledged by relevant industry parties. Amongst the multiple industry strategies in play, it appears to be the simplest one’s that are proving most successful: step-wise reduction of sweetness that follows shifting palate preferences, and/or the recognition of personalised nutrition based on one’s unique health, activity and needs.

Phenol-rich food associates to positive health outcome. Bitter taste elicited by phenols is innately rejected by humans. 

This work aims exploring factors associated to the choice of coffee/tea and wine/beer items varying for recalled intensity of bitterness. 

251 subjects (18-60 years; 55% females) completed the task. They filled in the Health and Taste and the Dutch Eating Behaviour questionnaires and reported their familiarity with phenol-rich beverages. PROP responsiveness and bitterness perception in chocolate puddings were assessed. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the choice within a pair of beverages varying in bitterness (coffee with/wo sugar, coffee with/wo milk, coffee/cappuccino; tea with/wo sugar, regular/dark tea; white/red wine, blonde/dark beer). The options were coded as 1 (more bitter) and 0 (less bitter).  For each subject a choice index (CI) was calculated as a sum of the choices of the more bitter option.  

Females showed a lower CI than males. Further analyses were performed independently by gender. Based on the percentile distribution of CI, subjects were divided in high-HCI, medium-MCI and low-LCI. Both males and females HCI showed familiarity with coffee/tea and for wine/beer items higher than MCI and LCI and rated bitterness from chocolate pudding lower than MCI and LCI. Responsiveness to PROP was lower in HCI than MCI and LCI in females. HCI females reported higher interest for health, natural and light food and higher restriction in eating behaviour compared to LCI. HCI males showed higher health, natural food interest and higher emotional behaviour.

Uncovering factors acting as barriers or facilitators for acceptance of phenol-rich bitter foods would help the understanding of drivers of healthy food behaviours. In both gender, choice of bitter phenol-rich beverages positively associates with familiarity with these foods, low bitterness responsiveness and healthy attitudes towards food

Expectations are a known moderator of the effect of extrinsic cues on experience (Deliza and MacFie, Journal of Sensory Studies, 11(2), 103–128, 1996). Manipulation of expectations can be thus used to improve consumer experience of often disliked products, such as non-alcoholic beer. To understand the effect of expectations in a product-specific context, in this case beer, it is necessary to first examine the process of expectation generation. Accordingly, we designed a series of four experiments to investigate the effect of extrinsic cues on sensory and hedonic expectations. Beer drinkers (n=37, n=39, n=52, n=38) were presented with fictitious beer labels and they rated their expectations of liking and sensory attributes. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of label colour and design, Experiment 2 explored the effects of label colour and alcohol content, Experiment 3 examined the influence of label colour and sensory descriptor, and finally Experiment 4 looked at the effects of label colour, alcohol content and sensory descriptor. In summary, across the four experiments, label colour, labelled alcohol content and sensory descriptor all had a significant and replicable effects on sensory expectations. Hedonic expectations however, were only affected by the sensory descriptor and to some extend label colour, while the effects of labelled alcohol content did not reach statistical significance. Notably, the effect of extrinsic cues depended on how explicit or implicit they were, and the combination in which they were presented. These results improve our understanding of what aspects of a label contribute to expectation generation in the context of beer. The findings also highlight the need to consider extrinsic cues together rather than separately, because the information they carry and the way they are combined affects the size of the effect

Introduction: Food portion size and energy density are the two primary determinants of total energy intake. Being able to discriminate portion size and energy density is a critical component of healthy eating behaviour. While emerging neuroscience data indicate judgments of portion size and energy density involve distinct brain regions, these separate cognitive activities often occur simultaneously. It is not understood how the judgement of portion size and energy density interfere with each other, and influence an individual’s energy consumption. 

Methods: This present study tested 69 (including 35 healthy-weight and 34 overweight individuals) for cognitive interference when judging portion size and energy density, with a well-accepted cognitive testing paradigm – the Garner task. Specifically, the task involved viewing controlled food pictures with varying portion size and/or energy density, organised in congruent (e.g., large portion of high-energy food) and incongruent conditions (e.g., large portion of low-energy food). The participants were asked to indicate portion size and energy density, following pre-determined simple cognitive rules. Reaction time and correctness of response were recorded and analysed against the testing conditions and the individual’s body-mass-index. 

Results:  On average, discriminating energy densities (M=503ms; SE=9.9) took significantly less time than discriminating portion sizes (M=551ms; SE=9.8; p<0.05). While all participants performed faster in the energy-portion congruent trials, the overweight group performed significantly slower (M=638ms; SE=11.1) when discriminating energy density in incongruent trials compared to the healthy-weight group (M=580ms, SE=10.8; p<0.05). 

Significance: Findings from this study highlight that judgements of portion size and energy density interfere with each other. The interference effect is particularly strong in overweight individuals for judging energy density, implicating high susceptibility to energy-dense food when it is presented in small portion size. Overall,this study provides novel critical knowledge to explain the link between an individual’s dietary decision-making and their adiposity.

The ease with which large amounts of data from designed experiments can now be collected through online surveys, at relatively low cost, necessitates a rethinking of traditional consumer research techniques.  In particular, TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency) analysis is one of several traditional techniques that requires updating to accommodate the large datasets now available.  In this presentation, we begin by reviewing recent computational advances that have made it possible to solve TURF problems of any size that might reasonably arise in designed experiments within consumer research.  We next discuss an extension of these techniques called “Comprehensive Market Coverage Analysis”, which considers the space of all possible TURF solutions that meet a set of minimal requirements to provide additional insight into the solution space.  We then conclude with a series of industrial examples that demonstrate the need for such a comprehensive approach by showing how the most business relevant solutions may not be those returned by traditional TURF analysis. Throughout the presentation, we provide guidance on the use of freely available, open-source tools to support the analyses described.

A growing demand for gluten-free products has been observed among both celiac and non-celiac consumers, which makes it interesting to understand consumers’ motivations for consuming gluten-free products. The use of social networks has recently become one of the most popular means for expressing opinions and sharing information about a wide range of topics. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyse the content of messages posted on Twitter about gluten-free products in different food categories.

A total of 16325 tweets in Spanish containing the terms “sin-gluten” and “gluten-free”, generated between September 2017 and January 2018, were collected using the rtweet package from R software. Tweets were processed by automatic cleaning and lemmatization. Subsequently, the obtained dataset was analysed in terms of co-occurrences using VOSviewer software, which creates a semantic network showing conversational connections. Tweets mentioning the four products with the highest frequency of occurrence in the whole dataset were analysed separately: bread, cookie, pizza and beer. 

Semantic maps showed related concepts across categories and enabled the identification of the most important characteristics of gluten-free products in each category. Bread, cookies and pizza were more frequently associated with the concepts recipe, flour, cook or hand-made, given that they are products usually prepared at home, using flours from different sources. Beer was more associated with different brands and social contexts. In general, products were connected to positive sensations. In the case of pizza, negative sensations were also identified. Results suggest that the analysis of Twitter data was suitable for obtaining semantic networks that provide insights into what consumers freely express regarding gluten-free products in a micro-blogging platform. 

During testing in a lab booth, video and audio stimuli in Virtual Reality (VR) should be used to make a usage situation tangible to the participants. 

The present study -a sniff test- deals with Oculus VR-glasses, showing an authentic use case of the product being tested. The technical implementation was self-realized by filming 360°-videos and provide an integrated questionnaire. 

But in advance there are important aspect to think about. The aim of this research project is to proof an order effect in product ratings: It is assumed that the order of products changes depending on the scenario being shown in VR.

It aims at comparing the sensory acceptance of two floor cleaners with different benefits in two different usage situations. The products have been selected due to their different positioning in the motive system:

• “summer freshness” which has a fresh, flowery and stimulating scent
• “hygienic cleaner green freshness” with chlorine, a professional cleaner that provides safety

We also had to think of two virtual reality scenarios to create a different smell experience depending on what was shown in VR-glasses:

• a public waiting room, so it would remind the participant of nice relaxation and free time related to hypothesis: fits to product “summer freshness”
• a typical public toilet room, which requires a setting of hygienic cleanliness related to hypothesis: fits to product containing chlorine

We could find indication of an order effect. The specific application of the floor cleaners shown in virtual reality influences the rating of the product-context-fit. The intended benefit partly determines the smell of a product thus consumer’s liking become more evident in a concrete usage context via VR according abovementioned hypothesis.

Summarizing it is important to pay attention to the interaction between virtual reality contexts and products when thinking about test designs using VR.

Some recent studies have found that consumption temperatures can influence not only perceived attributes and overall impressions, but also emotional responses to food or beverage items such as green tea or brewed coffee consumed over a wide temperature range. This study was aimed at determining the effect of consumption temperature on sensory attributes of and emotional responses to tomato soup samples. Six professionally-trained panelists at the University of Arkansas Sensory Service Center evaluated three tomato soup products, randomly served at four different temperatures: 70, 55, 40, and 25 °C, and rated intensities of 17 attributes. Based on results of descriptive sensory analysis, two products were selected for testing conducted with untrained consumers. A total of 65 participants (38 females) evaluated the two tomato-soup products served at four different temperatures using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) method that considered 34 sensory attributes and 39 emotion-related terms. The results showed that hedonic ratings of soup products increased with elevated temperatures (correlation coefficient = 0.34). The intensities of 24 emotional responses and 14 sensory attributes were found to differ significantly with variations in consumption temperature. While soup products consumed at 55°C were characterized by greater number of sensory attributes, those consumed at 70°C were more characterized by positive emotions. A principal component analysis showed that while the greater data variation with respect to sensory attributes could be explained by product type rather than product temperature, the greater variation in emotional responses were attributed more to product temperature than to product type. As temperature decreased, sensory attributes and positive emotions were checked less frequently while negative emotions were checked more frequently. In conclusion, the findings showed that product temperature can significantly influence emotional responses to, and sensory attributes of, tomato soup products.

Viscosity is a relevant attribute in most liquid and semisolid product categories. Yet, studies on viscosity and its perception are limited to relatively thin viscosities (η<1500cP), and they frequently focus on overall viscosity perception, which provides little insight into a potential detection mechanism. The objective of this study was two-fold: characterize the perception of high-viscosity (η>1500cP) solutions and utilize tissue isolation to help elucidate a detection mechanism. We hypothesized that due to the tongue’s key role in solution manipulation, it would be chiefly responsible for viscosity perception in the oral cavity. Perception acuity just noticeable differences (JNDs) were determined for participants (n=15) using the forced-choice staircase method for the viscosity of a series 45:55 glycerin-water solutions that varied in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) concentration ([CMC]=1.125-1.5%; η=4765-15480cP). Participants evaluated the solutions by pressing them against the roof of their mouths in “blocked” and “unblocked” conditions. During the “blocked” condition, participants wore retainers made of moldable plastic which blocked the roof of the mouth. Participants were significantly better (p<0.005) at discriminating between solutions with the entire oral cavity (Δη=2542cP) than with the tongue alone (Δη=3689cP). However, individuals who were perfect or had only one reversal in the unblocked condition, showed no significant impairment in the blocked condition (p=0.190), while individuals who were worse at the initial task showed a significant decrease in perception when the roof of the mouth was blocked (p=0.006). This suggests the tongue may play a critical but different role in viscosity perception dependent upon the individual. Some individuals, particularly those worse at the task, may be using the roof of the mouth to provide clues on solution viscosity. Future studies evaluating the role of this structure in viscosity perception, as well as potential physiological differences between the two groups may provide further insight into high-viscosity discrimination.

Sweet taste “likers” and “dislikers” have been identified and analyzed for relevance to a wide variety of fields, from purchasing behavior to obesity or alcohol abuse risk. However, whether this phenomenon is unique to sweetness, or reflects a broader behavioral trait is largely untested. To examine the potential for a more general taste liking trait, we conducted studies on sensory ratings for mixed sweet and sour solutions along with pH of expectorated samples (to examine buffering capacity of saliva related to sourness). For 47 subjects, sensory ratings were collected for citric acid (0%, 0.27%, 0.85%, and 2.7%, w/w), sucrose (0%, 3.13%, 9.11%), and mixed solutions. Salivary buffering capacity was determined in a subset of participants (N=11) by measuring pH in an expectorated solution of 3.13% sucrose with 2.7% citric acid. Sensory data were used to identify clusters of participants using 2-means cluster analysis. Sensory data and expectorated pH were analyzed using Spearman correlations and mixed linear models. Results indicate that one group had greater liking for samples in general, but also liked additional sugar more and disliked high levels of acid less than the other group (all p<0.02). This indicates that perhaps these sweet likers are less opposed to intense levels of sourness (ratings were near neutral for highest level of acid, while other group rated these well in the “dislike” range). In the subset of participants with pH measurements, increasing expectorated pH correlated with increases in liking ratings for the expectorated sample (p=0.023). Overall, our results indicate that the trait for sweet-liking may coexist with a tolerance for sour taste. Further work will continue to examine the role of saliva buffering, as well as whether additional subgroups for sweet/sour liking or tolerance may exist.

The objective of this research is to understand if visual sensory cues on wine labels influence the perceived sensory taste of the wine. This research uses the framework of consumer culture theory to identify extrinsic visual cues that aid wine drinkers to create a sense of who they are by selectively choosing what they consume (Miele, 2006), and this identification becomes associated with sensory attributes that bias the taste of wine. Wine engages all of the senses and these often overlap until one sensory experience is systematically associated with a resulting sensory experience called a cross-modal association (Spence et al., 2013). This five-phase research study uses an interdisciplinary approach to conducting sensory and consumer research to focus on the cross-modal impact of these extrinsic visual cues. Methods in sensory evaluation include a quantitative online survey with seventeen uniquely classified wine labels to determine if wine drinkers anticipate a wine will taste better after seeing a label with all intrinsic cues removed. A triangle test demonstrates that wine drinkers were unable to discriminate between two wines using only taste. A second in-person taste test using the same two wines and two uniquely visually classified labels shows that when consumers identify with a label, they believe the wine tastes better. Follow-up in-depth interviews found wine drinkers are looking for a label that is “for someone like me” and this impacts the overall sensory experience of the wine. This presentation will demonstrate that there is a cross-modal association that results when a wine label is identified with through visual sensory cues and this process influences the actual taste of the wine.

The purchase and consumption process of food and beverages can be divided into three stages: first purchase, tasting, and re-purchase. The first purchase is determined by consumers’ “expected quality” of the product based on its extrinsic attributes, i.e. those that can be perceived before consumption. Consumers then taste the product and perceive its intrinsic attributes (taste and aroma), constructing an “experienced quality” in their minds, also influenced by expected quality. Finally, the recalling of the expected and experienced quality determines future re-purchases of the product.

Our study measures the influence of expected and experienced quality in the recalled quality during hypothetical re-purchase decision, and how this is affected by the passing of time. We do this using data from a home-use study on wine. 153 Chilean consumers participated in the experiment, providing subjective evaluations of wine quality before tasting, right after tasting, and approximately one month after tasting (962 observations in total). They also provided hypothetical purchase decisions right after tasting and one month later. We used an Integrated Choice and Latent Variable model (ICLV) to analyse the data, as it allows for a natural and flexible way to represent the changes in quality perception over time.

Early results indicate that Expected quality is significantly influenced by extrinsic attributes, with price having a positive effect due to price-quality association. Experienced quality is influenced by both intrinsic attributes and expected quality, while recalled quality is positively influenced by both expected and experienced quality. While experienced quality has a bigger impact on recalled quality, we observe high heterogeneity across participants. These results confirm our hypothesis on the structural relation between expected, experienced and recalled quality. We are currently exploring the mediating effect of time, prior knowledge and consumption context (all collected in the survey) on quality perception.

 Fragrance development free from allergenic compounds is a part of important responsibility in beauty industry in terms of enhancing sustainable value of products. On the other hand, since pleasant fragrance brings a great influence on consumer purchase behavior, it is necessary to deliver positive emotional benefit of scents in their beauty experience. The objective of our study was to investigate consumers’ perceived value and emotional benefit of fragrance including allergy-free ingredients.

 Consumers highly involved with scents were selected based on a U&A survey and a sensitivity test of odors. 20 fragrance prototypes, applied in a standard cosmetic cream formulation, were provided in a randomized order. The evaluation process was composed of two individual sessions. In the first session, the consumer panel was asked to apply each sample on a forearm skin to describe her first impression. Then, questionnaires using a 9-point-Likert-scale were given to assess the appropriateness of perceived values, such as 'mild', 'comfortable', 'elegant', 'trendy', and etc. In the second session, they sniffed each sample in a jar to verbalize and visualize emotional values using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questionnaires. A set of emotive adjectives and image boards were given for the verbalizing and visualizing task, respectively.

 A perceptual mapping using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to understand perceived characteristics of the fragrance samples. Supported by the texts from the first impression via Word Cloud Analysis, the samples with positive correlations with 'elegant' and 'fragile' were strongly associated with 'luxurious' and 'trendy'. The samples with 'unique' and 'professional' value shared negative correlations with 'mild' and 'pure'. In addition, the distribution of frequency of CATA data was used to investigate which emotional benefit was dominant for each sample. The findings were delivered to the marketers to support their decision on new product development.

Increasing concerns regarding overweight and obesity require a better understanding of factors underpinning food intake. In this context, there is high interest in defining the extent to which the modulation of food properties can be used as a strategy to regulate the amount of food consumed within an eating occasion.This study aims to define a relationship between oral processing behaviourand intake of yogurts differing in texture. Four iso-caloric combinations of yogurt (thin/thick) with added granolapieces (small/large) were used. Both yogurt viscosity and granola particle size differed by 2-fold. Oral processing parameters were quantified by video recording consumers (n=104) eating yogurt ad libitum. Ratings for appetite, liking and product familiarity were also assessed.  

Results showed that small texture differences were enough to change the oral processing behaviour and the satiating capacity of yogurts. A 2-fold decrease in yogurt viscosity decreased number of chews, sip size, oral exposure time. Liking and familiarity scores were lower for thin yogurt. A 2-fold decrease in particle size increased the number of chews and decreased eating rate, sip size and intake without affecting liking and familiarity. An overall 5% reduction in intake was achieved through small variation in size of granola particles. 

Additionally, consumers were segmented into slow (45±1g/min), intermediate (68±1g/min) and fast eaters (99±2 g/min). Faster eaters consumed a larger amount of yogurt, took larger sips, ate at a higher sipping and chewing rate and kept food shorter in the mouth. Liking did not differ between the consumer groups.

Our results suggest that the satiating capacity of foods can be modulated without significantly changing product identity.  

Factors affecting flavor release during food consumption have been widely debated in the literature for years. Due to the high complexity behind this phenomenon, several studies have undertaken the cause by mimicking the in-mouth processes by artificial devices or in vitro approaches (Salles et al., 2011).
Nevertheless, studies involving in vivo approaches are not lacking (e.g. Aprea et al., 2006; Pedrotti et al, 2018), even if just few of them involved a large sample size (Repoux et al., 2011) which may be the key point to disclose new insight on the inter-individual differences on flavor release.    
Thus, here we present the preliminary results of a study, which aimed to investigate the inter-individual variability on flavor release during the consumption of a model food on a large healthy population.

Ninety-three subjects (60.9 % female) between 22 to 68 years old participated in the study. Each subject, after filling in a socio-demographic questionnaire and giving an unstimulated saliva sample, consumed at least three replicates of a strawberry jelly candy following a specific bite-based procedure supported by a video tool. Simultaneously nose-space analysis with Selected-Ion Flow-Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) was carried out (SYFT VOICE 200 ultra, Syft Ltd, New Zealand).

Flavour profiles information were extracted according to Romano et al. (2014) and then submitted to a Principal Component Analysis that revealed a negative effect of age and BMI on flavor release and persistence on the nasal cavity. No gender effect has been found.

These preliminary results, based on a large sample of healthy people, highlighted some factors involved on the mechanisms of flavor release that may be the starting point to set up new approaches to investigate specific populations (e.g. bariatric or chemotherapy patients) where flavor release have a strong and a direct impact on their quality of life.

Although coffee beverages are highly popular items consumed worldwide, there are individual variations in methods of extracting and drinking, and a significant proportion of the population cannot consume coffee beverages because of various health concerns. Using the concept of cross-modal correspondence and multisensory flavour integration, a simulation of coffee drinking experience was conducted using espresso coffee aroma as olfactory stimuli in either water (Study 1) or sucrose solutions (Study 2). Because most existing cross-modal studies have not considered different olfactory pathways, i.e. orthonasal or retronasal, for presenting olfactory stimuli, the effects of variation in olfactory pathway on cross-modal correspondence and attribute intensity were also of great interest. This study aimed to determine whether olfactory cues presented via varying olfactory pathways could cross-modally modulate gustatory perception and expectation with respect to hot beverages such as brewed coffee. A total of 108 normosmic participants (57 females for Study 1 and 61 females for Study 2) were asked to sniff coffee aroma via either an orthonasal or a retronasal pathway while concurrently drinking water or sucrose solutions, followed by participation in a Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) test for each sample condition. The results revealed that coffee aroma treatments in sucrose solutions generated a higher proportion of coffee-related attributes than such treatments in water only. In other words, cross-modal correspondence occurred more clearly in sucrose solutions than in water. The cross-modal association was also more apparent in orthonasally-presented olfactory stimuli. The findings of this study suggested emphasis on the importance of olfactory stimuli presentation methods in future cross-modal correspondence studies, possibly inducing a coffee drinking experience for non-coffee consumers by designing a non-coffee beverage product having believable coffee-like attributes.

About 70-80% of new product introductions in retail grocery industry fail. The industry’s prevalent focus regarding innovation often lies mainly on the novelty aspect: innovations should significantly differentiate from competitors and deliver a new benefit. However, recent research in adjacent areas shows that besides providing a novel aspect, the incorporation of a high level of prototypicality (representativeness of category members) into a product design is key for success, as this creates processing fluency. This psychological concept states that the perception of ease or difficulty in one’s mental processing determines the emotions towards the object that triggered the mental process. Hence, something that is easy to process evokes a positive hedonic response on a gut-level. Considering a sensory product profile as product “design“, this study investigates for the first time the relevance of prototypicality for successful food innovations.

Three food innovations from different product categories with a proven record of success in the market were selected to assess their level of differentiation and grade of prototypicality from a sensory point of view and to compare them with niche and benchmark products of these categories. Using the prototype theory by Rosch (1971) as theoretical framework, descriptive sensory analysis and implicit association tests were conducted to develop a classification system that determines the grade of prototypicality/ novelty within a sensory profile.

Results reveal a common pattern: successful innovations show indeed a high level of prototypicality and differentiate from competitors mainly in terms of intensity differences. The few novel attributes create “flavour complexity”, which can be regarded as another key aspect for a promising product design. Successful products manage to be sophisticated without leaving the conceptual frame of what consumers associate with a given category. This suggest that considering these uncovered patterns during recipe formulation could be of great value in product development. 

A product’s success in fast-moving consumer goods categories hinges on consumers purchasing and repurchasing that product. This research explored drivers of product choice and choice satisfaction through an online methodology that mimics the retail experience and frames the purchase decision in a more ecologically valid context. Kombucha (a low-sugar, live cultured, non-alcoholic sparkling beverage) served as a case study, because it is a novel, but increasingly popular product.

Product users (n=1303, 68% female, aged 18-86, USA) evaluated 9 commercial products (bottle images) for expected liking, and indicated which they had consumed previously. The same products were then presented in a retail simulation, on a 3×3 shelf. Before making a purchase decision, consumers could learn about each product by clicking on the image to reveal additional product information. Choice satisfaction and product choice reasons were measured, followed by various questions which probed product attitudes, involvement and consumption frequency.

Probabilities of selecting a product, satisfaction with product choice, and purchase intention were positively associated with higher expected liking, previous consumption of the product, and higher product category involvement. Product choices were related to consumers’ underlying food choice motivations, which were measured using the single-item Food Choice Questionnaire. In open comments 70% consumers give sensory-related reasons for their product choices. 72% of consumers selected the kombucha that they indicated liking most.

Raw data, psychographic inventories, and model-based clustering results were used as predictors in machine learning, learning ensembles (e.g. multiclass boosting), (generalized) linear (mixed) models. The particular kombucha chosen was predicted with low (<20%) accuracy, whereas satisfaction with product choice was predicted with higher (>70%) accuracy.  The experiment was devise to determine drivers of kombucha purchase, and results will inform a future study on drivers of kombucha repurchase.

The tetrad test has become a commonly used discrimination methodology in sensory evaluation. One potential weakness is added experimental variance associated with a greater number of stimuli. An organization considering switching to the tetrad should confirm the suitability of the change with its own product type(s) and panelists. Such a switch must involve carefully selected pairs of samples to avoid inconclusive results due to over- or under-powered experiments.

In this research, we used a three-step approach to maximize the quality of the learnings from a tetrad to triangle comparison. The objective of the first two steps was to select pairs of samples with small, medium, and large sensory differences to provide a range before the main comparison in step 3.

Four types of beverages were selected based on their varying levels of sensory fatigue (from hard sparkling water to a high bitterness unit malt beverage).  Additives were identified to create systematic sensory differences.  This was followed by step 1.

1. Four levels of additives were chosen through preliminary testing.

2. Torgerson’s method of triads was used by two panels of 50 subjects to establish additive levels for small, medium, and large differences per product type.

3. The triangle and tetrad methods were then compared with all 12 pairs of stimuli according to a carefully generated design to minimize experimental biases.

This three-step approach successfully generated data permitting the clear comparison of the triangle and tetrad methods’ performances. Despite its slightly greater level of experimental noise, the tetrad was confirmed to be more powerful than the triangle test. Sample size calculations concluded that the current panel size could be decreased by 40% with a switch to the tetrad test.

This multi-step approach is strongly recommended to ensure reliable and suitable findings from a methodology switch investigation.

Understanding the food preference of animals remains a challenging area in sensory science. An innovative methodological approach, based on the combination of a two‐bowl consumption test and an olfactory discrimination task using a dual‐port olfactometer, was then designed to clarify the drivers of animals' liking. The proposed sensory approach aims to measure the influence of odor on dogs' food selection and to discern a real absence of preference from a lack of olfactory discrimination capacity, which is currently an important flaw of two‐bowl consumption tests results analysis.

Consumption of four pet food products by an expert dog panel was evaluated using two-bowl consumption test. First choice and intake ratio results were strongly linked, suggesting that odor perception influenced the dogs' food consumption. Within this test, two products were equally preferred by the dogs. To provide more depth to the interpretation, we used an olfactometer to measure the dogs' discrimination of the four product odors. A panel of dogs, designated the expert taster panel, was specially trained in olfactory recognition of one of the two equally preferred products.

The main results demonstrated that dogs can discriminate products by olfaction and express the same food preference for different products, even if they have different perceived odors. Moreover, the olfactory experiments allowed us to conclude that the differences in intensity among odors did not affect their discrimination.

The restoration of context enables novel experimental designs for the investigation of consumer behaviors. In addition to perceptual and hedonic endpoints, other product variables related to consumer behaviors include “consumption occasion (CO)” and “expected price (EP)”. Presently, we assessed whether CO or EP was influenced by increasing levels of context. Sixty-two red-wine consumers evaluated the same 4 red wines in 3 conditions—traditional sensory booths, immersive wine bar, and actual wine bar. For each wine, subjects indicated the likelihood they “would order this wine in a restaurant or wine bar” and “would purchase this wine to drink at home” using a 5-point Likert scale. Additionally, they answered the question “How would you expect this wine to be priced (one bottle, 750 mL)?” by selecting one of the following price ranges: “below $5”; “$5-$10”; “$10-$20”; “$20-$50”; “$50+”. ANOVA results indicate subjects were significantly (p=0.035) more likely to order the wines at a restaurant or wine bar when they were in the actual environment compared to the traditional booth; the immersive wine bar was intermediate. When asked if they would purchase the same wine to drink at home, environment had no significant impact (p=0.064). When estimating wine price, subjects estimated wine prices higher in the actual compared to the traditional booths (p=0.005). Moreover, subjects accurately differentiated price between higher and lower priced wines regardless of environment. Our data indicate that context alters a consumer’s assessment of CO and EP. External cues in the actual wine bar likely raised expectations and positively influenced subjects’ opinions of the wine. However, this effect was only observed when subjects assessed wines for restaurant or wine bar, but not home consumption. This strongly suggests that congruency between the testing environment and questions asked of panelists is important to consider when employing context in product evaluations.

When aiming to differentiate products in a novel sensory direction, there is a risk that consumers who are familiar with the original product would reject the reformulation. First, we need to determine if the sensory direction is a driver of acceptance for the target consumers. Even so, consumers might differ in the extent to which they can perceive product changes in that direction. Consumers can also differ in where their optimum lies for the sensory direction. So, it is important to study such differences in consumer sensory perception through sensory segmentation, which is one of the biggest challenges for successful product and/or market development. 

In the current study, 12 bouillon products, varying in mouthfeel thickness were evaluated by 159 consumers for product acceptance using the signal detection-based degree of satisfaction-difference (DOSD) test. Also, consumers sensitivity to differences in mouthfeel thickness were measured by performing a series of 10 2-AFCR discrimination tests on a subset of 4 products. 

For sensory segmentation, consumers that performed 8 or more 2-AFCR tests correct were classified as high discriminators, whereas consumer that performed 7 of less tests correct were classified as low-discriminators. The repeated satisfaction responses to the reference product were used to identify four consumer groups: satisfied with reference, reference too thin, reference too thick, and inconsistent results. These results were combined into a matrix summarizing the information into business relevant consumer segments, which could be used to quantify the opportunity of product reformulation. So that estimates could be made of how many people would notice the product change and how it would change their satisfaction. 

The segmentation results showed that there was an opportunity to optimize the product into the novel direction as there was a small but sensitive group of consumers that would be more satisfied with a thicker product.

Lately we see the trend in the FMCG industry to not only measure product performance including overall liking and benefit delivery with the help of explicit but also implicit measurements. Emotions, motivations and attitudes activate and steer behavior without the person often being aware of it. Hence, explicit measurements often fall short in capturing this implicit information. 

Implicit measurements that are gaining popularity in the testing of products are those that are based on reaction time (e.g. IAT), or that measure physiological responses such as brain activity (EEG), heart rate, skin conductance or pupil dilation. The downside of the measurement of physiological responses is that we can see the degree of activation but not its direction (positive vs. negative) or even the product’s ability to communicate specific benefits/activate need states.

Furthermore, the authors were interested in the impact of the sensory modality causing emotional response – in our case olfactory vs. gustatory cues.

Hence, a study was set up to investigate the sensory modality impact by testing a variety of citrus scents and citrus flavors applied to a drink using explicit tools (9-point-hedonic scale and CATA for different benefits), a reaction time based method (similar to the IAT but in a more practicable implementation) and EEG. 

In this study 40 test persons participated in the EEG part and 100 in the test set-up including reaction time and explicit measurement. Sample presentation and allocation to the three testing set-ups was according an experimental design to minimize carry-over and sequence effects.

Our results show that implicit information can add further insights to explicit measurement with EEG results indicating the degree of activation and the reaction time method adding the layer of need state activation. Furthermore interesting insights on modality-method-interactions were investigated.

Every year, 95% of new products fail to achieve their market potential. This scenario reveals opportunities to enhance how products are tested before reaching the market, making decisions more efficient. As consumers’ research advance, it’s been widely recognized that consumers can not necessarily give reliable responses to how they react to products. However, neuroscience has shown that there’re methodologies capable of accessing the consumer’s implicit emotional response, which may give an improved prediction of a product’s performance on the market. Here we report the testing of two commercially viable fragrances designed to be suitable for a personal care product and to support a concept of enhancing feelings of happiness. Two techniques were used: facial electromyography – fEMG and an Implicit Priming Test - IPT to measure and compare the implicit emotional response and the association with the concept idealized for the product between two different cosmetics (here called as “A” and “B”). The facial EMG results showed that both products “A” and “B” were able to induce a pleasant experience and they didn’t differentiate within each other. The IPT test results indicated differences between products “A” and “B” across all categories of attributes assessed. Product A was positively associated with two attributes related to the brand concept related with the target mood happiness. The results allowed the clients to make a more assertive decision, since “Option A” was proved to be effective in inducing a pleasant emotional response and to activate important neural networks related to the feeling of happiness, demonstrating these techniques’ sensitivity. By identifying objectively which product is more aligned with the brand’s strategy and expectations, it’s possible to develop products that are more competitive and likely to succeed.

Three commercially available blueberry-flavoured spoonable fermented fresh dairy products (protein-reinforced quarks) were evaluated by a consumer panel in (1) an online survey, (2) during a central location test (CLT), followed by a (3) purchase tracking phase. In addition, (4) implicit product wanting measures were collected during an approach-avoidance task (AAT) using EEG, motor-response kinetics and pupil size responses. The study objective was to compare the power of explicit consumer ratings and implicit product responses to predict product purchase amounts.

134 subjects scored pleasantness, purchase intention, recommendation and emotional responses by emojis for the three quarks after visual exposure to the brand and package (expectation condition) and after subsequent product tasting (perception condition). A random subset of 56 subjects participated in the implicit measurements at the CLT one day after the tasting session. Following this, respondents kept an online purchase diary for one month. Explicit scores of recommendation, purchase intention and pleasantness showed the strongest association with purchase behavior. Of the implicit measurements, ERP-based product wanting showed the strongest association with purchase behavior. Still, explicit responses predicted purchase behavior better than implicit responses. To conclude, if product comparisons are not affected by social desirability of the response, explicit measures predict future purchase behavior better than available implicit measures.

The decision-making process involved in food selection and consumption behaviors is confounded by initial mental integration of information, experiences, and emotions associated with the package (stimuli). In products such as fresh milk, packaging and display lighting have been documented to cause oxidative chemical changes to milk leading to off-flavors. We sought to understand the association between emotions attributed to fluid milk packaging, acceptability, and purchase intent. Participants (age: 18–65 years; n = 50; milk consumers) performed Single Target Implicit Association Tests (ST-IAT) to assess emotions associated with types of natural and pigmented milk packaging: translucent high-density polyethylene (HDPE), yellow HDPE, white HDPE, white polyethylene terephthalate (PET), clear glass, and paperboard. Milk packaging also was evaluated for acceptability (9-point hedonic scale), explicit emotional response (Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) for 43 emotional terms), and purchase intent. Overall, panelists did not associate milk packaging with either approach or withdrawal emotions based on ST-IAT methods, aside from slight withdrawal association for white PET packaging. Panelists liked glass packaging significantly more than other packaging types; it evoked a higher percentage of self-reported “interest” and “nostalgic” emotions. Likewise, significantly greater purchase intent was reported for both glass and translucent HDPE packaging. Yellow-pigmented HDPE packaging was disliked significantly more than all other packages and mean acceptability response to paperboard was neutral (mean = 4.7 ± 2.1); both materials elicited ‘disgusted’ CATA responses. White-pigmented HDPE and PET, which generated increased “interest”, were liked more than other light-protective materials (mean = 6.0 ± 1.7). White materials did not increase purchase intent, but yellow-pigmented and paperboard packaging significantly decreased purchase intent (p< 0.0001). This research suggests that emotions generated by milk packaging may influence consumers to select milk with packaging that offers product (milk) visibility. However, white materials (HDPE or PET), that target milk quality protection are a potential alternative.

Consumers’ emotional responses have been found to be better at predicting subsequent food choice than sensory or acceptability ratings alone. Given this trend, it is essential that the influence of contextual variables on emotion are investigated. The present study contributes to the discussion with an investigation of the effect of social context on implicit emotional responses to food images. 87 participants (56 female, 31 male) viewed food images of varying acceptability either alone, with a stranger, or with a friend. Subjective liking ratings were measured using a labelled affective magnitude scale, and facial muscle activity from zygomaticus major (contracted during smiling), corrugator supercilii (contracted during frowning) and levator labii superioris (contracted during nose wrinkling) were measured with an EMG recording system. Controlling for individual differences in facial expressivity and food image acceptability using linear mixed models, it was found that social context predicted the intensity of expression for all three muscles. Participants who viewed the food stimuli with a stranger had higher corrugator supercilii and levator labii superioris activity compared to participants who viewed the images alone. The intensity of zygomaticus major activity was not correlated with liking ratings except in the Strangers condition, where increased activity predicted increased liking. Those in the Strangers condition also had lower liking ratings overall compared to the other two experimental conditions. This suggests that the influence of social context on food acceptability is complex, with reduced subjective liking overall, but stronger relationships between muscle activity and liking when rating alongside strangers. These findings indicate that facial EMG may be a useful dynamic and implicit measure of emotion in consumer research in certain social environments.

It is widely acknowledged that the traditional approach of asking consumers to rate products for overall liking is a poor predictor of real-life purchase decisions. A few approaches based on consumer choices have been researched in recent years, including the Take Away preferences approach.

As part of a research project on applied consumer method, a study involving 131 UK consumers investigated the added value of using Take Away preferences in CLT settings. Two samples of salty popcorn were assessed in CLT as well as in home placement conditions. 

In blind CLT conditions, consumers indicated how much they liked each of the samples and which of the two samples they would buy. In informed CLT conditions, consumers indicated how much they liked each of the samples, whether they would buy each of the samples and at what price, and finally which of the two samples they would choose to buy. At the end of the CLT, consumers were invited to choose two bags of popcorn to take home. They could choose one bag of each sample or two bags of the same. For the two samples taken home, consumers were asked to score overall liking, willingness to purchase and perceived moreishness.

The findings show how much the product packaging/brand (blind vs. informed conditions) and assessment context (home vs. CLT conditions) influenced product liking and purchase intent, and how much liking and buying preferences differ from take-away preferences within a CLT setting. 

The findings raise significant questions about the validity of traditional consumer research approaches that Insights and Innovation practitioners use to inform important business decisions. This research demonstrates the benefits of using a Take Away preferences test to simulate real life choice scenarios where respondents make pre-purchase decisions based on product experience as well as exposure to brand and price.  

The use (and abuse) of neuroscience and psychological research methodologies has become a hot topic in consumer research. Neuro- and psychological science can help consumer and sensory researchers and product developers better understand consumers’ unconscious motivators and reactions and even lend insights to claims and sensory perceptions. Commercial tools for leveraging these methodologies continue to get better, faster and cheaper. However, the field of has been plagued with pseudoscience and “neurohype” and researchers have experienced some disappointments when trying to incorporate these measures into their research and into their in-house labs. From EEG headsets to facial coding and virtual reality, building in-house capabilities has never been more easy and confusing. Coming from both the client side as well as the research provider side, I will discuss how one company chose to build their own lab what we can learn to help bring innovations in-house that won’t collect dust.

It is well known that the appearance of food, particularly its colour, can influence flavour perception and identification. However, food studies involving the manipulation of product colour face inevitable limitations, from extrinsic flavours introduced by food colouring, so downright impossibility (i.e. changing the colour of a dark coloured food). One solution lies in modern Virtual Reality (VR) technology, which has become increasingly accessible, sophisticated, and widespread over the past years. VR therefore presents a novel way to conduct sensory and psychological research to study the influence of visual information on consumer perception. In the present study, we investigated whether making a coffee look milkier in a VR environment can alter its perceived flavour and liking. 

Thirty UK consumers were given four samples of black cold brew coffee at 4% and 8% sucrose concentration, presented in a white mug with a straw. They wore VR headsets throughout the study and viewed the same mug and straw in a virtual setting. The colour of the beverage was manipulated in VR, such that participants saw either a dark brown or light brown liquid in the mug as they sipped the coffee. A full factorial design was used so that each participant tasted each sweetness x colour combination, Participants reported sweetness, creaminess, and liking for each sample. Results revealed that beverage colour as viewed in VR significantly influenced perceived creaminess, with the light brown coffee rated to be creamier than dark brown coffee. However, beverage colour did not influence perceived sweetness or liking. 

The present study supports the role of VR as a means of conducting perception studies, especially when it may be difficult to set up the identical scenario in the real world. Furthermore, it opens future opportunities for virtual and augmented reality to promote healthy eating behaviour, such as reducing fat intake. 

“Overfitting” is a well-known problem in the area of predictive modelling: e.g., a Multiple Regression using more predictor variables than observations will always result in a 100% correct prediction of the dependent variable. However, this perfect fit is a mathematical artefact rather than an empirical finding: it results from “underdetermination”, the situation where too many variables are measured on too low number of observations.

Sensory profiling data is often summarized and analyzed using a similar data format: a matrix with mean scores from a relative lower number of products (in rows) and a larger number of attributes (in columns) is submitted to PCA (“Means-PCA”).

This presentation will discuss the consequences of this underdetermined situation. We’ll also compare it to an application of PCA that is known as “Tucker-1 common loadings model”. The “Tucker-1 PCA” does not only avoid underdetermination, it is also closer to the psychometric application of Factor Analysis: it allows interpreting principal components (or factors) as latent variables, which provide a framework of measuring product perception on underlying sensory dimensions.

Using approx. 400 datasets from the Sensobase database, we can show that the Tucker-1 PCA, in comparison to Means-PCA, provides similar product spaces, but results in higher dimensional factor structures, a better replicability of the factors and easier interpretation of the factor structures. 

There is a lack of tools for monitoring individual repeatability, product discrimination and panel alignment in TDS and TCATA. The paper proposes a unified approach, valid for both methods, based on a similarity index between two individual sequences. It amounts to apply the Jaccard index at each time then to average over the full sequence. Statistical inference based on Monte-Carlo simulations and Central-Limit theorem was established. Critical values from these simulations were tabulated for usual numbers of attributes and replicates in order to avoid these simulations to be redone in each application.

Applied to different replicates, the index indicates level of repeatability.  Applied to different products, it indicates size of product differences. Applied to different panelists, it indicates level of panelist agreement. Those three indexes averaged respectively over panelists, products or replicates provide panel performances. Further, a discrimination ratio can be computed at both individual and panel levels as the ratio between indexes of product differences and repeatability. If the discrimination ratio is lower than one, than this panelist or this panel seems inconsistent. If not, again simulations can be used for testing significance of the discrimination ratio.

Time discretization requires choosing a realistic size of successive time intervals. For instance, expecting repeatability of attribute citations every second would be illusory. A default value can be the average time between two citations in the study. Ultimately, increasing it gradually until performances are good enough provides an interesting information to the panel leader about the level of reliable temporality the panel is able to offer.

This new way of analyzing TDS and TCATA data are demonstrated in different studies, some of them featuring panelists having done both TDS and TCATA on the same products, and some others in which half of the panel did TDS and the other half TCATA. 

Reversing, or flipping, the relative proportions of fruit and conventional desserts such as cake is a plant-forward strategy to increase the sustainability and healthfulness of desserts. Promoted as part of the Menus of Change initiative started by the Culinary Institute of America and Harvard Medical School, the dessert flip encourages consumption of smaller portion sizes of conventional full-calorie desserts while increasing portions of fruit. This is particularly beneficial as excess calorie consumption and low fruit consumption are challenges in Western-style diets. We sought to determine whether the dessert flip can be used without reducing consumer acceptance in a university dining hall context. In the first phase, students were served full-sized portions of both typical and flipped desserts. In the second phase, students were shown pictures of three types of desserts following a meal and asked to select which dessert they would choose based on appearance. In both phases, students significantly preferred the high-fruit, flipped desserts. To test the dessert flip with lower cost fruits used in practice and to evaluate the effects of this strategy on food waste, approximately 120 university students were served a full-sized entrée followed by a dessert over three days. Students evaluated a regular plated dessert, a flipped plated dessert, and a flipped dessert in a combined form. In addition to hedonic ratings, students were asked to indicate which dessert they preferred. Food waste was also measured for each of these dessert options. Finally, regular and flipped desserts were served in the dining hall for the general student population to determine choice frequency and food waste by dessert type using plate scrapings. These results suggest that the dessert flip is a plant-forward strategy that can successfully be implemented in dining service situations without significantly reducing acceptance of desserts.

Our consumer marketplace is now both global and local, and a significant challenge we face as CPG researchers for global innovations is to compellingly recommend where to conduct our product testing to maximize the relevance and reach of the research. Far too often, the decision of “where to test” is dictated to us based on in-the-moment market interest, geography, or business maturity, yet these factors do not take consumer congruency into account. We set out to ensure consumer-centricity is at the core of these decisions, and in this presentation, we will share a process to establish consumer-centric affinity-based country clusters for efficient global product research. 

The process has four key steps – clear scope definition, data compilation and curation, collaborative mapping, and interpretation/guidance. By replicating and refining the process via six curation workshops across global product categories and within regions, we feel confident the guiding principles we have developed can help your teams improve their ability to amplify the consumer voice in these critical conversations. We will share our unique perspective on how best to execute this process: - How to decide who is best suited to participate in the research curation team. - How to encourage your team to be biased towards logical action, versus waiting for a perfect data solution (which may never come). - How to leverage programming tools to quantify the impact of your recommendations. - How to elevate the foundational consumer understanding of your cross-functional teams via the themes that emerge from this process.  

As leaders in our organizations, we have the data and the expertise to better drive the “where to test” conversation. This process will enable you to best represent the voice of the consumer, to bring a data-driven recommendation resulting in the most efficient and most effective global product research plans.

Pea protein isolates are clearly identified by the actors of food industry as a trendy ingredient for the design of new plant-based foods. This trend responds to consumer demand but also to a concern from manufacturers to improve their sustainability impact. Nevertheless, off-notes can be perceived when pea proteins are used in food formulations, in particular the persistence of beany and bitter notes. Thus, our work aimed at improving the understanding of the origin of these notes based on the protein isolate composition.

For that purpose, an experimental design was developed with 25 different pea protein isolates solutions, having various concentrations in total proteins, soluble proteins and volatile molecules. Sensory properties of protein solutions were quantified by 17 trained judges with the Block Profiling methodology - a specific method developed to optimise the evaluation of plant-protein isolates. In addition, the sensitivity of judges to assess bitterness (PROP status) was taken into account. 

As main results, PROP-super-tasters were able to highly discriminate the protein solutions on bitter in contrast to other judges. In addition, correlations between bitterness, aromatic intensity or thickness could be done with the above mentioned parameters such as protein content, soluble protein content or the presence of volatile molecules. These results are a first step in identifying the origin of the sensory off-notes in plant-proteins. 

Dishes and ingredients considered as typical by consumers are indicators of food culture at a national level. This study questioned nowadays perception of typical dishes and ingredients in 7 countries: Chile, France, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand. An online questionnaire was circulated through the family network of students of partner culinary schools (1202 participants in total). 

First, the results show a good consensus at each country level to quote 1 to 3 typical dishes per country. Second, the selected recipes are linked to the consensual quotation of a small number of ingredients (4 to 6). These two sources of description of a ‘national cuisine’ bring factual criteria to be used in the design of a local gastronomy recognized as such as well in the design of cross-cultural culinary creativity projects.

Second, beyond the presentation of the most typical dishes and ingredients, the results highlight some specificities in the different countries, especially in the distribution of the answers between the different dishes and ingredients. If a small number of very typical dishes are really emphasized in every countries, there are differences between countries regarding the variety of quotation. Some countries are tight to a small number of typical dished but others show a greater variety of recipes and a larger gastronomic diversity when the typicality is distributed between more dishes. 

Third, the study of used ingredients allows to know the indicators that are reinforcing the perceived typicity. More it reveals differences of perception in countries using close ingredients (Chile and Peru) through the differences in the ranking of the ingredients. 

In addition, the comparison of answers according to the age of the participants highlights the evolution of consumers’ tastes and gives clues on the level of the dynamics or the stability that food culture is encountering in each country.

A unique wine landscape was created almost two millennia ago on the slopes of the Douro River valley and its tributaries, creating a wine marked by a deep articulation between tradition and modernity. Port Wine is the ultimate expression of the RDD's history, cultural heritage of work, experience and art. Tawny Port Wine is aged in barrels and is characterized by aromas of dried fruits, honey, wood and toasted vanilla. Consumers everywhere are becoming more knowledgeable and curious and therefore more likely to be attracted to wines such as Port which represent genuine quality and tradition and which have fascinating stories to tell. To raise and keep alive one of the richest products of the Douro region, the aim of the present work was to develop a Port Wine Tawny fragrance, the first according to the literature.

A sensory panel was trained and 6 aromatic descriptors were selected; the most significant of Tawny Port Wine: alcohol, nuts, spices, wood, sweet/honey and dried flowers. To these descriptors were assigned 7 aromatic compounds, and fragrances were developed with the contribution of the panel. There were selected 3 fragrances, developed with only 3 aromatic compounds: benzaldehyde, sotolon and vanillin.

Then, the consumer´s acceptability of the newly composed fragrances was studied and the optimization of their characteristics, through JAR scale, was evaluated. Positive classification was obtained from 3 fragrances. Male subjects assigned higher ranks and had preference for fragrance 1 with statistically significant (F (1,135) = 18,041, p < 0.001). Consumers consider that the intensity of Port aroma its ideal in 3 fragrances. However, the color is considered not very intense. The use of the 3 compounds (benzaldehyde, sotolon and vanillin) appears to be enough to obtain a fragrance of Tawny Port Wine. The preferred fragrance was further applied in a cosmetic product.

In Ireland, fish roe is generally either discarded at sea or processed as low-value fishmeal. The aim of this study was to establish the feasibility of developing a fish roe product to add value to this currently under-utilised nutritious seafood resource. Roes from locally sourced pollock were salted, air-dried and compared to similar commercially available Mediterranean-style products from mullet and cod in terms of: weight; dimensions; moisture content; pH; instrumental texture and colour; and sensory attributes.

The pollock roes sourced for this research were smaller than both mullet and cod, with raw weights ranging from 31.1-308.8 g (mean = 105.0 g). Roes lost on average 3.1% moisture (w/w) after a 2 h-salting period and 48.8% weight reduction was observed after a 105 h-air average drying time. Moisture content of the dried pollock roe was 34.2%, greater than mullet (28.2%) and cod (29.3%) (P<0.05). Raw pollock roe had mean pH of 6.3, decreasing to 5.9 after drying, compared to 5.4 and 5.7 for mullet and cod, respectively (P<0.05). Instrumental hardness was similar in pollock and mullet, with cod being significantly harder. Surface total colour difference (∆E*) between pollock and cod roe was greater than that of pollock and mullet (9.34 vs. 3.02). Sensory assessment, using 9-point hedonic and 5-point JAR scales, was conducted with 38 consumers. Pollock and mullet were scored similarly for colour, appearance, aroma, texture and mouthfeel, while cod received lower scores. Consumer acceptance of air-dried pollock was similar to commercial mullet and cod products, averaging 5.6, 5.6 and 4.9, respectively (P>0.05). Penalty analysis of JAR showed the overall liking was most impacted by level of fishiness.  

In conclusion, pollock roe showed similar characteristics and acceptable sensory attributes compared to existing commercial products, thereby presenting an opportunity to add value to Irish roe while contributing to waste reduction.

Insect foods have recently become available in the US and Europe, and efforts are underway to understand the perception of edible insects especially in Western countries. The goal of this work was to examine the social representation and to understand the vocabulary Brazilian consumers use to refer to insects as food. A total of 780 individuals were interviewed in eight cities from different Brazilian regions. Participants were asked to write down five words after listening the instruction: “When I say food made with edible insects, what comes to your mind?”. Following, they ranked the importance of each word and the valence (to measure attitude). Words were formatted and grouped into categories according to the word association task procedures; then, the frequency of mention, average importance and polarity index of each category were calculated. The structure of the social representation was obtained crossing the frequency of evocation and the average importance of each category. Results showed that Brazilian consumers associated food made with edible insects mainly with “disgust” and “rejection”. However, categories like “Asia”, “curiosity” and “acceptance” were present as contrasting elements, indicating the existence of minority subgroups with different representations. Differences between gender and age were identified. Female consumers were more prone to evoke the “rejection”, “disgust” and “fear” categories than male which, in contrast, mentioned more “Asia” and “exotic”. Also, male individuals associated “health”, “survival” and “flavor” with a more positive attitude than females, who perceived the “sustainability” category as more positive. Participants older than 40 years were more likely to mention “rejection”, “survival” and “unhealthy” and recognized those categories as more negative; while, younger adults (18 to 40 years old) cited more “Asia”, “different”, “exotic” and “innovative” and evoked “sustainability”, “acceptance” and “survival” with more positive attitude.

Whole wheat is considered to be healthy but little has been reported concerning consumer behaviors related to whole wheat consumption. 1122 consumers participated in  an online food-related lifestyles survey involving a 69-item questionnaire measuring 23 lifestyle dimensions in five major life domains, including ways of shopping, cooking methods, quality aspects, consumption situations, and purchasing motives. Initial analyses of its cross-cultural validity as well as its intra-cultural stability came to positive conclusions, and the instrument has been successfully applied over the years to various European and non-European food cultures1 (Scholder at al. 2004). Application of Cronbach’s Alpha test showed good reliability overall for 16 out of 23 scales. Poor reliability overall was shown for cooking –Involvement, consumption situations – social events, consumption situations – snacks v meals, purchasing motives – security, purchasing motives – social events, quality aspects –novelty and quality aspects –tastiness. Poor reliability was seen with Latino consumers for ways of shopping –specialty shops. Cluster analysis (AHC ) suggested 6 clusters taking into account variance explained and smallest cluster size. ANOVA shows significant differences in means between clusters for all FRLScales. 

Scholderer, J., et al., Cross-cultural validity of the food-related lifestyles instrument (FRL) within Western Europe. Appetite, 2004. 42(2): p. 197-211.

  It is challenging to successfully launch an ethnic food onto a foreign market due to consumers’ neophobic responses. Incorporating components familiar to consumers has been suggested as a strategy to reduce neophobic responses. However, this can result in loss of ethnicity that brings exotic experiences. It is important to identify to which degree the formulation can be modified to increase familiarity without loss of ethnicity. This study was conducted to investigate how much liking and perceived ethnicity of an ethnic rice dish vary when its ingredient, cooking method, and plating are modified. Bibimbab (Korean rice dish) for Southeast Asian market was selected as a sample. Its ingredient, cooking method, and plating either followed the Korean (K) style or were modified to the Nasi Goreng, Southeast Asian (SA) rice dish style. Eight formulations (2 levels (K and SA)  for each of ingredient, cooking method, and plating) were tested by 72 Koreans and 77 Southeast Asians (52 Malaysians and 25 Indonesians). Overall liking, liking of appearance, texture, and flavor, and perceived ethnicity were rated using a 9-point hedonic scale and a 7-point scale. Results were analyzed using nested ANOVA at α=0.05. Ingredient and cooking method significantly influenced liking and ethnicity ratings. K-ingredients and SA-cooking method (stir-frying) increased overall liking, but stir-frying increased perception of SA-ethnicity. Plating only significantly influenced appearance liking and ethnicity. K-plating was preferred and perceived as Korean, regardless of ingredient and cooking method. Ingredient x cooking method significantly affected appearance liking and ethnicity, and cooking method x plating significantly influenced appearance liking. Overall, when the nationality of both factors were matched, appearance liking increased. Stir-frying increased perception of SA-ethnicity of the sample using K-ingredients. SA-panel rated liking and ethnicity significantly higher than K-panel. This seems to be associated with their food neophobic score lower than K-panel’s.

Bitter drinks have been consumed, globally, for a long time. Multiple countries cite different uses for these products; with some being linked to traditional uses such as Aperitives/Digestives and enjoyment of taste. This research was intended to identify acceptance, bitter, sweet perception, along with emotion/perceptual profiles of several bitter taste beverages among different countries. This research also set out to identify if acceptance with the bitter beverages was associated with geographical, bitter food exposure and/or personal life styles choices.

Three beverages, Spritz Veneziano, a grapefruit flavored vodka cocktail and an unsweetened green tea were tested in the United States, Italy, Mexico and Singapore.  Adult panelists (N=75+) per market were used to evaluate these beverages. There were significant differences between the beverages among and within countries on key measurements.  When tested blind, Spritz Veneziano was liked significantly higher in Italy than other countries while green tea was liked significantly higher in Singapore than other countries.  No significant difference on liking of the grapefruit flavored vodka among countries was observed. Overall Spritz Veneziano received most diverse responses across key measurements. In addition to liking differences, it was perceived significantly more bitter in the USA than in Italy and Mexico. It was also rated significantly sweeter in Singapore than in the USA and Italy. On emotion/perpetual profiles, Spritz Veneziano was associated more positively in Italy while green tea more positive in Singapore than other countries. Another interesting finding was neither overall liking scores, bitter or sweet intensities were correlated with bitter food consumption as was hypothesized. Other factors, such as history and culture associated with specific beverage products in the region might result in these differences. These findings indicate when developing global products, local adaptions are needed to guard success.  

Because of the globalization of world food markets there is a growing need for valid and language independent self-assessment tools to measure food-related emotions. We recently introduced the EmojiGrid as a language-independent, graphical affective self-report tool. The EmojiGrid is a Cartesian grid that is labeled with facial icons (emoji) expressing different degrees of valence and arousal. In a previous study we found that the EmojiGrid is robust, self-explaining and intuitive: valence and arousal ratings were independent of framing and verbal instructions. This suggests that the EmojiGrid may be a valuable tool for cross-cultural studies.
To test this hypothesis, we performed an online experiment in which respondents from Germany (GE; N=63 (Male:31, Female:32), Avg. age=30.5±9.2), the Netherlands (NL; N=62 (Male:38, Female:24), Avg. age=27.2±11.3), the United Kingdom (UK; N=61 (Male:14, Female:47), Avg. age=36.5±11.5), Japan (JP; N=99 (Male:33, Female:66), Avg. age=37.2±10.2), Pakistan (PK; N=47 (Male: 32, Female: 15), Avg. age= 30.3±12.1), and  Korea (KR; N= 64 (Male: 10, Female: 54), Avg. age=31.0±4.8) rated valence and arousal for 60 different food images (covering a large part of the affective space) using the EmojiGrid. The results show that the nomothetic relation between valence and arousal has the well-known U-shape for all groups. The European groups (GE, NL, and UK), the Pakistan and the Korean groups closely agree in their overall rating behavior. Compared to those groups, the Japanese group systematically gave lower mean arousal ratings to low valenced images and lower mean valence ratings to high valenced images. These results agree with known cultural response characteristics.
We conclude that the EmojiGrid is potentially a valid and language-independent affective self-report tool for cross-cultural research on food-related emotions. It reliably reproduces the familiar nomothetic U-shaped relation between valence and arousal across cultures, with shape variations reflecting established cultural characteristics.

A growing body of research has focused on the crossmodal correspondences between colour, shape, and taste/flavour. For example, round shapes and red colour are commonly associated with sweetness, whereas angular shapes and black are associated with bitterness. Likewise, a number of studies have explored colour-healthiness associations, with less saturated colours being perceived to be healthier. However, little is known about the associations between colour, shape, and specific health attributes such as fat/sugar/protein content. Moreover, there may well exist cultural differences in such associations, especially for relatively unfamiliar products. Therefore, we investigated how consumers from Western and Eastern cultures associate specific health attributes with the shapes and colours of yoghurt packaging.

A total of 315 participants were recruited for the online study from the UK, US, and China. We focused on six yoghurt-related health attributes (fat, sugar, protein, nutritiousness, satiation, and organic). For each attribute, participants selected a shape (round or angular) then colour (8 levels of hue, 3 levels of saturation) of a container of yoghurt that best matched either high or low level of a given health attribute. 

Across all three cultures, lower saturation was associated with lower sugar level, higher nutrition, and organic production. In addition, white was the colour most frequently associated with low sugar and fat levels, in contrast to red with high sugar/fat associations. While red was the most liked and most satiating for US and UK participants, Chinese participants associated those attributes with white. Interestingly, we did not find expected correlations between shape and sugar level. In fact, the only consistent cross-cultural shape association was between roundness and high levels of satiation and protein.  

These findings can help export-focused food companies, to more knowledgeably incorporate culture-specific nudges into product design and development to promote healthier food choices. 

Socio-economic and parental education has been identified as factors related to vegetable consumption in kids. Here we focused on three ethnic groups in northern California in which parental education and income were not barriers limiting vegetable intake. In this exploratory research we focus on understanding ethnic determinants in vegetable preferences in children. In this, we analyzed the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and consumer patterns of children and their mothers by using qualitative consumer research methods. We conducted twelve focus groups of mothers with children between 2-12 years old (Euro-Americans (n=20), Chinese (n=19) and Chilean (n=19)). Relevant key learnings and intercultural differences in vegetable preferences and habits were found.In all ethnic groups, mothers felt they had a significant influence on their children’s eating habits. However, there were differences regarding the mother’s perception of her own role versus the child’s preferences in having healthy eating habits. While American mothers tend to respect children’s vegetable rejection and relate it to specific age stages, Chinese and Chilean’s mothers tend to perceive that age is a less important factor. Mothers of all groups perceived peer influence being less of a determinant in children’s eating habits than parental influence. Mothers of different groups prepared vegetables differently for their kids, but all groups tended to agree that vegetable variety is hard to achieve.Finally, mothers of different ethnic groups identified the main factor preventing vegetable consumption among kids as follows: Americans expressed a lack of time to prepare vegetables, Chileans felt that snack habits deterred the willingness to eat vegetables, and Chinese felt they already give enough vegetables to their children. Our study suggests that under similar socio-economic and parental education level there are clear ethnical/cultural components that can boost healthy diet habits in children.

Entomophagy is the term employed for using insects as food. This has become of great importance to overcome the increasing demand for foods around the world. In this study, a sensory session to assess the consumers acceptability when looking at images of foods made with insects was conducted. A total of 45 Chinese and 40 Australian consumers participated in the test by viewing 20 different images from five categories i) insect prepared dishes, ii) traditional food with insects, iii) individual insects as food, and iv) insect snacks and desserts. The questionnaire consisted of a check-all-that-apply (CATA) test for emotions and overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale. For the CATA, a Cochran Q test was conducted for the emotions with highest selection (>10%; p<0.05) to assess significant differences between images. The overall liking was analysed using ANOVA to assess significant differences between both cultures (p<0.05). Results shown that there were significant differences (p<0.05) between images for the “disgusted” emotion among Chinese consumers with a frequency of selection of 20%, but this was not observed in Australian consumers who had a frequency of selection of 66%. On the other hand, there were no significant (p≥0.05) differences between images for “surprised” for either cultures; however, Chinese consumers had a frequency of selection of 14%, while Australian had only 1%. There were significant differences (p<0.05) between cultures for overall liking with means from Australians within 1.5 and 5.7 and within 2.3 and 6.8 from Chinese. There is a higher acceptability of insect-based food products from Chinese consumers than from Australians when they are able to see the whole insects in the foods. Findings from this research are useful to understand acceptability of edible insects between Australian and Chinese consumers.

Socio-economic inequality in youth health is transferred into adulthood. Therefore, promoting healthy eating at vocational college is a priority and challenge for public authorities. Information campaigns often fail reaching the target group, who may be more receptive to ‘alternative’ strategies of health promotion, such as social norms. Social norms influence behavior, but very few studies discriminate between sources of influences, beyond family and peers. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived acceptability and effectiveness of direct social influence on healthy eating by students attending technical college.

An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was applied, in which results of focus group studies were used to feed into the design of a survey study, integrating results of both studies. First, students (n=36) at four different schools participated in focus groups. Participants discussed barriers and facilitators to healthy eating, and reflected on the influence of persons varying in proximity to the student, and on mass media campaigns. Secondly, students (n=1095) participated in an online survey which included an experimental set-up in which participants were presented with one of five decision situations, varied in terms of a ‘sender’ (teacher/close friend/partner; overweight/not overweight) encouraging a fictive technical college student to eat more healthily. Students evaluated the perceived acceptability and effectiveness of the health promotion attempt by the ‘sender’. Descriptive norms were also measured.

Proximity of the source of social influence appears to be central for encouraging healthy eating; students reported to be more responsive to a partner than to a teacher, while the sender’s weight status did not seem to matter (but the respondent’s weight status mattered). Also, parental role modelling is important. Though social influence was self-reported, the projective approach and convergence of qualitative and quantitative data support the importance of close others for healthy eating habits. 

Food neophobia (FN) may be considered as a form of food rejection in children and may be associated with their diet quality. In the development of children’s neophobia, primary guardians such as parents play a key role through their own eating behavior and using the practices to feed their children. 

The purpose of this study was to understand whether FN in children is reflective of neophobic behavior and feeding practices in parents through children self-reported and parent-reported children FN.

A total of sixty-eight families (parents paired with their children ages 6-12) from two public elementary schools were recruited to participate in this study. Parents were asked to report their demographic information and FN scores as well as describ their children FN behavior. Separately, children completed the self-report FN questionnaire. Parental feeding practices were measured through evaluating three controlling subscales (included pressure, restriction for health and weight control) and one autonomy-promoting subscales (encourage balance and variety) and one structured parental control (child self-control) from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire.

Participants were mostly parents (97%), had college education (60%) and from White or Caucasian race (53.4%). The studied parents and children generally self-reported themselves as not food neophobic; however, parents rated their children more neophobic as they rated themselves (p<0.05). Parents without a college degree used significantly more restriction for health and weight control compared to the educated parents (p<0.05). Pressuring children to eat increased both levels of FN as reported by parents (r=0.28, p<0.05) and children’s self-ratings (r=0.28, p<0.05). The food neophobic parents did not apply a greater health restriction; however, child’s FN was associated with parental restriction for health (r=0.29, p =0.019).  

This study helps parents/guardians to have an insight on how their feeding strategies can influence the food consumption balance of their children. 

Many school age children don’t like to eat vegetable, especially bitter vegetables.  Could it be because they don’t like the bitter flavor or do they have food neophobia?  The goal of this study was to determine if food neophobia and bitterness sensitivity affect the preference of familiar and unfamiliar fruits and vegetables in an elementary school age children.

One hundred and sixty one children age 6 – 12 evaluated one familiar and unfamiliar fruit (strawberry and dragonfruit), non-bitter vegetable (celery and jicama), and bitter vegetable (broccoli and cauliflower).  In a single session, subjects completed a demographics questionnaire, an acceptability test, completed the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and Fruit and Vegetable Neophobia Instrument (FVNI), and tasted bitterness strips.  Testing occurred at two different schools and took approximately 30 minutes.  Data was collected using Red Jade Software.

Strawberries were liked significantly more (p<0.05) that the other fruits and vegetables for appearance, aroma, overall liking, flavor, texture and aftertaste with dragonfruit and cauliflower were significantly liked the least (p<0.05) however, for aftertaste, broccoli and cauliflower were liked the least.  There was no significant difference in bitterness sensitivity based on gender or age, but Caucasian students were significantly (p<0.05) more bitter sensitive than other ethnicities.  There was no significant difference between bitterness sensitivity and food neophobia.   Bitter sensitive subjects were not more neophobic than non-tasters.  FNVI scores distinguished consumers in hierarchical cluster analysis of overall liking.  Hierarchical cluster analysis found three consumer groups that had could be distinguished by bitterness sensitivity, overall liking, texture, and flavor.   Principle component analysis indicated that bitterness sensitivities may describe some preferences towards different fruits and vegetables.

This study was aimed at investigating the influence of food structural complexity on oral residence time. Ten hydrogels with varying mechanical and structural inhomogenitiety were prepared using κ-carrageenan and sodium alginate at concentrations ranging from 1 to 4 wt%. Structural inhomogeneities were introduced by incorporation of calcium alginate beads of different sizes (57-2380 µm), made using syringe extrusion or spraying techniques. The hydrogels were characterized by large and small deformation rheology and the structural details were evidenced at different length scales by cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In parallel, hydrogels were characterized by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA™) (n=11 trained panellist). Oral processing behaviour was assessed in terms of oral residence time, number of chews and difficulty perceived by young participants (n=11) using video recording. A decrease in the gel fracture point with the addition of calcium alginate beads was attributed to the interruption of the continuous κ-carrageenan gel network by acting as ‘defects’, as revealed in the Cryo-SEM and TEM images and with narrower linear viscoelastic region. When the mixed gel network included κ-carrageenan with sodium alginate, the linear viscoelastic range was extended, but the gel strength was lower than κ-carrageenan alone highlighting the incompatibility between the biopolymers. Oral residence time was highly dependent on the number of chews and to a certain extent on the difficulty perceived. Oral residence time and number of chews were positively correlated with gel strength, the degree of network inhomogeneity in terms of particle size of the beads. This novel insight of incorporating structuring defects in hydrogels can be an effective design strategy to modulate oral residence for future food formulation for the elderly population.

References

L Laguna, A Sarkar (2016). Influence of mixed gel structuring with different degrees of matrix inhomogeneity on oral residence time Food Hydrocolloids 61 286-299.

The aim of this study was to understand if sensory properties of commercial full fat and fat-free/low fat versions of soft solid colloidal systems (milk, yoghurt, soft cream cheese) of iso-rheological properties can be distinguished by their oral tribological properties. Discriminative tests (n=63 untrained consumers), oscillatory measurements (strain, frequency), flow curves and tribological measurements were conducted. Oral condition was mimicked using artificial saliva containing 3 wt% mucin at 37 ^○C and oral tribology was performed using a soft silicon-based ball-on-disc set up in a Mini Traction Machine (PCS Instruments, UK). Untrained panelists significantly discriminated the fat-free/low fat from the full fat versions (p < 0.01) in all product classes, with most common verbatim used being “creamy”, “sweet” for the full fat versus “watery”, “sour” for the fat-free samples. Full fat and fat free yoghurts had similar yielding behaviour and elastic modulus (G′), even in simulated oral conditions. However, in case of soft cream cheese, the full fat version had a moderately higher G′ than the low fat counterpart. Analyses of friction coefficients as a function of entrainment speeds showed that in boundary and mixed regimes (1–100 mm s−1), both full fat yoghurt and soft cream cheese exhibited one order of magnitude lower coefficient of friction, μ when compared to fat-free/low fat versions (p < 0.05), which might be attributed to the lubricating effect of the coalesced fat droplets in the former. Results suggest that sensory distinction between fat-free and full fat versions in semi-solid systems could be better predicted by surface property i.e. lubrication data, as compared to bulk rheology.

References

L Laguna, G Farrell, M Bryant, A Morina, A Sarkar (2017). Relating rheology and tribology of commercial dairy colloids to sensory perception. Food and Function 8, 563-573.

Sensory perception and food preferences change as we age. Elderly consumers’ needs and wants have not been widely explored when it comes to food, especially, meat products. This study aimed to investigate preferences of older adults (aged 55-90) across four food categories, being beef, pork, chocolate and cheese (n=160, 142, 134, 144 for Australia and n=32, 36, 31, 29 for China, respectively) and if the concept of ‘premiumness’ differs with cultural background, gender and age. Conjoint analysis was used to analyse the concept database for consumers in both countries. This methodology involves providing consumers with a set of product descriptions and requiring them to rate whether each description would or would not appeal to them. Data was analysed through coefficient regression equations. Results indicate that demographics have an impact on consumer preferences for food. As Australian men age they prefer beef mince whereas for women, and Chinese consumers of both sexes, this is not evident. Slow cooked beef becomes more acceptable to Australian men and women when they are older, however the coefficients were negative, presumably due to labour intensive and time-consuming cooking. For pork, channel (the way products get to the consumer) was the only trait relevant for both Australians and Chinese consumers. For cheese, Australians consumers place high emphasis on ingredients and channel whereas Chinese mainly focus on ingredients. A similar trend was observed for chocolate. For all food categories it was found that Chinese consumers tend to be classed as mainstream (majority of consumers) and lead users (the ones generating trends) in contrast to Australian consumers where there is a large part of the population classed as laggards (last users to adopt a product). These findings suggest that both demographics and food category should be considered when creating new products for older consumers.

Recent studies have evaluated the effectiveness of the Chilean front of package (FOP) food label warning system in South-American countries; however, evidence is still limited. We assessed consumers’ perceived healthfulness, purchase intention and willingness to pay for a reformulated food product commonly eaten by children at meals (frankfurters). This product was designed to be reduced in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol and enriched with dietary fibre. The frankfurters had different brand names, and the study was carried out one year after the implementation of the warning system in Chile. An online survey was conducted, in which 284 parents (76.8% mothers) rated their purchase intention and 294 parents (68.4% mothers) rated perceived healthfulness of 16 frankfurter alternatives. These alternatives were designed considering five 2-level variables: brand type (artisanal vs. industrial), sodium warning (with vs. without), fibre content (without information vs. contains fibre), saturated fat warning (with vs. without) and cholesterol content (without information vs. reduced in cholesterol). All participants indicated the price they were willing to pay for each frankfurter. Data were analysed using analysis of variance. Purchase intention, perceived healthfulness and willingness to pay scores were significantly affected by brand type, sodium warnings and saturated fat warnings. Fibre content only significantly affected the perceived healthfulness of the product, whereas cholesterol content had no effect. Our results suggest that warnings are important for purchase intention and healthfulness perception of foods, but not important enough for consumers to pay a higher price for foods without warnings.

Children represent a large part of the population, especially in growth markets, and thus an important target for the beverage industry. In the juice drink category, many companies are launching innovations targeting this generation. However little is known on flavour preference of kids.

We conducted a study with kids (7 to 12 years old) and their parents in 6 countries across EAME (France, UK, Poland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and South Africa) in order to understand kids’ drivers of choice for juice drinks and to identify winning flavours that would appeal to kids and be accepted by their parents. 

We started by following 8 families per market in their daily routine though a mobile diary, from buying juice drinks in store to consuming them at home. We identified the key juice drink occasions and associated needstates, the factors influencing purchase decision and the flavours kids consume now and would like to try in the future. 

This helped us building an online quantitative survey where 300 kids per country evaluated the appeal of a large variety of flavours. In parallel, their parents were asked whether they were willing to buy these flavours for their kids. The insights gathered helped us uncovering flavours with growth potential.

 Finally, we conducted focus groups in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Poland and Turkey where we co-created with kids their ideal taste profiles for selected flavours arising from the online survey.

All kids showed a high interest for more complex flavours and openness to try new and unknown fruits. However differences between genders and geographical origins were identified on taste expectations, especially regarding the balance between sweet and sour notes and kids’ quest for “natural” profile. These nuances will be important to take into account when developing future juice drinks for kids.

Wine consumption has progressively been decreasing for more than four decades in Spain. The lowest consumption is among the youngest population (< 35 years) [Encuesta Nacional de Salud de España, 2017 ]. Besides of this, senior consumers (> 50 years) constitute a consumer segment in constant growth, being an interesting target for the wine industry. 

An important challenge for the wine industry is to release new products for such different types of wine consumers. Recently, it has been shown differences in the emotional response to wines depending on consumer’s age range [Mora, M. et al., 2018]. In addition, age could affect aroma and taste perception. The compositional changes produced across the human lifespan might be involved in some extent, since it has been shown the large effect of saliva composition on flavor perception [Muñoz-Gonzalez, C. et al., 2018]. In the case of wine this sensory attribute is largely related to consumer’s preferences and choices. However, it is not known to what extent differences in saliva composition might affect the perception of wine aroma attributes during wine tasting.

The aim of this work was to determine differences in retronasal aroma perception during wine tasting, correlating them with saliva composition. For this, 22 individuals from two age groups: young (18-25 years old) and senior (<55 years old) participated in this study. Retronasal aroma perception was evaluated in two different wines (red and white) and in five aromas attributes by using the time-intensity methodology.   In addition, the biochemical salivary composition of all the volunteers (pH, flow, enzymatic activity, total proteins) was also characterized.

Results showed differences in retronasal perception depending on wine type an individual class. These results were correlated with salivary composition to evaluate the influence of this physiological variable on aroma perception.

The vegan lifestyle is becoming popular, especially among young people. However, the renouncement of cheese represents a large challenge among consumers who want to change to a vegan diet. This study aims to evaluate the sensory differences of commercial vegan mozzarellas and compare them with a cow milk mozzarella. Five commercial vegan mozzarellas and a commercial cow milk mozzarella were evaluated using a Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA). All samples were evaluated in their raw form (not cooked and no seasoning) by the trained external panel from Bern University of Applied Sciences. Due to time and budget constraints, 4 panel sessions were dedicated to the QDA and therefore a Flash profiling was used during the first two training sessions to have an efficient training. The results showed that the white color, the shiny surface as well as the fibrous texture of the cow milk mozzarella are not match. Additionally, the typical milky and sour taste of the cow milk mozzarella are absent. However, the specific notes of the plant-based ingredients as well as the herbs used are dominant in the vegan mozzarellas (e.g. nutty notes, Provencal herbs notes). The mixed methodology Flash profiling/QDA used in this study could be recommended in industry when time and budget is limited, for a good representation of the sensory space. In conclusion, all the vegan mozzarellas evaluated have a sensory profile far from the cow milk mozzarella. Next research will focus on the comparison of the samples in application (e.g. on pizza) both from a sensory as well as from a consumer acceptance point of view. Additionally, full analysis of the Flash profiling data is foreseen to drive conclusion on the efficacy of this alternative method to QDA.

Vitamin D insufficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiency in young children worldwide and may lead to impaired neurodevelopment and rickets. Few foods naturally contain vitamin D and new fortified products need to be formulated considering hedonic responses and children satisfaction as main factors during product development. Among the sources of vitamin D, the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus could be used as an innovative ingredient for food fortification, due to its interesting nutritional profile. Moreover, it could be also considered a sustainable food because of its ability to grow on agri-food wastes.

This study was aimed at investigating children’ acceptance of five breadsticks samples added with increasing concentrations of P. ostreatus powder (from 0% to 8%) rich in vitamin D₂. One hundred and three children (47 girls and 56 boys aged 9-11 years) were recruited and breadsticks liking was studied in relation to age, gender and neophobic traits. Results showed that sample without mushroom addiction obtained the highest liking score, while liking decreased with increasing concentration of P. ostreatus. However, all the modified breadsticks enriched in vitamin D₂ were well accepted by the children. Generally, neophilic subjects gave higher liking scores compared to the neophobic ones, especially for the modified samples. 

The results of the present study interestingly suggest that it is possible to develop new vitamin D₂ enriched formulations using an adequate concentration of mushroom powder to obtain acceptable food products by children. These fortified foods could be used as a natural and sustainable source of vitamin D₂ to deal with the increasing deficiency of this micronutrient among children.  

The new food product development is usually connected with sensory, functional, technological and competitive challenges. The higher level of innovation the higher risks of consumer’s rejection in early stage of commercialization is evidenced. To minimize those risks at the beginning of product development a sensory quality design is of the highest focus of food developers. Measuring of emotional responses (explicit and/or implicit) have recently been seen among practitioners as a valuable tool associated with traditional sensory methods. Cultural background, age and gender are among the most frequent variables that could reveled the differences among consumers. The aim of the study was testing of Swedish and Croatian adolescents’ sensorial acceptance of highly innovative vegetable sauce, not (yet) present at the market, measured with traditional sensory tests in parallel with explicit and implicit emotional responses. Overall, 70 adolescents (16 – 19 y) were participated in the survey (Swedes n=37; Croats n=33) conducted in the secondary school venues (during 2018 – 2019). An innovative vegetable sauce was served along with french fries. Regardless of neutral face emotions, the later results have shown that explicit emotional responses to the eaten meal were very positively evaluated among both groups (3.96 Croats 4.05 Swedes at the Likert 5-point scale). Overall acceptability of color, odor and taste of the meal measured with hedonic test (7-point scale) were close to the emotional scores while the intensity of sourness, spiciness and saltiness (JAR scale) have revealed significant differences between groups: Swedes rated weak intensity of these attributes particularly sourness (JAR -1.1 p<0.0001). The results of the study have shown that despite higher level of sensory acceptance validated by traditional and explicit emotional scores among both groups, neutral face emotions (implicit) were likely connected with somewhat weaker intensity acceptability of sensorial attributes of innovative food product, particularly among Swedish adolescents.

In Brazil beer is characterized by the Pilsen type with a light golden color, light taste, low alcohol content due the presence of unmalted cereals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences between common Brazilian beer and pure malt (100% barley malt) in the answers of acceptance, willingness to pay and emotional profile, in three sensorial tests: no label, labeled and inverted label. A total of 210 beer consumers (70 in each test) were enrolled. The acceptance of each sample (a glass of common and pure malt beer, of 110ml each at 4ºc) was evaluated through a 9-point hedonic scale. The consumer was questioned how much he/she would be willing to pay for a bottle of beer (of 600 ml) that he/she tasted. To evaluate the emotions, a questionnaire was elaborated based on the EsSense profile. It was evaluated 29 emotions using a five-point scale. The mean age of participants was 22 years old. The comparison of acceptance between the common beer and the pure malt was, respectively, in the no label test (6.61 x 7.10, p=0.04), labeled test (6.21 x 7.77, p<0.001) and inverted label test (7.56 X 6.47, p<0.001). The difference in willingness to pay attributed to common beers was significantly lower ($1.77 USD) than attributed to pure malt ($2.46 USD), except in the “inverted label test” where common beer (labeled as pure malt) presented higher values. The following emotions were significant higher for pure malt beers in labeled test: comforted, pleased and curious. In the inverted label test the common beer (labeled as pure malt) presented higher score in following emotions:  adventurous, amused, good and pleased. The data showed that information, such as beer label and type, can influence consumer responses by altering sensory perceptions and commercial value attributed to different beers.

Food texture plays an important role in the sensory perception and consumer acceptance of foods. Previous studies have shown that the actual oral processing behaviour may depend not only on food texture, but also on the consumers’ individual eating capabilities¹. Therefore, we aimed to study the link between the extrinsic instrumental texture properties of a set of hydrogels, as well as the intrinsic oro-facial muscular capabilities of a panel consisting of young, healthy participants to their oral processing behaviour. The instrumental texture properties were quantified by penetration tests (fracture properties) as a representation of the first bite and by oral tribology experiments of simulated hydrogel bolus samples (friction force) to study the food texture during later stage oral processing. Three κ-carrageenan hydrogels (κC) were selected: native κC, κC with added Na-alginate and a κC matrix with added Ca-alginate beads of 300 μm. A composite score of eating capability (EC) was measured using non-invasive techniques (maximum bite force and tongue pressure) with a panel of 28 untrained consumers. The oral processing behaviour (number of chews, oral residence time and chewing rate) were analysed with the same participants using frame-by-frame video analysis. It was found that the EC scores did not correlate with any of the oral processing behaviours. The number of chews and oral residence time showed a strong correlation to the fracture properties and friction force at orally relevant speeds (10-100 mm/s), whereas chewing rate did not vary with these properties. Thus, the results from this study indicated that oral processing in young, healthy adults is mainly motivated by a food’s material properties. However, chewing rate related more to individual differences and EC than to the food properties.

¹Laguna, L. et al. (2016) Food Quality and Preference 53(47-56).

Children form a large consumer market, due to the fact, that they have direct purchasing power for snacks and sweets (Halan, 2002), at the same time family food decision making is frequently a joint activity in which children are gaining increased influence. As the extent of influence increases, children progressively become part of marketers’ target audience. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of marketing techniques used on child-oriented food products in supermarkets and the influence children have on family food purchases. The survey was conducted with the entire household panel (N¯1656) of GfK in Hungary, whose participants record their FMCG purchases for the company on a daily basis, thus they remember their purchase situations far better than average consumers do. From the sample, N¯288 had children between the age of 3 to 12 was then analysed using SPSS using the factor cluster method. The findings of the study demonstrate that there is a relationship between children's influence on parents' buyer decision in‐store.Furthermore, the study underlines, that there is a relationship between packaging and children product preferences. Outcomes from this paper can be applied within the food industries marketing sector to provide practitioners with information related to children's influence on parents’ buyer behaviour in‐store. Furthermore, the study help understand which sale and packaging strategies are effective with children and how they can be persuaded as consumers. The growing number of non-core foods marketed to children in supermarkets should alarm policy makers, as it could have drastic consequences on their diets, which directly correlates with their health.

Keywords:

Children, Decision making, Food products, Purchasing, Consumer behaviour

Apples are a popular fruit, especially in the autumn. However, for such consumer groups as babies, elderly people, and patients of dysphagia apples are pureed, obtaining more suitable texture for bolus formation and swallowing. Apple puree has soft, smooth and flowing consistency, without the apple pieces and contains valuable bioactive compounds. It may be used as the basic raw ingredient in innovative and healthy product development for the above mentioned groups. The aim of this research was to investigate sensory attributes of apple purees from five organically grown old Latvian apple varieties, to support selective adjustment of special diet formulations. Panellists evaluated intensity of seven apple puree sensory attributes – colour, apple aroma, consistency, sweetness, sourness and apple taste, and apple aftertaste, as well as arranged the samples according to their degree of liking. Ranking test of apple puree liking and attribute intensity on unstructured 10-point line scales (1–extremely weak; 10– extremely intensive) was used in Fizz software. Fifty-six panellists participated in the sensory evaluation of apple purees. Results of sensory evaluation showed, that variety has no significant (p>0.05) influence on puree apple taste. Sweeter taste had samples made from the varieties ‘Sipolins’ and ‘Nicnera zemenu’, but sour puree taste – the variety ‘Antonovka’. Apple variety had a significant (p<0.05) influence on the puree consistency, allowing selection of the most suitable cultivar for special diet products. The highest appreciation among panellists received puree made from sweeter apple varieties ‘Sipolins’, ‘Nicnera Zemenu,’ and ‘Rudens svitrainais’.

This study was supported by European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability Working Group Cooperation project No 18-00-A01612-000006.

Naturalness is an important heuristic to examine consumers’ evaluations and choices of food. In recent years, several scales have been proposed to measure the importance of naturalness for consumers. These scales vary in the number of items they contain and in the aspects they cover. Some scales aim solely at measuring the importance of naturalness in food, others are part of scales to explain the motives behind food choice. The question is whether all scales measure the same underlying construct. The aim of our research was therefore, to examine how strongly the different scales are correlated, whether they differ in their predictive validity, and which scale should be recommended for the assessment of the importance of naturalness for consumers in future studies. Some existing scales were regarded problematic as they incorporated items which were also used for the validation of the scale. Hence, we constructed a new naturalness scale that covers the production process as well as the ingredients, whereby a wide range of substances, that consumers expect natural products to be free from, have been taken into account. To compare the scales, we conducted an online survey (n=632) with participants from Germany. The results showed that the various scales are highly intercorrelated and that they are all good predictors of the purchase frequency of organic foods. Subsequently, respondents’ preference for organic food was more pronounced for unprocessed than processed foods. Participants for whom naturalness in food is important evaluated canned ravioli more negatively than those for whom naturalness is less important. Further, all scales were negatively correlated with perceived willingness to eat in-vitro meat and the perceived naturalness of in-vitro meat. We conclude that in future research, the scales can be used interchangeably and recommend using the shortest, and therefore, most efficient measure for the importance of naturalness.

Over the last decades, rates in childhood obesity have been on the rise. Their increasing intake of energy dense snacks is one of the factors contributing to childhood overweight. As young children get their snacks mainly from their caregivers, which are often the mothers, the snack choices of the mothers in the household setting are critical. Our previous study suggested that mothers of first-born children provided, in total, fewer snacks compared to mothers of not-first children. Moreover, they more often gave healthier perceived products as a snack, compared to mothers of the not-first children. They also more frequently used reasons related to health while providing snacks (Damen et al., 2019). However, why these differences occur is not fully known yet.

Therefore, as a follow-up study, 18 semi-structured in-depth interviews with mothers having at least 2 children between 2-7 years old were conducted to investigate why these differences in snack giving to first-borns and younger siblings exist. We asked questions about type of snacks provided, considerations to provide snacks, snack giving in the period they had one child and changes in snack choice and considerations after getting more children.

Preliminary results seem to point toward similar differences in types of snacks provided to the first-born children and their younger siblings, as seen in the previous study. Younger siblings get more unhealthy snacks at a more early age compared to first-born children. Results also show that convenience, availability of snacks at home, and the desire to give all children the same type of snacks to avoid conflicts, are main reasons for these differences. In addition, it seems that mothers tend to become less strict when they have to provide snacks to more than one child. Key highlights of this study will be presented and discussed during the conference.

Research on food neophobia is mostly limited to European populations, indicating a need for research in other populations such as Africans where researchers are working tirelessly to improve the health and nutritional status of the populace. Thus a survey was conducted to gather information on food neophobia among the Nigerian population with the aim of assessing the effects of food neophobia levels on the willingness to try various traditional street vended drinks fortified with turmeric. Food Attitude Survey (FAS) instrument (M. Damsbo-Svendsen et al., 2017) ratings (like, neutral, dislike, never tried but would try, never tried and won't try) and 20-item questionnaire concerning attitudes toward food were used to test the food neophobia Using the FAS, people who reported liking the fortified drinks (likers) were compared to those who disliked the drinks (dislikers) and those who were unwilling to try the drinks (won't tryers). The characteristics of the three groups were evaluated using several sensory tests to access individual differences in food attitudes and preferences (Frank & Van de Klaauw, 1994). Research questionnaires were distributed and data were collected in the fall/winter of 2018. The majority of the respondents 93.0% were Yorubas (N=442), followed by Igbos 5.4% (N=26) and Hausas 3.1% (N=15). Among 483 respondents, (55.9%, N=270) were male, and (44.1%, N=213) were female. Male were more food neophobic than Female. Age group 26-35years were also more food neophobic of fortified traditional drinks. This study was a first and meaningful attempt to validate FNS in Nigeria for the explanation of consumer responses to turmeric fortified traditional drinks.

Salty snacks like potato chips, vegetable chips and corn or wholegrain snacks are very popular choice of food consumed in social events, parties and between regular meals. Salty snacks are also quite frequently consumed by children and adolescents as full mealtime. Society’s habits and motivation for food choice is changed towards more healthier and it influences also development of new products in snack sector which now includes not only potato crisps, nuts and corn snacks but also vegetable chips, wholegrain, rice and bread snacks and many others. Consumers choose these kind of snacks because of their sensory characteristics – taste, appearance and also crispiness. Mostly all of salty snacks have high level of salt and fat content. The aim of this research was to investigate the sensory perception of salty. Understanding how amount of product ingredients impacts total level of liking can help to create healthier snacks and in the meanwhile maintain the good taste and acceptability of product from consumer side. Panellists used computers equipped with FIZZ Biosystems software to rate 6 salty snacks (potato and vegetable chips and wholegrain snack) by appearance, overall liking and salty taste. Experiments were conducted for 2 years (2017 and 2018), with 50 panellists participating in each evaluation session. In second year were used 2 snacks where producers have reduced salt content by 30-50% and also second series of experiments included chips from red and purple potatoes. The results showed that the panellists liked less vegetable snacks and chips of red and purple potatoes by their appearance, with additional notes that they didn't look natural.

Multifactorial aspect of food choice and dietary habits of older adults is no longer a matter of debate. Beyond food access, isolation and relation with food, we thought that age-related factors and oral sensations felt during meals may also influence their eating behavior. The aim of the present survey was to compare oral comfort experienced by French seniors and younger subjects while eating apples depending on oral conditions and sensory properties of fruits. 

Three varieties of apples (Gala, Granny Smith and Honey Crunch) were chosen for evaluating oral comfort. A sample of 122 consenting consumers divided into a senior group (aged 65-83 years) and a control group (aged 35-64 years) rated their oral comfort related to bolus formation, pain, texture and taste sensations experienced while eating and underwent an oral examination pertaining to oral health-related quality of life, resting and stimulated saliva flow rate, dental, occlusal and periodontal status and denture use. 

We observed that apple variety was a significant factor for every item related to oral comfort. Age also significantly affected dental pain, crunchiness and melting sensation, with increased scores for pain and melting perception, and decreased for crunchiness when ageing. Global comfort experienced while eating apple was impacted by dental status and resting saliva flow rate. Painful sensation depended on self reported oral quality of life, bolus moistening was related to stimulated saliva flow rate, and its fragmentation was dependant on denture use. Taste sweet perception was influenced by the existence of oral mucous disease. 

Apple variety seems to be a good predictor in oral comfort experienced while eating. Although age had a little effect on pain and texture perception, oral conditions such as missing teeth or denture use also contribute to oral comfort when consuming apples. 

Food choice depends on a large number of information prioritized by consumers depending on their personal culture and goods available on the market. The study aims to identify how sensory evaluation plays a role in chicken and fruit & vegetables choices at the shop, and at home during cooking. The socio-anthropological methodology was based on theory of practices, which emphasizes the practicality of social life. Representatives of 75 households from three groups (young single men, expecting parents or families with infants and elderly) were observed and interviewed during shopping and cooking in everyday life. We focused on chicken and fruit & vegetables shopping and cooking practices. The survey was conducted in France, Norway, Portugal, Romania and the UK. In all countries, choice of products was based on a variety of criteria: local production and price play a high role in chicken and fruit & vegetables choice, and some consumers refer to sensory criteria to choose or to justify their choice. Depending on the country and the consumer age and family, the origin, the breeding conditions (main concern in France), the price, the weight and the package size, the piece of chicken adapted to the recipe, and the time available to prepare the meal (main concerns in other countries) are cited as chicken choice criteria. Some consumers made visual assessments of the quality of the chicken they were buying, whereas a combination of different senses was used nearly systematically to assess fruit & vegetables quality in the shop. Manual manipulations are indicative of repulsion or attraction. At home, chicken doneness is evaluated both with sensory criteria as color and texture and cooking time, often combining several methods. Sensory information represents an important tool for consumers to assist them in taking decisions during shopping and cooking.

According to the 2009 report of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UNFAO), the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050, which is 34 percent higher than today. To feed this growing population, overall food production needs to be increased by 70%. However, owing to excessive food demand and ongoing environmental degradation, how the ever-increasing population can be accommodated is an unavoidable and crucial issue to be solved. 

To solve the future food crisis, UNFAO has recently recommended entomophagy. The insect is an ideal food resource regarding nutrition (e.g., a good source of protein, good fats, and vitamins), environment (e.g., energy-efficient and environmentally friendly food production), and economy (e.g., the economic contributions of insect rearing on the individual and the food industry). Therefore, eating insects appears to be a reasonable solution to the world food crisis.

Regardless of these promising advantages, some entomophagy studies have repeatedly emphasized that consumers’ highly negative attitude toward insects is the biggest obstacle to promoting entomophagy internationally. The purpose of this study is to examine whether and how marketing communication strategy can contribute to consumer acceptance of entomophagy. Specifically, we explore the effect of celebrity endorsement on consumer evaluation of an insect-based food (cricket protein bar). 

The results of two experiments using fictional advertisements reveal that, compared to the control conditions (featuring an ordinary female or male), celebrity endorsement (featuring Lady Gaga or George Clooney) significantly increases consumer attitude toward, and willingness to eat insect-based food, interestingly, with the condition that celebrity and consumer genders are the same. We also demonstrate that celebrity endorsement affects lowering the perceived risk of the food and the perceived risk significantly mediates the celebrity endorsement effect on the willingness to eat insect-based food.

Introduction: Emojis have been shown to be an easy-usable and understandable tool to evaluate food-elicited emotions in pre-adolescents. However, the meaning of emojis is still unclear and so their appropriateness to measure emotions. The aim of the study is to (1) develop an age- and food-specific emoji lexicon and to (2) map the meaning of these emojis as interpretation can differ among individuals. Methods: (1) To develop the emoji lexicon, 25 pre-adolescents are asked to select food-related emojis from a pre-selected emoji list acquired from a literature review. Pre-adolescents are presented a set of food images and asked to select appropriate emojis that can be used to describe their food-elicited emotions using the CATA approach. The most frequent emojis (>20%) used for each food image are selected. (2) Two independent methods are compared to investigate the meaning of the selected emoji lexicon: (a) an adapted version of the Repertory Grid Method (RGM) is conducted by asking 25 pre-adolescents (one-on-one interviews) about similarities and differences of emojis presenting the emoji lexicon in triads of emojis. (b) projective mapping (PM) is used by asking 60 pre-adolescents to map all emojis from the emoji lexicon according to their similarities and differences. Based on the results of a) and b) an age- and food-specific emoji lexicon will be developed. Results: We expect that pre-adolescents can categorize emojis into food-related and non-food related emojis. Furthermore, we expect that both the RGM and PM are appropriate tools to determine the meaning of emojis and show similar results in the meaning of emojis in pre-adolescents. Discussion and conclusions: When evaluating food-elicited emotions in pre-adolescents, it is important to know what exact emotions are measured and consider this when creating an emotion measurement tool to avoid ambiguity in the emoji meaning. 

Personal experience can affect food sensory expectations in terms of situational appropriateness, nutrition, food pairing and context. Personal experience relates to many factors such as consumption frequency, custom, tradition or environment. For example, daily exposure to food has been shown to influence preference, satiety, or other perceptual processing.

This study aimed to examine the association between consumers’ perception and consumption frequency of pasta having different shapes (Farfalle, Spaghetti, Trofie, Penne, Coquillettes, Tagliatelle, Fusili, Orecchiette). It particularly focused on the perception of consumers in terms of products’ outward form, nutritional, and social value.

A questionnaire with pictures of pasta shape without any seasoning or sauce was proposed to consumers. The study was conducted to online with a sample of 1500 consumers representative of the French population. Results were analyzed according to the consumption frequency of the eight pasta types that were divided into frequently, occasionally or rarely consumed.

Frequently consumed pastas have overall negative responses to perception in terms of outward form, nutritional and social value. For instance, consumer perceived it as less-balanced, and wouldn’t consume them at the restaurant. Although, rarely consumed pastas have negative responses to perception as well,  they are perceived as ‘craft’ products. Lastly, occasionally consumed pastas are perceived as suitable for social value, the form looks natural and good quality of nutrition.  All of these pasta groups also can be characterized by consumption habit linked to way to cook, association of sauce or seasoning, or knowledge of pasta in their society from experience.

Studying consumer’s perception about daily meal is important and is a first step to understand food behavior and health-related choices. Our data may also give insights into determinants of food waste and sustainability. 

Aging studies conducted in the United States have typically included individuals of the World War II generation. Given that a significant portion of men in this cohort served in the military, military service is a hidden variable in aging literature. The primary goal of this study is to understand the impact of military service on olfactory and gustatory function throughout life. More specifically, we investigate the impacts of aging, military service, and their interactions on possible deterioration of sensory functions of the aging population. During the initial study, older individuals (> 60 years) who had served in the military were recruited. These individuals were relatively healthy, nonsmokers with no history of PTSD. Civilians of similar health status, age, gender, education, and income level were also recruited. Olfactory function was assessed using the Sniffin’ Sticks method, which includes standardized threshold, discrimination, and identification tasks. Results of the olfactory function test were summed to obtain an overall TDI (Threshold, Discrimination, Identification) score. Taste function was assessed by performing discrimination and identification tasks for four basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter). Our preliminary findings suggest that older veterans had lower TDI scores compared to their civilian counterparts. More studies are currently underway to further test younger veterans and civilians (18-35 years). These results will be compared to those from older cohorts.

Smoked ingredients or smoke flavourings are often applied to food to deliver a highly desirable and enhanced flavour. Understanding the mechanism of this flavour enhancement is essential for fully exploiting the role of smoke in flavour perception and formulating new products. The study objectives were to investigate the three possible modes of action of smoke which lead to an enhancement of the perception of flavour: the smoke may be i) taste-active, ii) taste-enhancing, or iii) it may contribute cross-modally whereby the odour compounds induce salt or savoury enhancement. 

To evaluate these three hypotheses, a series of preliminary three-alternative forced choice (3-AFC) tests was carried out with the trained sensory panel, with or without nose clips as appropriate. In each case apple-wood smoked water (1%) was added into either tap water, monosodium glutamate (MSG) solution, or sieved commercial fresh chicken & vegetable soups. 3-AFC tests were used, where one sample containing the smoke and two blanks samples were served to 11-14 sensory panellists. The panellists were asked to select which one had a stronger flavour and describe the difference. All sensory sessions were carried out with at least two replicates. 

The preliminary test results showed that with nose clips on to exclude the smoky aroma, there was no significant difference between samples with and without smoke in tap water (p=0.401), in MSG solutions (p=0.34) and in sieved commercial soup (p=0.11). Meanwhile, without nose clips on, preliminary results suggest that when smoked is dosed into the commercial soup at subthreshold levels, some panellists perceived an enhancement in salty or umami taste. In summary, there is no evidence of smoke being taste-active or taste-enhancing when the aroma is excluded, however, there is some evidence that suggests the smoky aroma may act cross-modally to enhance flavour.

Cultivation of strawberry requires lots of fossil fuels to make brilliant red appearance. But lots of fossil fuels increase carbon dioxide which causes global warming. Therefore, cultivation strawberry trades off brilliant red appearance and carbon dioxide. To overcome this problem, the new energy was developed and started to be employed. One of that energy is biomass energy. Biomass energy is originated from trees helps carbon offset for cultivation of fruits and flowers. This study investigates preferences that trade-off and the willingness to pay for using biomass energy.

This study employs a discrete choice experiment and mixed logit analysis. The choice set constituted of six attributes: price, appearance, taste, organic, types of energy and carbon dioxide emissions originated from that energy for cultivating strawberry. Each attribute constituted three to four levels. 

We recruited more than 1000 consumers in Japan by using internet survey. First they chose 10 choice sets and then received information on the relationship between cultivation method of strawberry and carbon dioxide. After the information they repeated choosing choice sets. They also answered a consciousness for environments as well as socio-economic backgrounds.

The result shows that Japanese consumers significantly prefer cheaper price, brilliant red one, more sweet one, organic one, biomass energy and less carbon dioxide. The willingness to pay for biomass energy is the highest values among all attributes. They increase the value of biomass and reduces taste after receiving the information. Therefore, taste and using energy is trade-off but appearance is not among Japanese consumers. The interaction of socio-economic background shows that high salaryand female induce higher willingness to pay for biomass, while male and low environmental consciousness induce that for taste and appearance.

The result implies that biomass energy works as the future energy for cultivating strawberry and helps mitigation of global warming.

Crossmodal correspondences have been increasingly reported in recent scholarship, and pitch–taste associations have been observed. People consistently associate high-pitched vocal tones with sweet/sour foods, while low-pitched tones tend to be associated with bitter foods. The human voice is key in broadcast advertising, and the role of voice in communication generally is partly characterized by acoustic parameters of pitch. However, it remains unknown whether voice pitch and other senses relevant to product attributes (e.g., taste) interactively influence consumer behavior. Since congruent sensory information is desirable, it is plausible that voice pitch and taste interactively guide consumers’ responses to advertising. Based on the crossmodal correspondence phenomenon, this study aimed to elucidate the role played by voice pitch/taste correspondences in advertising effectiveness. Participants listened to voiceover advertisements (at a high or low pitch) for three food products with distinct tastes (sweet, sour, and bitter) and rated their buying intention (an indicator of advertising effectiveness). The results show that the participants were likely to exhibit greater buying intention toward both sweet and sour food when they listened to high-pitched (vs. low-pitched) voiceover advertisements. The effects for sweet food occurred when the vocal pitch was considerably high (Studies 2 and 3), but not when pitch was only moderately high (Study 1). The influence of high pitch on sour food preferences was somewhat inconsistent. These findings emphasize the role that voice pitch/taste correspondence plays in preference formation, and advance the applicability of crossmodal correspondences to business.

Palatability changes were studied on various combinations of umami substances; monosodium glutamate (MSG 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5%) and disodium inosinate and guanylate (I+G 0, 0.005, 0.010 and 0.015%) in variety of instant Thai soup powder products. These Thai soups were spicy soup (Tom Yum), coconut milk soup (Tom Kha), green curry soup (Kang Kaew Warn), brown stew soup (Pa Lo) and clear soup (Kang Jued). Sensory interactions between MSG and I+G were confirmed as a previous study that food acceptance enhancement was highest in high ratio. The combinations of both umami substances were observed that the hedonic scores were higher than using one umami substance. And the results indicated that low to high level of combination were high acceptance for clear and green curry soups (p ≤ 0.01) but the acceptance scores of brown stew (p ≤ 0.01) and coconut milk soups (p ≤ 0.05) were high for individual level of combination. For spicy soup, its result were high but not different significantly for all combinations. The levels of umami combination should be increased much more in the next research. However highest palatability of each instant Thai soup was found for the combination of umami substances which effected to higher acceptance response for commercial recipes. 

Preference mapping is relevant to identify drivers of liking. Raw milk is heat treated in different ways to improve the safety of the milk for consumption. The heat treatment imparts different sensory properties to the milk that may influence its acceptance by consumers. In Ghana, fresh milk is boiled and sold locally to consumers. Generally, consumption amongst women of reproductive age and children under five is low. The drivers for consumption amongst these two groups may differ. In this study, the sensory properties that drive liking for local boiled milk and other heat-treated milks in women of reproductive age and children between 1 and 5 years of age was studied. External preference mapping was used to understand the sensory properties of the milks that was liked by the two consumer groups. As expected, the properties that drive liking in the different consumer groups differ. For the adult women of reproductive age, the sweet and salty taste, smooth mouthfeel and artificial flavour of the milk influence liking. For children between, the oily aftertaste, boiled egg aroma as well as its sweet taste made them like the same product as the adults. This study highlights the differences in liking preference for adults and children for boiled milk.

Food neophobia (FN) has been extensively explored, especially in children. However, very few studies have compared this food behavior in children from different countries. Considering the clear differences between European countries in feeding practices and food consumption, it is important to deepen the understanding of cross-national differences in children FN. The aim of this study was to validate the Italian version of the Child Food Neophobia Questionnaire (Laureati et al., 2015) and compare FN in six European countries (Austria, Finland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and UK). Five hundred and seventy children (53.2% girls) aged 9-11 years were recruited from local schools and asked to complete the FN questionnaire, which was translated in every language. Parents (n=357) completed a food consumption frequency questionnaire for their child, and provided background information. Reliability of the tool was assessed through internal consistency, temporal stability and external validity. Total internal consistency was 0.72 (n=570). When calculated by country, internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha ≥0.70) for all countries except Austria, where the cohort also had low temporal stability. FN was negatively associated to fruit and vegetables consumption and to liking of hard and lumpy food texture. There were significant cross-national differences (Austria omitted) in FN with UK children being the most neophobic and significantly different from Italian children, who were the most neophilic. Results indicate that this version of the Child Food Neophobia Questionnaire can be successfully used in all the tested countries but it needs adaptation for Austrian children. The tool can be useful to target interventions aiming at changing food behaviors (reducing FN) among children.

This cross-national study was conducted by members of the European Sensory Science Society (E3S) Children working group.

Introduction 

The preceding studies suggested that the satisfaction with choice behaviour of a product is dumped to the satisfaction with the chosen product. This study is aimed to reveal the cognitive mechanisms underlying this dumping effect with the methods in sensory sciences.

Methods 

The study consisted of two sub-studies; a productsstudy and an odour study. In a products study, the participants are required to select one product from 4~6 products, and to evaluate predicted satisfaction with the product. One week later, the participants are required to be back to the laboratory, and are asked to evaluate the products based on the experience of the product. Then, they were asked to evaluate the other unchosen products. In an odour study, participants are required to solve an arithmetic problem for 30 minutes under an odour condition; no odour, given odour or chosen odour. After solving problems, participants were asked to evaluate the odour (odour conditions only), and to answer the questionnaire about their mental stresses.

Results 

In a products study, the satisfaction with the products was evaluated higher in the chosen products than the unchosen products. There were also correlations between the personality and the satisfactions; maximizers evaluated the selected items less than the satisficers (Schwartz et al., 2002).  The odour study failed to show any statistical differences among odour conditions.

Conclusions 

These results showed the dumping effect of choice behaviour on the products evaluations, but the effect is limited because the effect was not shown in an odour study. The products study revealed that the regret after decision and the less well-being of the maximizers are based on their personalities. The maximizers took more time to decide which item should be selected. The latter results suggested that this cognitive load for decision makes maximizers less happy for their lives. 

​​​​Information on food labels and packaging attributes of industrialized products affect consumer preference at the time of purchase. Some studies evaluate only a couple of aspects related to packaging or labeling, and no aggregate measure was found considering the greatest possible number of attributes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a measure containing different packaging and labeling attributes and to evaluate the importance of them to consumers with different age groups. We found on the literature 23 attributes related to labeling, e.g. the presence of brands and detailed nutritional information, and to packaging, e.g. material and color. The 23 attributes were listed on an online questionnaire and Brazilian consumers (N=317) evaluated them on a Likert-type scale of importance. We then conducted an exploratory factorial analysis (AFE), that converged the attributes in three factors, acknowledged as Informational (12 attributes), Visual (four attributes) and Packaging (three attributes). Also, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify differences in the importance of factors in relation to three age groups. Results showed that the younger age group (18 to 30 years old) attributes less relevance to the Informational factor than the other two older groups (31 to 50 years and 51 years or more), giving less importance to nutritional information and seals. On the other hand, the younger age group values more the Visual factor than consumers over 51 years old, so the youngers are concerned about packaging color, shape and material. This preliminary measure contributes to the research agenda by reuniting relevant packaging and labeling factors at the time of purchase. Moreover, the empirical results provide insight on how consumers of different age groups deal with those factors. To ensure the findings, the measurement can be applied in different socio-cultural realities and confirmatory factorial analyses can be performed.

Cashew is a fruit rich in vitamin C and phenolic compounds, most of which are native to the Amazon (Brazil). Its juice is considered an unfermented tropical drink, obtained from cashew pulp diluted in drinking water. To give sweetness to the drink, add sugar (sucrose) or sweeteners (natural and / or artificial). The objective of the present study was to verify if there is difference in the perception of ideal sweetness with sucrose between male and female genders in cashew juice. To identify the ideal sweetness of the juice in both genders, a consumer test (ideal sweetness) was applied with five samples of different sucrose concentrations in which 41 men and 41 women received a monadically balanced complete block 30 mL of each with an approximate temperature of 6 ° C in 50 mL disposable cups encoded with three random digits. It used a linear ideal (just-about-rightscale) scale of 9cm. The study was performed in laboratory booths. The obtained data were evaluated by histograms analysis and linear regression, which showed ideal sweetness concentrations of 6.06 for males and 4.73 for females. Thus, ANOVA was applied to the averages of the results found in the two different groups, it was concluded that there is a significant difference for ideal sweetness in cashew juice sweetened with sucrose when comparing male and female genders

The food industry has been involved in launching products with health attributes in response to consumer awareness increase. Likewise, researchers have endeavoured to contribute to technical feasibility, sensory acceptance and general consumer behaviour towards healthier foods. The purpose of this investigation was to explore how consumers deal with health attributes in frozen burgers and in yogurts via conjoint analysis (CA). Two online studies were conducted, being each study with a different sample of Brazilian consumers, and both having as stimulus a product image containing different attributes and levels. In the first study (N=328), the burger attributes presented were Claim (3 levels: No Claim, “Tasty”, “Source of Fibre”) and Price (3 levels: Low, Medium, High). The ranking-based CA revealed the attribute Claim as more relevant than Price. The level No Claim (traditional) was preferred and the Source of Fibres was rejected. In the second study (N=191), yogurts were presented with the attributes of Functional Ingredient (levels: Fibre, Antioxidants), Name (Common – Beta Glucan, Scientific – Lycopene) and Claim (No Claim, “Enhanced Function”, “Reduced Disease Risk”). The rating-based CA revealed Claim as the most valued attribute, and consumers rejected the level “Antioxidants” in favour to “Fibre”. Regarding Name, consumers reject the level Scientific, perceiving the Common more positively. As conclusions, in the first study, as consumers did not behave positively regarding frozen burger with health attributes, sensory importance should not be neglected. For yogurts, in contrast, presenting information about the presence of fibres (with common names) to consumers may favour their behaviour. It is recognized that, in addition to the differences in the CA variables analysed in each study, the carriers may have influenced this result, since studies show that different carriers can lead to distinct perceptions. Further studies can increase the understanding on consumer behaviour regarding different functional foods and their ingredients.

The food restructuring aiming to reach consumers with dietary restrictions is a challenge for industries. This study developed and characterized sensorially, dairy-free chocolate desserts, in traditional and light versions. Six samples were formulated with cassava starch and vegetable proteins to replace the milk. Three formulated with rice protein and three with soy protein, sweetened with sucrose, sucralose and stevia extract. The sensorial profile was determined by the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), with 12 trained assessors that evaluated 16 terms descriptors: creaminess, brown color, sweet aroma, chocolate aroma, milk aroma, vegetable protein aroma, sweet and bitter taste, residual sweet and bitter, chocolate flavor, milk flavor, and vegetable protein flavor, melting, creaminess, and gum. The data were submitted to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Tukey averages test and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Vegan formulations prepared with soybean or rice protein did not differ significantly (p> 0.05). However, the use of sweeteners and body agents interfered in the acceptance, attenuating the vegetable protein flavor and increasing the gumminess in the mouth during the melting. The use of cassava starch interfered with the speed, increasing the melting time, as well as providing the mouth feeling of sweetness during the melting, but did not change the acceptance of the consumers. It is possible to conclude the sensory profile of the formulations of vegan chocolate ice cream prepared with soy or rice protein sweetened with sucrose is preferred by consumers.

In the last few decades, consumers have been pushing confectionery sector forward to the development of more nutritious products. Adding real fruit to confections, instead of artificial colorings and flavorings, is already being used by companies wishing to adapt their products to the ‘healthy indulgence’ trend. White chocolate, traditionally viewed as exclusively indulgent and nutritionally poor, is a good vehicle to bioactive substances present in some fruits. Açai (Euterpe oleracea) is a berry-like fruit, native from Amazon, well-known for its antioxidant properties due to phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins, and is usually marketed as a ‘superfruit’. In this context, we aimed to assess and compare the sensory characteristics of white chocolates added with two types of dehydrated açai – freeze-dried and spray-dried – and conched at three different times – 6, 12 and 18 hours – through quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and consumer’s acceptance. QDA results suggests type of dehydrated açai have greater impact over samples’ sensory characteristics than conching time. Freeze-dried açai samples scored higher for purple color, açai aroma and flavor, while spray-dried açai samples scored higher for cocoa butter aroma and flavor, sweetness, sweet aroma and milk powder flavor. That was expected, since freeze-drying is a milder drying process than spray-drying, better preserving açai’s natural hue and flavor. However, conching time had impact exclusively over freeze-dried açai samples’ texture. Assessors considered 6-hour conching sample significantly harder and less melting than samples conched for 12 and 18 hours. Acceptance’s results showed that freeze-dried açai samples were more widely accepted by consumers for appearance, aroma and texture, although there was segmentation of acceptance for flavor and overall liking. Regarding texture, freeze-dried açai samples conched for 12 and 18 hours were more accepted than sample conched only for 6 hours, showing the direct correlation between chocolate’s hardness and melting to acceptance.

Ice creams are consumed by all age groups. Essentially defined as an aerated emulsion, which contains fats and proteins, being consumed frozen. It is presented in both milk and non-dairy versions, without added sugar, low or with high-fat content. The non-dairy versions have expanded due to the increasing incidence of allergy to milk protein, lactose intolerance, vegetarians and vegans. Among its flavors, the most appreciated by consumers are chocolate. However, for individuals with sensitivity to cocoa; for those who, by choice, want to restrict their use, because it contains stimulants such as theobromine, caffeine and theophylline, carob (Ceratonia siliqua L) becomes a very interesting and attractive alternative, being considered similar in appearance and taste, besides its composition in polyphenols, flavonoids, insoluble fibers and lignans. Sucrose comprises between 9 and 28% of the ingredients of the ice creams. For non-sugar versions, high-intensity sweeteners, such as stevia and sucralose, have application potential. The objective was to verify the sensorial profile and acceptance of ice cream of flavor carob with three different beverages (cashew nuts, coconut, and soya) sweetened with sucrose, stevia, and sucralose, comparing with carob flavored milk with the same sweetness agents. Quantitative descriptive analysis was used to characterize the samples and acceptance test and purchase intention was used. The results were analyzed by means of an ANOVA test. Carob ice cream samples were characterized in twenty-five descriptor terms. The most accepted ice cream was carob with cashew nut beverage with sucrose and sucralose. These ice cream are equivalent to the acceptance of milk carob flavor ice cream with sucralose and sucrose. These are characterized by the viscosity, creaminess, roasted aroma, chestnut taste, chestnut flavor, sweet taste, homogeneity, greasy taste, greasy residual, carob taste, carob aroma, milk taste, and milk flavor descriptors contributed positively to the better acceptance and purchase intention.

Electronic cigarettes (eCig) are rapidly increasing in popularity in the United States, and thousands of flavors are available. New public health data indicates adolescent vaping rates nearly doubled in the US in the past year, and new federal regulations are forthcoming. Here, we investigated how flavor and nicotine-level may interact to influence liking. We hypothesized a well-liked flavor may increase acceptability of lower nicotine levels, consistent with purported eCig use in harm reduction. In a single laboratory visit, men aged 18-45 were randomized to 1 of 4 conditions – 6mg nicotine/Cherry, 18mg/Cherry, 6mg/Chocolate, or 18mg/Chocolate – and vaped ad libitum for 10 minutes. After the first puff, participants rated perceived sweetness, bitterness, coolness, harshness and overall flavor intensity on generalized labeled magnitude scales (gLMS), and rated overall liking on a generalized hedonic scale. Similar ratings were made again after 10 minutes. With increasing nicotine concentration, bitterness and harshness increased, and coolness decreased, consistent with spontaneous verbal comments during testing about the aversiveness of the higher nicotine level. Further, the initial and final hedonic ratings varied by condition, with liking for the 18mg nicotine/Chocolate being significantly lower when compared to the other combinations. Initially, we had we hypothesized eCig users may be more accepting of a lower nicotine level when paired with a well-liked flavor; however, our data do not support this. Instead, it appears a well-liked flavor may make high nicotine levels more tolerable when compared with a less liked flavor. Given these findings, it is critical to consider whether a wide variety of appealing eLiquid flavors may reduce negative sensations from higher nicotine levels, and increase likelihood of eCig use.

The Skyr is an Icelandic dairy product very trendy commercialized around the world and consumed by different groups of people mostly because of its high content of protein, functional properties, and healthy claim. This research aimed to obtain sweet taste similar to sucrose using stevia Reb-A 98% (STE) and xylitol (XYL) with the greatest acceptance of potential consumers. The descriptive profile of the six samples (SUC, STE, XYL, BL1, BL2, BL3) was conducted with trained assessors through Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA®) and the dynamic sensations was carried out by Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS). The affective sensory test was performed with 122 consumers who evaluated the acceptance in relation to appearance, aroma, flavor, texture and overall liking of the samples using the unstructured 9 cm hedonic scale. The Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) tool was also applied using the 20 sensory characteristics terms described by the assessors. The data were collected and statistically analyzed athwart Excel Program, SAS, Fizz, and XLStat Software. Even STE had the highest score for bitter aftertaste intensity, all the samples mean values were very low with no significative difference (p>0.05). The XYL had the highest rate with the longest dominance of acidity sensation by the assessors, and it was the less preferred by the consumers. The BL3 (60%STE/40%XYL) was the preferred sweetened natural Skyr among all the samples including SUC. Thus, a successful and new formulation of STE/XYL blend to be added in natural Skyr was developed. The combination of zero calorie high-intensity sweetener with a low-calorie nutritive polyol sweetener may enhance and/or prolong the perception of some sensory characteristics such as sweetness, acidity, and bitterness in this product.

Consumer awareness of the consequences of excessive sugar and processed food consumption has increased steadily in recent decades. The demand for greater transparency and understandable ingredients has tasked the food industry with finding alternative sweetener solutions, chiefly natural high-intensity nonnutritive sweeteners (HINNS). Food package labels are a source of essential product information and as such, play a fundamental role in consumer purchasing behavior. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of four front-of-pack (FOP) labeling factors—sweetener source (stevia, cane sugar, no source information), claim language (naturally sweetened, no artificial sweetener, no claim), caloric content, and price—on participants’ liking of and willingness to purchase vanilla ice cream. In accordance with a fractional factorial experimental design, nine hypothetical ice cream pint package labels were evaluated by 256 U.S. adult ice cream consumers. Conjoint analysis revealed that sweetener source was the most important factor to consumers (relative importance [RI]: 36.5%), followed by claim (RI: 21.9%), calories (RI: 21.4%), and price (RI: 11.2%). Among sweetener sources, ‘cane sugar-sweetened’ was most appealing, while ‘stevia-sweetened’ was least appealing. Four consumer segments were identified by cluster analysis—Stevia Haters (n=49), Stevia Likers (n=44), Majority (n=137), and Price-Sensitive (n=26). While perception of stevia as a sweetener in ice cream was poor on average, receptiveness to its use was high among Stevia Likers who are regular consumers of HINNS. Furthermore, Stevia Likers rated self-perceived knowledge of both caloric and nonnutritive sweeteners significantly higher than Stevia Haters (P < 0.05). The results of this study indicate the importance of behavioral characteristics in identifying a receptive market for stevia-sweetened ice cream.

There has been an increase in the consumption of culinary herbs as new research suggests that food could be made healthier simply by replacing salt with herbs. Furthermore, many of these herbs contain phytochemicals that may provide protection against chronic diseases. One of the most important characteristics that consumers look for in herbs is their flavour, however, herb flavour is highly variable in composition and intensity according to differences in production methods and seasonality. Elucidating this flavour profile, both aroma and taste, will help growers understand the impact that different cultivation environments and seasons have on herb flavour, providing guidance on how production methods can be adjusted to optimise flavour profile for consumers. 

This study aims to correlate the aroma and sensory characteristics of fresh Basil (Ocimum basilicum european), coriander (Coriandrum sativum cruiser) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinallis) subject to different production methods (pots vs soil protected vs field). 

Complex and diverse aroma volatile profiles were observed for each of the herbs. Aldehydes were the predominant volatile compounds in coriander contributing to soapy, waxy, green characteristic notes. Conversely, basil contained high levels of terpenes and phenylpropanoids imparting spicy, herbal, floral and citrus notes. Whereas rosemary had the most complex aroma volatile profile of the three herbs, with limonene, camphene and verbenone identified as predominant terpenes contributing to camphor, minty, pine and spicy characteristic notes. 

Sensory attributes including appearance, flavour, taste, odour, mouthfeel and aftertaste will be assessed using a trained panel aiming to establish a correlation between the flavour and sensory attributes of these herbs, which may ultimately prove important in determining consumer acceptance. 

Understanding how agronomic practice affects flavour and how it relates with sensory profiling, will help the growers deliver a more consistent product, leading to increased consumption thus imparting beneficial effects to the consumers.

In 2001, Canada became one of only two countries to legalise cannabis for medical use. In 2018, again in the company of only one other country, Canada passed federal legislation legalising the recreational use of cannabis. While the current regulatory framework allows only cannabis oils and plant materials, such as flowers and seeds, 2019 will see an explosion of cannabis products with the introduction of cannabis edibles, extracts, and topicals into the market. With all this Canadian legalisation activity and a recent massive shift in the global attitude toward cannabis for any use, one might expect there to be a flurry of research into consumer behaviour and cannabis-adjacent categories and products, but, with the decades-long multinational prohibition on cannabis, there remains a dearth of all types of cannabis research. Here we discuss the results of an online survey fielded shortly after #LegalisationDay (Dec. 2018 through Jan. 2019), where almost 1200 self-reported any-purpose cannabis users (n≈4000) located in Southern Ontario, Canada’s most populated and diverse region completed a detailed cannabis use and preference questionnaire.  In addition to direct questions on cannabis, respondents were also invited to share the effect(s) of cannabis on their physical state and whether they experience increased appetite and/or cravings for specific foods/beverages, colloquially referred to as “the munchies”.  These findings provide a foundational reading of cannabis consumers to be built-out in the future, and give food and beverage producers insight into the cannabis- and cannabis-adjacent product preferences, needs, and wants of this huge (>15% of population) and rapidly-growing consumer group.

Tempe is an indigenous Indonesian food. It is a soybean solid fermented product. Tempe is usually consumed in the form of boiled or fried. This research was aimed at analysing sensory description of raw, boiled and fried tempe and the consumer preference toward them. Analysis of sensory description of tempe was done using in-depth interview, focus group, respondent-plus-client group and Quantitative Description Analysis (QDA). The results showed that raw, unsalted and salted boiled, unsalted and salted fried tempe, all had bitter and acid tastes, they also had beany, fermented, earthy and soury odours. Besides, unsalted fried tempe had gurih (umami) taste, whereas salted fried and boiled tempe had gurih and salty tastes. In term of aroma, fried tempe had additional aroma description, i.e., gurih (pleasant, delicious) and oily, whereas boiled tempe had additional aroma, i.e., boiled aroma. The results of QDA showed that raw tempe had the highest intensity of acid and bitter tastes, whereas fried tempe had the highest intensity of gurih. For aroma, raw tempe had the highest intensity for beany, earthy and soury odours, fried tempe had the highest intensity for oily and gurih odours, whereas boiled tempe had the highest intensity for boiled odour.

Analysis of consumer preference to tempe involved 557 untrained panellists. The panellists were chosen to represent various ethnic groups, ages, income and education levels. Ethnic group affected the consumer preference to aroma of fried and boiled tempe as well as taste of fried tempe, significantly. Age affected the consumer preference to aroma of raw and boiled tempe. Income and education level only affected the consumer preference to aroma of fried tempe.

Subjective feelings of bodily sensations have long been used to help research and patient management including conditions to examine appetite. Attempting to understand the role of food and other environmental influences on human appetite and eating behavior is considered a crucial part of the study of energy balance in humans. At the same time, there is considerable interest in understanding how diets and drugs influence intake.  

The recommended methodology to measure self-reported appetite contains five questions: “How hungry are you”, “how full are you”, “how satiated are you”, “how strong is your desire to eat” and “how much do you think you could eat”. Clearly these questions measures appetite, but what exactly are we measuring? It has been argued that people use the term as an aggregate description of several sensations, and the actual sensation(s) underlying each of the terms is therefore likely to differ qualitatively (and quantitatively) between individuals. In the present research, we wanted to study subject’s own interpretation of appetite sensations, when answering the five most commonly used questions about appetite sensations.  This to clarify traits, sensations or characteristics that typified the appetite terms and if the questions asked relate to the same phenomenon. 

We interviewed 25 subjects and found that interpretation of appetite questions differ between individuals. Specifically, most subjects agreed on interpretation of “fullness” and “prospective intake”, compared to “hunger”, “satiety” and “desire”. “Fullness” and “satiety” were regarded physical sensations, felt as presence of food in the stomach. “Hunger” was most often considered a mental sensations e.g. being unable to resist food. In the evaluation of “prospective intake” and “desire” subjects to a large extent used their memory about time since last meal to make their rating. We will expand on the findings to the use of the self-report methodology in appetite research. 

The term “superfood” is used to define foods that are recognized for their beneficial chemical composition and a high concentration of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which benefit overall health and prevent illness. Thus, the demand for these foods has increased among both consumers who seek a healthier diet and consumers who idealize ancient food culture as ideal nutrition. Knowledge of the drivers of and the barriers to a positive consumer attitude toward these foods can be useful in many realms, such as when developing new products that can meet consumers’ needs and as support for policymakers in choosing intervention measures when aiming at improving the diet of a population. Therefore, the goal of this study was to identify the drivers of and the barriers to the consumption of superfoods. A comprehensive (paper-and-pencil) survey was mailed to 2,200 randomly selected households in German-speaking Switzerland. A food frequency questionnaire on the topic of superfoods was applied, and several validated scales were used to measure potential drivers and barriers (e.g., previous knowledge, food neophobia, convenience orientation, general health interest, and sensory appeal). At the end of the questionnaire, socio-demographic variables were included. All the calculations and statistical analyses were conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics version 24. The collected data allowed to a) evaluate consumers’ knowledge about superfoods and b) identify the drivers of and barriers to a positive attitude toward these foods. Several potential drivers and barriers were found to be significant, and it was concluded that the most likely consumers to adopt superfoods in Switzerland are those who are health-conscious regarding their diets.

It is commonly accepted that a persistently high sugar intake contributes to the development of a range of chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Thus, sugar reduction especially in foods consumed on a daily basis such as fruit yoghurts is an important public health strategy. The present study focused on the determination of a difference threshold (just noticeable difference JND) for sweetness in strawberry yoghurt, the most popular Swiss fruit yoghurt flavor.

Fruit yoghurt samples with 6, 9 and 12% added sucrose were produced to evaluate the influence of sugar concentration on sweetness perception. For each of these three preparations, yoghurt samples reduced in sucrose were produced using standardized reduction steps between samples across the different concentrations. Paired comparison tests were used to determine the difference threshold for sweetness using a trained panel Pairs consisted of a sample containing 6%, 9% or 12% sucrose and a corresponding sugar-reduced sample In each session six yogurt pairs were presented in descending order. Panellists were asked to indicate the sweeter sample in each pair. All three concentration series were replicated three times. The group JND was defined as the difference in sucrose concentration where 75% of the participants exhibited an equal or lower individual JND. 

JND‘s of 0.375, 0.625 and 1.0% sucrose were determined for the concentrations levels of 6%, 9% and 12%, respectively. These results are in accordance with the established theory that difference thresholds depend on the concentration range. The chosen sensory approach is valuable and suitable, although would be a somewhat time consuming strategy to apply to the wider range of food products in which sugar has to be reduced without being perceived by consumers. 

Obesity in childhood and adolescence is considered the most prevalent nutritional disorder, in which diet and related eating behaviors represent important factors of influence. Although many aspects contribute to eating behaviours, taste is considered the main predictor. It has been suggested that obese subjects might have a reduced or distorted taste sensitivity that could increase the willingness to ingest foods that involve greater stimulation of the taste and oral somatosensory system. Recently, it has been suggested that oral bacteria could have a direct role in obesity development and a relationship between taste sensitivity and oral bacteria was proposed. In this context, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship among aspects potentially affecting weight gain , especially sensory perception and oral microbiota composition, in obese (OB) and normal-weight (NW) children and adolescents. 

In a cross-sectional study thirty-four OB (BMI ≥ 95th percentile; 45% F) and thirty-three NW subjects (56% F) aged between six and fourteen years old were recruited. Taste ability was assessed through gustatory function screening (using the ‘Taste Strips’ method) and Fungiform Papillae count. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected and the bacterial composition of saliva was determined by 16S rRNA gene profiling. 

Results showed that OB subjects presented a significantly lower ability to identify the correct taste qualities and were characterised by a greater number of FP/cm² compared to NW subjects. The structure of the bacterial consortia, at the phylum level as well as at finer taxonomic rankings, resulted very similar in the two groups. Nonetheless, the levels of Bacteroidetes were different in children and adolescents characterised by a greater ability in identifying the bitter taste, independently of their nutritional status. The potentiality of this multidisciplinary approach could help to better understand and deepen the sensory-driven and microbiological factors related to weight gain.

Enzymes, such as amylases, lipases, xylanases and proteases are used in baked goods for improvement of dough and bread quality. 

Lipases modify the flour lipids in a dough at the lipid-air or lipid-water interface, resulting in good dough stability, increased loaf volume and a fine crumb structure. Using lipases, stabilizing emulsifiers can be greatly reduced. However, lipase action may introduce off-flavour, either 1) hydrolytic, ie directly from released short and medium chain free fatty acids (FFA) such as butanoic and hexanoic acid from eg dairy fat, or 2) by oxidation of released unsaturated lipids from flour or added oil, resulting in formation of odorous volatile compounds over time. Sensory analysis alone, or in combination with volatile analysis, can be used to understand possible limitations in the use of commercial lipases as well as for screening of new lipases:

Study I, hydrolytic rancidity: Brioche dough with 20% butter was added either commercial or experimental lipases, and dough was over-night proofed prior to baking, to increase the risk of off-flavour formation. A sensory panel assessed the off-flavour intensity of the bread and found that the lipases varied greatly in off-flavour formation. Sensory off-odour was correlated to short and medium chain FFAs measured by GC-FID. 

Study II, oxidative rancidity: Toast bread was baked with three commercial lipases. The bread odour and taste was analysed by triangle tests after 1,2 and 3 weeks storage. The only significant difference from control bread was found for odour of bread added one of the lipases, after 3 weeks. This was confirmed by volatile analysis be GC-MS where this sample was characterized by a higher level of some aldehydes. 

With the lack of micronutrients in the diet of South African consumers, the country struggles with hidden hunger that holds dangers of obesity-related diseases.  While consumers are trying to move towards a healthier lifestyle, the government seeks to empower indigenous farmers to assist their transformation from subsistence agriculture to small scale farming.  With the aid of the AVRDC, a legume improvement programme has been developed, to aid African countries with a more diverse form of agriculture.  

The purpose of this study was to determine the behaviour and knowledge of three cultural groups in South Africa (SA), regarding their legume consumption.  Attention was given to their current knowledge of edamame and their willingness to try existing products in the market. 

Purposive sampling was employed, recruiting male and female respondents (n=178), mainly from the Free State Province, SA. Hypotheses were presented as to depict knowledge, attitude towards taste and attitude towards health effects, as antecedents of consumers’ attitudes towards edamame.  

Mostly black (69.6%), white (85.9%) and coloured (63.8%) females, aged between 55-67 years, completed the questionnaire.  Most respondents ate (95.1%) and liked (77.0%) beans / peas, and 53.1% consumed it on a monthly basis. 23.2% of black consumers ate edamame beans on a monthly basis.   Less than 50% of the individual groups, as well as the combined group, had ever heard of edamame before, with the black group having the highest knowledge of 42.9%. Availability was the main factor influencing the consumption of edamame and white consumers (45.1%) were more willing to attempt new edamame products.  White consumers also preferred softer vegetables (70.3%), while black and coloured consumers favoured mealy vegetables (71.4%).  

All three cultural groups preferred sweet-tasting vegetables, suggesting that edamame cultivars to be planted for South African consumers should definitely have a sweet taste.

In response to an increased awareness and drive for wellbeing within the population, manufacturers and product developers are creating and marketing products with a focus on enhancing a sense of wellbeing as part of the consumer experience. The WellSense Profile^TM, developed by King and co-workers in 2015, was designed as a measure of perception of wellbeing during consumption; the questionnaire comprises around 32 statements covering five dimensions of wellbeing (emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual), rated as agreement from “1=Not at all” to “5=Extremely”. The data can provide insight into how a product fits with a consumers’ perception of wellbeing and discriminate between samples beyond hedonic data. The questionnaire, however, is lengthy and therefore difficult to implement in conjunction with hedonic and diagnostic questionnaires in a Central Location Test (CLT) environment. 

Oliveira and co-workers have previously reported using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) as a means of capturing wellbeing data. This could provide an efficient alternative to the WellSense Profile^TM, at a fraction of the fieldwork time and cost, providing it gives a similar level of discrimination and insight. 

This research investigated the validity of a CATA approach as an alternative to the WellSense Profile^TM. Five snack bars varying in fruit, nut and chocolate quantities were chosen to understand the influence of these components on wellbeing perception. 120 consumers completed the WellSense Profile^TM and a CATA questionnaire across two separate sessions.

We hypothesise that the CATA approach will discriminate between samples across the dimensions of wellbeing, and that the short questionnaire length may actually reduce risk of negative bias caused by fatigue from the testing process.

Results will identify if differences exist in the level of discrimination and efficiency of use between the two approaches and determine whether CATA in this context can be offered as an add-on to hedonic and diagnostic questionnaires.

By 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years old will nearly double, from 12% to 22%. In Chile, it will reach 16.7%, by 2020 (MINSAL, 2014). Functional limitations, such as impairment of taste and olfaction are commonplace in elderly people (Doty & Kamath, 2014). Several authors have demonstrated that olfactory dysfunctions in third age adults are reflected by higher olfactory threshold and lower ability to identify and discriminate odors. These dysfunctions can result in dietary changes, as well as appetite decrement (Seo & Hummel, 2009).

This work aims at demonstrating that intensive olfactory training of elderly people could improve their olfactory ability.

For this purpose, we first diagnosed the olfactory capabilities of adult Chilean population with 100 participants (60-75 years old) and 100 younger participants (35-50). The test - thresholds, tests for odor discrimination and odor identification - was conducted using the ‘‘Sniffin’ Sticks’’. Results showed that more than 70% of the elderly people had hyposmia, compared with less than 20% in younger participants.  

Then, an olfactory training was conducted, which consisted of two parts. First, the participants were introduced to sensory analysis, identification of flavors, evocation of memories related to olfactory stimuli and relation between mastication and sensory perception.  Then, they were trained for quantitative descriptive analysis. Only hyposomic participants (age>60; nonsmokers) were selected. The impact of training on olfactory capacities was assessed with ‘‘Sniffin’ Sticks’’ and the results were compared with those of an untrained control group.

References

Doty, R. L., & Kamath, V. (2014). The influences of age on olfaction: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(FEB), 1–20

MINSAL. (2014). Programa de salud de la personas adultas mayores.

Seo, H. S., & Hummel, T. (2009). Effects of olfactory dysfunction on sensory evaluation and preparation of foods. Appetite, 53(3), 314–321. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.07.010

In 2018, 25% of European consumers declared they would reduce their meat consumption over the next 5 years. Whether extreme or moderate reduction, this trend has become mainstream. The big question for the food industry is:  what innovations can be developed for this new generation of consumers?

This was addressed using a holistic consumer research conducted in 4 European countries. Consumers’ needs for meat-free innovation were investigated during culinary treks, social media research, online studies and focus groups. It involved 1264 consumers. 

This paper highlights what information can be found during each step of the research, types of motivations consumers have to join this movement and future innovation directions for meat free products. 

To conduct first a social media search enabled finding key consumer motivations to reduce meat, such as environmental concerns or wish for novel experiences. Culinary treks then gave a perspective on consumers’ current expectations from specialized shops and restaurants as well as culinary perspectives from chefs on innovations for meat free products.  Strong hypothesis were built from these two steps, which were then tested online using 1200 consumers. 

Out of this online survey, 5 consumer typologies based on motivations to reduce meat emerged: healthy-hardcores (32%), value-hunters (27%), eco-warriors (20%), flavour-cravers (14%) and trendy-trialists (7%). Different innovation platforms were linked to each consumer typology, with flavor cravers wanting ready meals with authentic meat experience whereas value-hunters wanted totally new flavours and family suitable formats. 

Focus groups were the last step and involved 64 consumers. It enabled fine-tuning innovation platforms by understanding market improvement and innovation needed through tasting sessions as well as co-creation workshops. 

This paper highlights reasons why consumers decide to reduce meat consumption, the benefits of approaching such a complex topic with a holistic research and meat free innovation platforms relevant for the food industry. 

Background: The measurement of people’s ability to cook is a challenge and in recent years, various questionnaires were published that are supposed to measure cooking skills in adults. These questionnaires vary considerably in their length and with partially unknown psychometric properties. The aim of the present study was to find out which questionnaire is most useful in measuring cooking skills in adults. The predictive potential of measured cooking skills for eating behaviour was assessed as well. 

Methods: An online survey was conducted with 627 participants from Germany (49% males, M = 45, SD = 14 years). Four different questionnaires to measure cooking skills were applied. By means of a food frequency questionnaire, consumption frequencies of core food groups were measured and additionally a simple index reflecting variety in vegetable cooking was developed. Moreover, it was investigated whether participants self-reported number of cook books, cooking equipment (e.g. frying pans, cooking pots) and spices variety within the domestic kitchen predict cooking skills. 

Results: Results showed high correlations between the diverse cooking skill questionnaires indicating that these measures assess similar aspects of cooking capabilities. Differences between men and women’s self-reported cooking skills were found. All cooking skills questionnaires correlated more or less equally strongly with vegetable variety and consumption frequency of certain core food groups. Spices variety and number of cook books were nicely correlated with cooking skills. 

Conclusion: In order to assess the efficacy of health promotion activities aimed at increasing cooking capabilities, a valid and reliable measure for cooking skills is essential. Results of the present study showed that user-friendly short measures of cooking skills were as accurate as more comprehensive measures. Result help practitioners and researchers to select the best cooking skill measure for their purposes. 

Coffee has unique sensory properties and is one of the most popular beverages in the world. It is often consumed with milk, which leads to the changes in the flavor profile of the product.

Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of milk addition on temporal aspects of coffee evoked emotions and selected sensory attributes during consumption of beverages prepared from Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. The temporal dominance profiles of the sensory attributes and emotions were investigated by Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) and Temporal Dominance of Emotions (TDE) methods, respectively.

Forty-four untrained individuals evaluated 5 sensory attributes and 5 emotion terms, relevant to a description of coffee, selected by using the check-all-that-apply method (CATA). The testing time was 60 seconds over three consecutive sips, each lasting 20 seconds.

When evaluating Arabica coffee without milk, sensory attributes like “sourness”, “roast-flavor” and “bitter taste” were dominant. In the Robusta sample without milk, the dominant attributes were “bitterness” and “roast-flavor”. Milk added to Arabica coffee resulted in a decrease of “bitterness” but also in “roast-flavor”. The most dominant attribute during the entire testing time was “milk-flavor”. The milk addition to Robusta coffee showed less effect on the temporal profile of the sensory attributes. The dominant descriptors were furthermore “roast-flavor” and “bitterness”. Independent of the coffee species, the samples without milk were associated with both positive emotions like “interested” and “active” and negative emotions such as “disappointed”. The addition of milk to the coffee resulted in the dominance increase of positive emotions like “pleasant” and “calm”. The emotion “disappointed” did not reach the Level of Significance (5%) at any time during the evaluation.

The results showed that the addition of milk to coffee changed the perception of its sensory attributes and evoked emotions.

In times of growing obesity as a consequence of unhealthy eating habits, there is an increasing trend of governments pushing and also of consumers looking for healthier/sugar reduced products. In order to replace sucrose by alternative sweet tasting compounds their profound understanding with regards to their structural, physiochemical and sensory characteristics is needed which is the objective of this piece of Research.

Hence, 36 sweet tasting compounds (dissolved in tap water to a concentrations equi-sweet to 5% sucrose) were profiled by a descriptive panel (n≥8; 2 reps). Furthermore physiochemical attributes including molecular weight, viscosity, sweetness factor, topological polar surface area, m log P, complexity, length of glycons and alkyl chain, total number of: rotatable bonds, heavy atoms, C-atoms, double-bonds, OH-groups, ketones, bounded glucose, aromatic rings, stereo centers, hydrogen bond donors and acceptors were calculated with MedChemDesigner 3.1.0.30, taken from pubchem database (August 2018) or analyzed experimentally (viscosity by rotating viscometer Physica SM, Anton Paar). 

Overall, very interesting findings can be reported: amongst others e.g. a cluster analysis of the compounds revealed a tendency towards more complex sweeteners to be associated with more off-notes and there is no correlation between perceived and physically analyzed viscosity. In addition, negative attributes are positively correlated with the number of rotatable bonds and heavy atoms. The sweetness factor in relation to 5% sucrose was associated with a higher amount of onset, mlogP, double-bonds, ketones and aromatic rings. 

Many of the skin problems consumers suffer from are the result of having a compromised skin barrier. This can happen for many reasons such as skin becoming too dry, excessive friction/chafing from activity, harsh chemicals on the skin etc. Athletes and sports people who engage in a lot of physical activity on a daily basis may be more prone to their skin barrier becoming compromised because of the extreme stresses their skin is under e.g. swimmers who spend a lot of time in chlorinated water, marathon runners and rowers/cyclists who experience friction on parts of their bodies from clothing/rubbing etc.   Similarly, other people may experience such stresses on their skin due to their occupation (for example: builders whose hands are exposed to extremes, lab/healthcare workers who wear nitrile-type gloves or subject their hands to frequent and repeated washing). As such these people represent a “torture test” population for exploring skin barrier issues and potential solutions. 

Exploratory qualitative research was carried out with a sample of these “torture test” consumers to better understand any skin issues that they experience as a result of their particular sport/occupation and the range of solutions that they use to overcome these issues. 

10 In-Home depth interviews were carried out with “torture test” consumers in the UK – 5 of these represented athletes/sports people and the other 5 represented those whose occupations cause skin issues. All participants reported that they regularly experienced skin issues as a direct result of their sport/occupation.

The finding of the research will be outlined in the full poster presentation.

Studies have shown that health is operating as an important individual food choice criterion. In recent years, many of the new food innovations have been targeted at the promotion of good health, such as the development of rice-based products with a low glycaemic index (GI). The aim of this study was to explore consumers' knowledge and perceptions regarding the concept of such rice-based products. Face-to-face interviews were carried out with consumers responsible for household purchasing and preparation of rice for meals. Twenty-four individuals were selected according to age group, sex and rice consumption (≥5X/week, ≤1X/week and brown rice ≥2X/week). A semi-structured interview guide was developed taking into account: i) knowledge of GI concept; ii) commercially available low GI products; iii) consumption determinants of products based on rice with low GI. Participants were asked to provide a report on their two main meals (lunch and dinner) during the past week, to validate the consumption frequency. A thematic analysis was performed. The results showed that participants had, in general, a low level of knowledge of the GI concept, with the exception of consumers of brown rice. Nevertheless, all associated GI to "sugar" and "diabetes". Additionally, the majority claimed that they "never thought about the GI of rice". However, they negatively perceived the starch content referring to be high in rice. In order to obtain healthier rice dishes, women reported that they add vegetables and pulses. When asking consumers about food products based on rice, they essentially reported experience with puffed rice snacks and expressed particular interest in consuming drinks, meals and desserts based on rice with low GI. They stressed that they would consume it for health and well-being reasons, but the price and taste would influence their choices. Some respondents reinforce the need for additional knowledge about the product.

Acknowledgements: ProjectArrozBIG

Flavour intensity, which is positively associated with liking and consumption, can be enhanced by sodium-based ingredients such as sodium chloride (NaCl) and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG). Due to the negative health consequences of NaCl and the negative consumer perception of MSG, this study sought out to find an alternative strategy to increase perception of flavour intensity, using rice as an example food. The present research aimed to investigate the effect of tasteless visual product cues on the perception of flavour intensity and liking of rice. In a within-subject, randomised design, 151 participants tasted six different rice products (i.e., with and without the visual cue, at 0%, 0.05% and 0.1% MSG concentrations) then rated perceived flavour intensity (rank order and general labelled magnitude scale measures) and liking (rank order and 9-point hedonic scale), over two sessions separated by one week. Across all MSG concentrations, the presence of the visual cue significantly (p<0.001) increased perception of flavour intensity in comparison to the respective rice sample without the visual cue. No effect of the visual cue on hedonic ratings were found. Participants’ typical frequency of white rice consumption did not affect flavour intensity or liking ratings. Results indicate that a visual product cue could increase perception of flavour intensity but not necessarily liking of rice.

Electronic cigarettes are a recent development in tobacco harm reduction. They are marketed as a “healthier alternative” to conventional cigarettes but their health impact is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the odour perception of smokers and vapers (e-cigarette consumers) in comparison to non-smokers. 

For the study 181 study participants aged 18 to 46 years were selected and divided into three groups: the control group (n=70 non-smokers; 40 women, 30 men), as well as two investigated groups: smokers (n=66; 32 women, 34 men) and vapers (n=45; 18 women, 27 men). The individuals were evaluated by applying the “Sniffin‘Sticks” odour threshold (T), discrimination (D), and identification (I) test. To assess the olfactory function, the TDI-Score has been calculated. 

The results of the threshold test revealed significant differences (p≤0.05) between non-smokers and smokers, as well as smokers and vapers. The results of odour discrimination- and odour identification, as well as the TDI Score showed significant differences (p≤0.05) between all three evaluated groups. Additionally, there was a significant correlation (p≤0.05) between the pack years and the odour threshold, as well as the TDI-Score. The correlation between the pack years and the results of the odour discrimination- and odour identification was not statistically significant. The duration of vaping (years) and amount of liquid (milliter) did not correlate (p>0.05) with the odour threshold, discrimination and identification as well as the TDI-Score.

Generally, the consumption of cigarettes had a negative impact on the olfactory perception. The evaluated smokers were in the range of hyposmia. The good results of the vapers, who have been former smokers, could indicate the regeneration possibilities of the sense of smell after switching from smoking cigarettes to e-cigarettes use. However, further research is necessary to clarify this finding.

Plant-based launches are one of the fastest growing food innovations globally, driven by consumer desires for specific health benefits and environmental sustainability. Dairy-free milk alternatives represent the greatest opportunity for growth in the U.S., with ~ 1.6 billion dollars in sales in 2018 (Robbins, 2018). 

Traditionally, dairy-free products served a purpose for vegans. As they enter the mainstream, dairy-free alternatives gather a new wave of buyers that differ from traditional consumers in preferences and motivations. This creates new challenges for manufacturers as it is increasingly important to provide healthy alternatives without compromising taste. 

This study is a learning module for developing dairy-free milk alternatives that cater to changing consumer mindsets. Ten prototypes were systematically designed and tested in a central location test (N=59) using 3 plant bases (almond, pea, and oat) with 2 level variables (sugar, flavour/technology). Panellists participated in a simplified 4 X 4 conjoint analysis consisting of descriptors, benefits, occasions, and emotions both before and after the CLT.

Overall, optimum sensory attributes included light aroma, light color, moderate sweetness, moderate creaminess, and low aftertaste. Oat was the preferred base, followed by almond, then pea. Addition of sugar increased liking overall. Technology enhanced smoothness, which is a desirable attribute. Three main consumer mindsets were identified and varied in preference of sweetness, mouthfeel, flavour intensity, and aftertaste. 

Overall, the conjoint revealed an increase in desire for health benefits after tasting. Prior to tasting, milk-like consistency and versatility were the main desired attributes. After tasting, protein/calcium content, complete proteins with vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3/6’s, versatility, drinkability, and the feeling of doing something good for their body were main desired attributes.  

This combination of product optimization design and consumer communication gives us a more rounded understanding of consumers desires for a product before, during, and after product consumption. 

Pulses and pulse ingredients are gaining popularity as a source of plant-protein in healthy food innovation. However, sensory acceptability of products made from such ingredients has, to date, remained low. Wheat flour was substituted with both raw and toasted pea flour (30%) in a white bread formulation. Rapid sensory methods were employed in combination with aroma profiling to identify the bread characteristics which were most affected by the addition of the pea flours, and also to investigate the consumer acceptability of such breads. Trained panellists (8) used flash profiling to generate a total of 97 semantically different attributes to discriminate between the different wheat + pea flour breads and a control white bread. Attributes were grouped under appearance, texture, odour, flavour, taste and aftertaste. Of these, 71 were considered to be suitably descriptive and permitted for use in the final ranking by the trained panellists. Consumer acceptability of the breads was determined using a 9-point hedonic scale and a check-all-that-apply (CATA) questionnaire. Texture attributes of the breads were significantly affected by the addition of both raw and toasted pea flour. The consumer trial revealed that aerated, soft, fresh and springy were the attributes that had the highest association with consumer liking, while dry, hard and stale properties significantly reduced liking scores. Aroma profiling, undertaken using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) combined with GC-MS, revealed significant differences in the volatile compounds following the addition of pea flour. Breads made with toasted pea flour had significantly higher Maillard reaction. Panellists did not, however, identify these changes in aroma. Results of this study suggested that texture was the most affected attribute following the addition of pea flour, and it was also deemed to be the most important attribute for consumer acceptability. 

Results of acceptability experiments are used to make high-risk decisions about launching products. This research investigates whether the time of day of evaluation affects acceptability of a set of similar type foods. Three different experiments were conducted on foods that, in the United States of America, have no bias or a mild bias towards consumption during a specific time of day or meal – dairy-based spreads, blueberry mini-muffins, and vanilla yogurts. Each experiment used a set of three to four brands of the same type of food. Within an experiment, the same judges evaluated the set of foods at two different times of day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Half the judges' first evaluation session was in the morning, and the other half of judges first evaluation was in the afternoon. First and second evaluation sessions were within two days of each other. For the products in this research, the time of day had no effect on overall liking. Therefore, decisions made from the results would have been unchanged. In flavor liking, there were some interactions between session order (morning evaluation first or afternoon evaluation session first) and sample, and session order and time of day.  More research is needed to understand if the flavor effects are primarily due to repeated exposure, and if the overall results are similar in products with a stronger bias towards consumption at a specific time of day.

Mediterranean Diet is considered as one of the most heathier dietary patterns. This is mainly constituted by vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts, with moderate intake of fish, eggs, white meat and wine, low amounts of fat (olive oil) and limited amounts of red meat, sugar and processed foods. Despite this diet being traditional from Mediterranean populations, in this region dietary patterns are facing a shift to include higher levels of sugar/fat (saturated)/salt rich and processed foods. As such, strategies aimed to return to Mediterranean Diet patterns are needed. It is known that food sensory perception influence acceptance and choices. At the same time, we are getting evidences that saliva proteome influence oral food perception, namely astringency and basic tastes sensitivity.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution that taste and astringency sensitivity, on one hand, and salivary protein profile, on the other, can have in the adherence to Mediterranean dietary patterns.

300 adults (male and female), from the Southeast region of Portugal filled Food Frequency Questionnaires and were tested for their sensitivity to sweet, bitter, salty and sour tastes, using taste strips and to astringency, using solutions. For each of the study participants, non-stimulated saliva was collected and subjected to electrophoretic procedures to protein separation.

We were able to assess variations in saliva composition related with taste/astringency sensitivity and with the consumption of different types of foods.

Our results support the thought that individual variations in saliva, by being related with oral food perception are also related with dietary patterns. Deeper research is needed to understand the role of each protein in sensory sensitivity and food choices.

Saliva studies were first performed in the context of oral and systemic health. However, in the last few years evidences emerged showing that this fluid may have an important relationship with oral food perception, influencing food sensory rating. Both variations in taste, aroma and texture started to be related with variations in saliva protein composition. If, at the beginning, the participation of salivary proteins in astringency development was accepted, nowadays, besides astringency, basic taste sensitivity is also assumed to be related with salivary proteome. Complementary to this relationship, saliva is modulated by dietary intake and food habits. In fact, there are evidences that the repeated intake of a food can change saliva protein profile, being such change associated with changes in food sensory perception. This is particularly relevant to understand and further modulate food acceptance.

To introduce complexity to this issue, the relationship between salivary proteome and oral sensory perception is not the same in normal-weight and overweight/obese individuals. Moreover, saliva composition from obese differs from the one of normal-weight individuals and weight loss induces differences in saliva composition, which is variable according to the process through which weigh is lost. As such, to understand the dynamics of saliva composition and its relationship with oral food evaluation is of relevance to understand food acceptance and the factors contributing to obesity. 

The relevance of saliva in sensory science will be reviewed, with discussion about the of this research area for food and diet understanding.  

The increasing image crises in the Spanish horticultural sector represent some of the factors contributing to significant economic impacts on demand. These image crises have varied origins (food safety, social and environmental issues) and sources (both from within and outside the sector). However, the foci of past studies do not embrace the complete scope of these events nor their impact on consumers’ perception. Therefore, this research provides a theoretical framework that defines and classifies the main image crises suffered by the Spanish sector. Additionally, crises that have most damaged the sector’s image are analysed, showing the economic impact on foreign exports of Spanish vegetables. Moreover, this research provides an exploratory empirical study that evaluates the prospective impact on European consumers of news about the sector in the mass media, in terms of degree of knowledge and its influence on consumption. For this purpose, we used a structured questionnaire in a sample of European consumers (from Spain and from the main European destination markets), as a preliminary attempt to analyse consumer perception of the Spanish horticultural sector. In addition, this research seeks to determine what the main factors that influence Spanish product-country image are, comparing Spain with other countries. Data were analysed using Logit Models. Results suggest that image crises have seriously affected the demand for Spanish vegetables and consumers’ perceived image. Factors affecting the sector’s image through consumers’ knowledge are different depending on consumers’ country of origin.

Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP), a biofortified crop, rich in beta-carotene, is currently being promoted in Africa, for consumption as a food-based intervention to tackle the problem of vitamin A deficiency. However, due to the high moisture content and hence perishability of the root, it has to be processed into a value-added and stable product. OFSP roots were processed into flour and puree and substituted in wheat flour-based bread at 0-30% levels. The bread samples were characterized using descriptive sensory attributes, carotenoid content, instrumental colour values and physical properties. Bread samples containing OFSP were characterized by higher scores for crumb yellowness, crumb cell largeness, sweet after taste, grittiness and denseness. Bread substituted with OFSP flour were characterized by higher range of total carotenoid (TC) content (1565.50-5179.27 µg/100 g), a* (2.17-8.08), b* (45.06-53.85), loaf weight (193.74-198.50 g) and crumb moisture (27.81-27.91%). Bread substituted with OFSP puree were characterized by higher L* (64.21-70.13), volume (872-885 cm³), specific volume (4.59-4.76 g/cm³), oven spring (0.50-1.00 cm), softness (18.35-20.20 mm) and crust moisture (18.05-18.17%). TC was significantly (p<0.01) correlated with instrumental colour values of crust lightness (-0.92), crust yellowness (0.96), crumb redness (0.98) and crumb yellowness (0.90). Bread containing OFSP puree had higher consumer acceptance scores. Bread containing OFSP flour or puree has quality characteristics that could be exploited for nutrient, sensory appeal and hence commercial production.

The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents represents a serious threat to global public health, which requires the development of multi-faceted strategies to promote heathier eating habits. In this context, the present work aimed to identify strategies to motivate changes in the eating habits of adolescents from their own perspective. A total of 100 adolescents were recruited from secondary schools. The study was conducted in their own classroom. First, they were asked to list the unhealthy foods and beverages they usually consume and to indicate the reasons why they consume such products; and to repeat the same task for the healthy foods they do not frequently consume. Then, they were divided into subgroups of 6-8 adolescents and were requested to discuss ideas on how to convince their peers to reduce consumption of unhealthy foods and increase consumption of healthy foods. Adolescents identified several unhealthy foods they frequently consume, being sugar-sweetened beverages, French fries, burgers and hot dogs the most common. The main reason underlying consumption of these products was related to pleasure, followed by the high availability and convenience of products with high sugar, fat and sodium content. Among the healthy foods not often consumed, fruit and vegetables were the most frequently mentioned, mainly due to their sensory characteristics, lack of habit and scarce availability at home and school. Adolescents identified diverse strategies that could be implemented to improve their eating habits, including communication campaigns, changes in the availability of healthy/unhealthy products and blind tasting of healthy foods. Several key characteristics of the communication campaigns were identified, including the key messages that should be conveyed. Although exploratory in nature, results from the present work suggest that efforts to motivate changes in adolescents’ eating habits should be directed to raise awareness of the short-term consequences of unhealthy diets.  

Snacks consumed in schools have been regarded as an important source of energy and nutrients in children's diets. Understanding the variables that influence children’s choice and consumption of snacks can contribute to the development of strategies to promote healthier eating patterns. In this context, the aim of the present work was to investigate children´s barriers and facilitators to healthy snacking in school settings using projective techniques. A total of 518 children from private and public Uruguayan schools participated in the study. They were divided in two groups: one of the groups used a completion technique involving dialogues of children talking about school snacking, while the other half had to draw a picture of a child eating the school snack and describe it. In addition, all children answered questions about snack choice and consumption frequency of specific products. Fruit, alfajores and cookies were the snacks most frequently included in the drawings. Results from the completion technique showed that health was the main motivation for selecting fruit as a snack, whereas parents’ lack of time was one of the main reasons mentioned to consume industrialized products instead of homemade snacks. Additionally, results suggested that when children have the possibility of selecting their food at school, they tended to choose products based on hedonics, mainly unhealthy foods. These results suggest that strategies aimed to promote healthy eating patterns in children should reduce the availability of unhealthy foods in schools.

Excessive sodium intake represents a serious public health problem worldwide, which demands the development of multi-faceted public policies to modify eating habits at the population level. In this context, the present work aims to explore the relationship between salt consumption and personal characteristics, using a novel predictive approach. In particular, the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and personality traits linked to risk perception and time orientation was explored. In an online study, a total 498 Uruguayan participants completed a scale on ‘consideration of future consequences (CFC)’ adapted to eating habits, a short survey about their salt consumption habits and responded to statements measuring perceived risk of sodium consumption. Finally, socio-demographic data were collected. Boosted regression trees (BRT) were applied to build predictive models that related different salt consumption habits to socio-demographic characteristics and the factors of the CFC scale (consideration of the future and consideration of the immediate consequences of eating behaviour), as well as the two factors of the perceived risk of sodium consumption scale (severity of perceived risks associated with sodium consumption and compensation of the risk of high sodium consumption). Age, time orientation and perceived risk of sodium consumption consistently presented the highest relative importance on the models, indicating a strong influence on salt eating habits. Older people, those with higher risk perception, as well as those with higher tendency to consider the future consequences of their eating habits tended to add salt to foods less frequently when cooking or eating. These results suggest that communication campaigns to reduce sodium intake at the population level should be mainly oriented towards the promotion of a future-oriented vision on eating habits and raise risk awareness.  

Naturality and wellbeing are a global trend that challenges the food and beverages industry to develop products with a better nutritional balanced score and innovative ingredients. These products are oriented to consumers that would like to have a healthy lifestyle for long-term living, their values or to improve physical and mental performance. Based on this trend, the biscuits market is also changing by introducing healthier ingredients such as whole wheat flour, free from trans-fat and sugar reduction. These changes have been directed to both adult and kids. As kids represent the main consumers for this category, products with health ingredients can play a mandatory role to define their eating habits and incentive the consumption of health products in the future.

In this way, peanuts have an important presence among the physical-active consumers due to its content of proteins, and are also highlight at traditional celebrations in Brazil. Considering it, this flavor could be explored as innovative to biscuits and cookies connected to positive memories. 

The objective of this study was to develop peanut cookies with fat and simple carbohydrates reduction to comply with the legislation of source and rich in fibers or proteins of USA, Europe and Brazil. Resistant corn starch was involved as the fiber source, while peanut butter and whey protein supported the protein source. 

Sensory flash profiling was carried out with 30 trained panelists to define and measure by a generalized procrustes analysis (GPA) the main descriptors of the products. A consumer acceptance test was conducted with 113 consumers to evaluate the overall liking, JAR recommendations and emotions according to ScentMove®, which allowed identifying emotional benefits related to each product. The consumer results were analyzed by correspondence analysis (AC), generalized procrustes analysis (GPA), penalty analysis and ANOVA with Tukey at 95% of confidence level.

 The ready meal market has expanded its market share within the Korean food industry, but many consumers are still reluctant to purchase ready meals. A literature review found that using ready meals makes housekeepers feel guilty. The main goal of this study is to identify the relationship between different types of ready meals and guilty feelings. Health locus of control (HLC) was used as an independent variable. Three dimensions of HLC were believed to affect the participants’ guilty feelings about ready meals: internal HLC, powerful others HLC, and chance HLC. The moderating effect of sodium-calories-unhealthy taste intuition (SCUTI) was also considered. Data was collected through an online experiment, and the participants were randomly assigned to two groups based on cooking instructions: heated in the microwave (Group 1, n=104) and cooked in a pan with additional ingredients (Group 2, n=101). In group 1, consumers felt less guilt as their internal HLC increased, but their guilt increased as their powerful others and chance HLC increased. In addition, grocery expenses and income had a positive effect on guilt when SCUTI was used as a moderating variable. However, group 2’s only significant result involved consumers with strong powerful others HLC. SCUTI did not significantly affect group 2’s guilt.

 Based on the results from group 1, easy-to-cook ready meals may be attractive to consumers with high internal HLC, large incomes, and a lack of time to cook. Preparing dishes by themselves may relieve the participants’ guilt despite the seemingly unhealthy cooking method. In addition, these consumers are willing to pay high prices for their meals. Thus, these results may suggest a strategic plan to strengthen the marketing strategy for the ready meal market. 

The international non-alcoholic beer market is predicted to be worth over $25 billion by 2024, with a total volume growth of 6.4% from 2017 to 2022 in the USA, showing its importance in the market. Consumers across the globe are limiting their alcohol consumption due to changes to healthier lifestyles and increased knowledge of long term effects of alcohol. Therefore there has been increased development of low/no alcohol beers, with many manufacturers increasing their product ranges. However there is still a way to go in changing public opinion of these products, with 28% of consumers describing them as ‘bland’. Low/no alcohol beers can be produced either by biological techniques, where beer is brewed to a lower alcohol content, or physical processing, where alcohol is removed post brewing. Research is limited on the influence of these production techniques on their corresponding sensorial changes.  

The objective of this study was to develop a sensory lexicon to discriminate between commercially produced low/no alcohol beers to investigate the influence of different production methods on sensory properties. A range of commercially produced low alcohol lagers (15) using different production techniques were selected. A trained sensory panel (n=10) were used to establish an attribute lexicon for describing and discriminating between the beers. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) was used to rate each beer in triplicate, with determination of the statistical difference between samples using a two factor ANOVA (sample, attribute) and Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. Multiple Factor Analysis, with sensory data as active variables and production techniques as supplementary variables, was applied to understand the impact of each production technique on resulting sensory characteristics. This research gives valuable insight to breweries regarding the sensory impact of production techniques on the development of new low alcohol beers. 

While spicy-hot foods have always been available on the North American market, historically they have been found in ethnic restaurants or as novelty products developed and marketed to thrill-seekers with adventurous palates. Over the last 20-40 years, seemingly paralleling the introduction and popularization of Huy Fong's Sriracha ‘Rooster Sauce’ in the US, the previously specialty category of spicy-hot foods has gone mainstream. Spicy-hot variants of every food category from chips to burgers to desserts and drinks are currently available through conventional grocery stores and all-types of restaurants across North America, and the market opportunities for spicy-hot products appear infinite. To that end, R&D and marketing groups are eager to understand where the next opportunity for spicy-hot infusion may be and what the consumer tolerance is for chili-related irritation. The current work describes the habits, appetites, and tolerances for spicy-hot products in an ethnically diverse, metropolitan North American sample. Building out from a core set of spicy-hot products evaluated internally and on consumer panels, a diverse product list was presented as part of the survey for rating of recalled hedonic and spicy-hot intensity. Also discussed is the use of recalled spicy-hot experience to segment individuals and to gauge the preferred chili-irritation intensity/intensities across the sample.

The present study investigated the level of sodium that can be satisfactorily reduced from original recipe with minimally affecting the liking of target food product. The products of interest were beef bone soup(BBS) and spicy beef soup(SBS) commercially sold in Korea. The original products contained approximately 0.6% and 0.75% NaCl, respectively. Samples containing -10%, -25%, and -40% less NaCl from its original level were produced along with sample substituting 40% of NaCl with KCl salt replacer(-40%+substitute). Eighty subjects evaluated 5 BBS and 5 SBS samples in the first test. Then the subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The first group received soups reduced in NaCl content gradually during a 3-week(1^st -10%, 2^nd  -25%,3^rd -40%). The other group received -40%+substitute throughout the same 3-weeks. Subjects came the lab twice per week and received one serving of BBS in one day and SBS in the other. After exposure sessions, subjects participated in 2^nd taste test. The samples were evaluated on liking and intensities. ANOVA with GLM and chi-square analysis were conducted on the data. When comparing 1^st and 2^nd taste test, the preference orders of the samples did not markedly differ for both soups. -40%+substitute samples were one of the most liked samples. When salt substitute was not used, consumers liked -10% for BBS, original and -10% for SBS. Saltiness ratings were increased after repeated exposure for BBS but not SBS. -40%+substitute showed a very stable acceptance level throughout the exposure sessions for both soups. For gradual salt decrease groups, -10% was liked significantly more than -25% and -40% but the latter two were still in the acceptable range in BBS. For SBS, -10%, -25%, -40% were equally liked. NaCl can be sufficiently reduced with salt substitute. It can be reduced to some extent without a replacer if served alone.

Research from the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario, Canada has previously defined the preference drivers for fresh market apples. For texture attributes: high crisp and juicy with low mealiness were important in driving preference among apples for all consumers, however, taste and aroma defined two consumer segments. Group 1 (89%) preferred a sweet apple with fresh red apple aroma, and Group 2 (11%) preferred apples with higher acidity and fresh green apple aroma.

The current research serves to further define Group 1 consumers by determining liking amongst the most liked apples previously identified.

In the first year of this study, 28 apple varieties liked by Group 1 consumers were evaluated using descriptive analysis with a trained sensory panel (n=13). Sensory profiling found apples to differ for all 18 sensory attributes as defined by the lexicon. Cluster analysis identified four unique sensory groups: melt-in-your-mouth/low acid, well-balanced, mealy, and acidic-grassy. A subset of 15 apples representing the sensory diversity were evaluated in consumer acceptance tests by 226 pre-recruited participants at a central location in Toronto, Canada. Consumers rated liking on an unstructured line scale and completed an end questionnaire to define apple purchase behaviours, demographics, and beliefs. Cluster analysis of the liking data found three consumer groups and an external preference map identified drivers of liking amongst the most liked apples. The largest group (n=110) prefer apples with high perceived sweetness, as well as honey and floral flavors. The second group (n=65) was driven by crisp and juicy textures. For the third group (n=51), liking drivers could not be defined.

Results from this research will play an essential role in the development of next generation retail opportunities by introducing high quality, differentiated, consumer-focused apple varieties for Canadian and international production by the year 2028.

Background & Objectives  

Awareness of the adverse health effects associated with overconsumption of fat and concerns about the safety of chemically modified starches used as fat replacers is on the rise. This has encouraged the use of ‘clean-label’ starches in the development of reduced-fat products in the food industry. However, due to the multi-functional roles played by fat the sensory qualities of some foods formulated with fat replacers do not compare favourably to their full-fat counterparts. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of substituting sunflower oil with two potential ’clean-label’ starch-based fat-replacers on the sensory and tribological properties of mayonnaise type emulsions.

Methods 

Wet heat modified maize starch with 1.5 % stearic acid and maize starch with 2 % monoglyceride, as fat replacers, were used to formulate mayonnaise-type emulsions (50, 80 and 98 % oil replacement). Tribological measurements were performed with a Mini-Traction Machine, using elastomeric tribo-pairs [PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)]. 

Results

The sensory properties of the samples were evaluated by a trained sensory panel. Two lubrication regimes (hydrodynamic and mixed) were exhibited by all the samples. The friction coefficient for the sample with 2 % monoglyceride at 50% and 80 % oil replacement, did not differ from that of the full-fat control but had much lower friction coefficients compared to the sample with 98 % oil replaced. Reduced fat emulsions have good potential to coalesce and lubricate effectively, thereby mimicking the perception of fat-related attributes such as creaminess. All the samples had similar intense overall aroma. Mouthfeel attributes (smoothness, creaminess and easy-to-swallow) of the reduced fat emulsions were not different from the full-fat control and commercial standards. 

Conclusions

The ‘clean-label’ fat-replacers show potential to replace up to 80 % of sunflower oil in mayonnaise without affecting the sensory properties. 

Lots of sodium intake causes hypertension. But reducing salt for cooking meals makes their taste bad, which disturbs motivations of reducing salt, especially for young. This study aimed to develop the way of cooking meals whose sodium is about half as usual one but the taste is acceptable for young. 

We use seaweed salt instead of normal salt. Seaweed salt has much more mineral such as potassium and magnesium but less than sodium. Especially, it includes “umami” so that it helps reducing salt but keeps taste for cooking meals. We develop two types of meals; pork and vegetables stir fried seasons with Japanese barbecue sauce and fried chicken with soy and vinegar sauce. The amount of sodium in the former was succeeded reducing from 2.9 g to 1.6 g and that for the latter is from 2.6 to 1.5. The calorie in the former was reduced from 218 kcal to 176.8 kcal and that in the latter is from 392 kcal to 394.2 kcal. The price of the former was 280 JPY and that of the latter is 302 JPY. 

Although the cost of producing each low-salt meal is higher than usual ones, to split off the price and taste problem, we provided both low-salt and normal ones at the same time in university school cafeteria. We provided pork and chicken meals weekly during two months. The students freely bought the meals. They also have a chance to choose other meals and neither of them.

As a result, both low-salt pork and chicken meals were sold out every day. These result implies that the taste of low-salt meals are acceptable for students when the price is same. The next step is to investigate the willingness to pay for the reduction of salt for young.

IValueFood is a 3-year project, supported by EIT Food, which is a pan-European consortium that focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation in the food sector. The overall aim of IVauleFood is to enhance consumer health and support the European Agri-food economy by improving future generations’ knowledge of, and engagement with, food. In the project, novel approaches will be used to engage with next generation, from students from primary school to university. 

The first step within IValueFood, was to collate and evaluate the effects of existing tools, strategies, methods and programmes of food engagement targeted towards pre-school to university students.  The focus was placed on food engagement, food knowledge, attitudes towards food and value of nutrition.

Following a pan-European inventory of current tools and resources; novel engagement and education approaches will be used to produce our future food champions who will communicate food values through digital media platform(s) of their choosing. IValueFood will be supported by a pan European network of high profile "food stars" and stakeholders. The project will be scaled-up across Europe, targeting regions where a greater engagement and understanding of food is needed for the next generations to make the best choices of the food they eat.

This paper will focus on how to evaluate the impact of various Nordic activities related to young people and food engagement and how to increase the food engagement of next generation.

Intakes of iodine, an essential nutrient needed in synthesis of thyroid hormones, are too low in many countries.  Mild deficiency was also observed in Finnish population in 2000s. Eating out and use of commercial foods manufactured with non-iodized salt are replacing home-made food, commonly made with iodized salt, thus leading to lower intakes. Consequently, National Nutrition Council recommended using salt fortified with 25 mg iodine/kg NaCl in catering and ready-to-eat- meals and bakery industry. However, impaired sensory quality was seen by the industry as a barrier to use iodine.

Deviation-from-reference descriptive analysis (n=12, 4 replications) on  bologna sausage, wheat bread and pickled cucumbers with four levels of iodine (0/25/50/100 mg/kg NaCl, added as KI) showed that iodine level of 25 mg/kg did not change the odour, flavour, mouthfeel, appearance or texture, compared to non-iodized samples. Iodine at 50 and 100mg/kg had no sensory impact on bread and cucumber, but minor effects on colour and texture of sausages (Greis et al. 2018 LWT 606-612).

Next, an investigation on the label information accompanied by interviews of company representatives showed that breads, ready-to-eat-meals, cold cuts and sausages are now commonly made using iodized salt. Chemical analysis of 112 food products showed that the amount and stability of added iodine varies, but was relatively close to recommended fortification level. The data of National FinDiet2017 survey indicates that the iodine intake has increased significantly.

Our case shows that successful co-operation between researchers and governmental health and food authorities and other stakeholders can significantly help in securing adequate nutrition. The industry should continue using iodized salt, as it efficiently prevents iodine deficiency in the population, without affecting sensory quality of food products.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an economical, sustainable source of vegetable protein with great potential as ingredient in various food products including bread.  Major challenges limiting the use of faba bean are the presence of anti-nutrients, undesired beany flavour and inferior texture properties. The aim of this study was to find out how the structure and sensory profile changed when native or fermented faba bean flour was added to wheat bread. The substitution level of 30% bean flour was used to obtain claim “rich source of protein” for wheat bread according to EU legislation. 

Four different lactic acid bacteria (Weissella confusa, Pediococcus pentosaceus and two Lactobacillus plantarum strains) were used to ferment faba bean flour for 24 hours at 20 °C. Unfermented faba bean flour was used as a control. 

A trained panel (n=12, 4 replications) evaluated all bread samples using generic descriptive analysis (GDA) with 16 attributes: six related to odour, two to colour, four to texture and four to flavour. Specific volume and texture profile analysis was measured from breads as well. The type of bacteria strain had an effect in nearly all sensory attributes in breads containing fermented faba bean. 

Due to the synthesis of dextran, the bread baked using faba bean flour fermented with W. confusa differed considerably from other faba bean breads in texture, specific volume, colour and in several odour and flavour attributes. Dextran enriched faba bean sourdoughs provided milder flavour and more wheat bread like texture compared to other types of sourdoughs.

New foods development is always challenging and the difficulty increases when the development includes specific raw materials such as food by-products (e.g.: overripe fruits). Because of the increasing consumers’ awareness regarding environment and health, some aspects relative to production should be included during the new products design, development and communication. The present study meant a first step in developing new foods made with supermarket and catering services by-products. With the aim of driving the food design, 4 focus groups were led to explore consumers’ interests related to sustainable/healthy foods. Then, a national survey with 495 respondents was conducted to evaluate the interest in the 29 different concepts obtained from the focus groups (e.g.: “Km 0”, “local”, “made from ugly fruits”). In addition, consumers’ interest in 5 different hypothetical new foods, which also resulted from the focus groups, was assessed during the survey. Four consumers’ segments were identified: C1 and C4, characterized by a great discrimination of different concepts; C2, characterized by a general low interest; and C3, characterized by a great interest in all the presented concepts. Because C2 was not considered a potential niche market for the product development, and C3 was not as demanding as C1 and C4, C2 and C3 were not considered for the product development phase. All claims related to nutrients were not significantly different for the consumers’ segments (e.g.: “rich in vitamins”, “rich in fiber”, “rich in minerals”). The claims that aroused more interest for C1 and C4 were similar: “having a short ingredient list”, “sustainable”, “local”, “natural ingredients”, “no added sugar”, “no additives”, “no palm oil”, and “integral use of fruit/vegetables”. These findings were used for developing a new product (fruits and vegetables spread), which had received the highest scores during the survey.

Whole Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis microalgae) is a superfood mainly used as food complement, due to its high nutritional properties (high vegetal proteins & minerals contents). However, whole spirulina must be incorporated in high quantity to bear health claims to food. This results generally in the perception of undesirable off-flavors which could occur at different moment of the food oral processing. To track evolution of overall flavor perception during consumption, including off-flavors, the use of dynamic sensory methodologies is recommended. According to literature, Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) could be a relevant methodology to use.

The present work deals with the development of masking strategies of whole Spirulina off-flavour using flavour masking agents (FMA). Fruit juice having dried whole Spirulina was chosen as model food study. Three different aromatic FMA were then selected in order to cover light, middle, or bases notes of the product. FMA1 was composed of a mix of volatile molecules resulting in an apple-banana-kiwi aroma booster. FMA2 was FMA1 including a lactone natural volatile molecule having caramel and candies notes. FMA3 was FMA1 including a supplementary volatile molecule having a complementary fruity note. A panel (n=18 subjects) evaluated each product using Temporal Dominance of Sensations. Descriptors used were “off-notes”, “sweet”, “acid”, “fruity” and “candy”. 

Without FMAs, “sweet” and “off-notes” were two only descriptors significant dominant during consumption. When FMA1 was added, “acid” overrode “sweet” dominance and reduced “off-note” dominance. Despite its well-known efficiency to reduce heavy off-notes in food, FMA2 increased “off-notes” dominance. FMA3 was the most efficient masking solution to obtain high whole Spirulina content fruit juice with valuable flavour perception during the overall food oral processing.

Temporal Dominance of Sensations methodology demonstrated its efficiency to dynamic off-flavor studies and underlined that off-notes of whole spirulina is a multi-dimensional sensory attribute perception.  

Introduction:

As commonly believed, besides the poor appetite and difficult to eat foods, some patients’ sense of taste is changed, which worsen their appetite further. But how different cancer patients’ sense of taste differ from healthy adult? Are the differences happening in aroma, basic taste, or flavors, or even mouthfeel? 

This paper is to introduce the methodology to compare the sensory between cancer patients and healthy adult, and work out the ideal sensory profile for both categories. The prediction model can be leveraged to guide future product reformulation for both healthy adults’ and cancer patients’ nutrition products

Methodology:

1. Consumer CLT test:

   Pre-recruitment CLT conducted for both cancer patients and healthy adult (total 400 consumers) to test 10 nutrition products for each group in 2 continuous days:

   Healthy adult group: N=200 in Shanghai , Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, aged from 45 to 70

Cancer patient group: N=200 in Hangzhou, Chengdu, Beijing 

1. Sensory evaluation:

   Use internal expert panel to evaluate the sensory profile of the 20 chosen nutrition products. Aroma, basic taste, flavor, and mouthfeel will be evaluated. 

   
   

   Data analysis including key driver analysis, tactical improvement based on JAR, taste cluster, ideal product profile, and overall liking prediction model

Introduction:

Cancer patients, especially who suffered from gastrointestinal cancer, have stronger needs towards nutrition products. This paper aimed to explore the patient’s nutrition attitude and needs during the whole patient journey, as well as the physician’s nutrition intervention in China mainland, Hongkong and Taiwan.  

Methodology:

30 cancer patients in-depth interview, covering 6 types of cancer (gut, stomach, esophagus, nasopharynx, hepatological, and pancreas cancer)

14 physicians in-depth interview including 6 KOLs and 8 normal physicians from medical oncology and chemotherapy department. 

Result:

Most patients start taking nutrition product right after surgery, and throughout the whole chemoradiotherapy period, due to strong drug reactions, with very poor appetite and very sensitive to smell and taste, and show severe weight loss. 

Patients in Taiwan are more well educated with more nutrition knowledge. They treat the nutrition products specific for cancer patients as meal replacement and consider it as a necessary product for cancer patients. They prefer liquid products, which is convenient and with multiple flavors.

Patients in China mainland and HK are relatively less educated on nutrition. They believe the diet is more important and they prefer powder products with warm serving temperature. 

Taiwan and Hongkong show high involvement of physicians and nutritionists in nutrition intervention, while majority of the physicians in mainland show very low involvement in nutrition intervention. The involvement of nutritionist in mainland is rare

In the class of the behaviors classified as part of the spectrum of feeding difficulties, adult picky eating (PE) qualifies as a multidimensional phenomenon behaviorally and etiologically distinct from other disordered eating. Usually described as the unwillingness to eat familiar foods or to try new foods, PE may lead to poor dietary variety and nutritional deficiencies. Since previous studies have suggested a possible connection between the attitude toward the exploration of the chemosensory environment and the olfactory ability (Demattè et al., 2013; 2014), we hypothesized that similar phenomena may occur for picky eaters. Thus, as part of a broader investigation that aims to evaluate the Italian olfactory function, the aim of this study was to investigate the relation between olfactory abilities and picky eating.

Data were collected from eighty-eight subjects (57.9 % female) between 22 to 68 years old. All the participants completed a conveniently back translated version into Italian of the Adult Picky Eating Questionnaire (APEQ; Ellis et al., 2017) just prior to undergo the olfactometric assessment through the Sniffin’ Sticks Test battery (Hummel et al., 1997).

In our sample, according to Hummel et al., 2007, we identified 84 normosmic and 4 hyposmic individuals. The questionnaire and its domains showed a good internal consistency close to the original proposed (Ellis et al., 2017). Based on a Partial Least Squares Regression-1 model, higher APEQ total scores and relative subscales (Meal Presentation, Food variety, Meal disengagement and Taste aversion) seem to be associated with lower olfactory threshold and lower identification and discrimination abilities. 
 For the first time, a possible relation between olfactory abilities and adult picky eating has been reported.
 Further investigations are needed to deeper understand the link between smell and the behavioral components of PE. 

Introduction

The sensory effect of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, also known as vaping, is created by a combination of taste, smell, and airway stimulation. Nicotine plays a major role in the subjective effects of vaping, but other additives, such as flavorings, contribute to the sensory perception. The US Food and Drug Administration is concerned with the availability of flavored e-cigarettes (e.g., JUUL) because they are appealing to youth who may be unaware the product is addictive.  

Methods

The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study Wave 3 provided data on self-reported flavor categories, type of e-cigarette product, frequency of vaping, and smoking status among past 30-day youth and adult e-cigarette users in the US.

Results

Most past 30-day youth and adult users reported using only one flavor category, with fruit (53% youth, 31% adult) being the most commonly reported category among both populations.  Adults were far more likely than youth to report using tobacco flavor alone compared to any other individual flavor category or flavor category combinations (OR:7.14, 95%CI: 4.03, 12.66).  In addition, youth were more likely than adults to report using 2 or more flavor categories (OR: 1.78, 95%CI: 1.30, 2.44), with the most reported pairing among youth being fruit and candy (35.6%).  Finally, daily vapers were more likely to report using 2 or more flavor categories versus one flavor category compared to non-daily vapers (OR: 1.94, 95%CI: 1.04, 3.61).

Discussion

The variety of flavor options on the market appeals to consumers of all ages.  Although most past 30-day e-cigarette users reported using only one flavor category, nontobacco flavors are far more common among youth than adults. Irrespective of whether e-cigarettes are a useful tool for cigarette smokers trying to quit, the available multitude of flavors may be a key contributor to rising youth vaping rates.  

Modification of sausage ingredients is an essential strategy to improve their nutritional profile, since they are one of the products that more fat and salt contribute to Spanish diets.

The aim of the project was to study the effect of fat reduction and the use of fat substitute ingredients in physical, chemical and sensory properties and acceptability of fuet (Catalan fermented sausage). Thirteen formulations were produced by replacing 20 and 25% of pork back-fat with high oleic sunflower and olive oil incorporated as pre-emulsified with sodium alginate and others stabilizers. 

Pork back-fat reduction affected significantly physical and chemical properties of sausages while when using fat substitutes main significant differences were found in their lipid profile. This replacement of pork back-fat for vegetable oil fat significantly increased MUFA, PUFA and MUFA+PUFA/SFA ratios. Nevertheless, differences in total fat were not found. Regarding in texture instrumental measure modified samples showed lower values for hardness, chewiness and higher elasticity. In colour instrumental measures, yellowness and redness were slightly higher in modified products; on the contrary, lightness was fewer in modified sausages than in control. 

Sensory analysis showed significant differences among samples in terms of lightness, fat amount, hardness and off flavour. Differences in acceptability between fuets were mainly related to differences in flavour, off flavour and hardness, being fuet formulated with high oleic sunflower oil 20% the most acceptable one. PLS analysis of the samples showed overall flavour, cured flavour and hardness as drivers of liking while off flavour, rancid and fatty character were identified as drivers of disliking.

To produce fuets with a healthier nutritional profile in terms of fat, it is important considering not only the amount of fat reduction but also the modification of the lipid profile, so it is essential to select the appropriate ingredients for the formulations.

With a third of the population expected to be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, chances are we all know someone who has or will have cancer. Patients undergoing cancer treatment often experience nausea, vomiting, swallowing difficulty, oral pain, dry mouth, and mucositis. These physical changes are a constant reminder to patients that their lives have changed and can result in low appetite and difficulty getting the necessary calories and protein. Nutritional beverages are designed to assist in filling such nutritional gaps. However, compliance is low. One reason for non-compliance is patient aversion to the sensory profiles, which can be highly flavored, sweet, and creamy. In the present research, qualitative (n=20) and quantitative central location (n=126) testing with cancer patients was conducted to understand the emotional benefit that the ideal nutritional beverage would deliver and what sensory attributes cue that benefit. Testing included blind product evaluations as well as evaluations after exposure to the concept, nutrition fact panels, and ingredient statements for five nutritional beverage prototypes and a commercially available clear nutritional beverage. Qualitative findings indicate that patients seek a sense of normalcy, relief from the constant reminders that they are sick. Both the qualitative and quantitative research confirmed that sensory attributes including mild flavor, moderate sweetness, cooling, no metallic and lingering aftertaste, low thickness, and no mouthcoating were integral to meeting their expectations and delivering a sense of normalcy. Regarding the tradeoff between taste, nutritional content, and the ingredient statement, recognizable ingredients and less added sugar are expected; however, this should not be at the expense of taste. In conclusion, with the right communication, a beverage that incorporates this unique set of sensory cues and nutritional content will meet patient expectations and deliver an emotional benefit, which can contribute to improved compliance and nutrition for these patients.

Along childhood it is important to create healthy eating habits to promote a healthier lifestyle and avoid chronic diseases in the future. Habits are learned by repetition being home and school places where they generally establish their behavior.

The aim of this project was to evaluate the healthy perception and preferences of different foods, habits regarding a healthy diet and neophobic behaviour of children. The range 8-9 years was selected since at that age children start to make establish their own food choices. For this purpose, a Web Application was developed. Through a game, children evaluated up to 66 food pictures and get nutritional advices according to their answers. In a pilot trial, the web App was tested by 54 scholars at that age. 

Results showed a correct perception, from the main food groups: fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, eggs, legumes, farinaceous and fish. Regarding occasional and moderate consumption foods, it highlights the wrong perception of fried products. Regarding preferences, vegetables and fish appear as the worst valuated groups and fried foods top the best valued foods. Considering the eating habits, the children answered the moment of certain foods intake and their frequency. It was shown that the nutritional recommendations regarding fruit, vegetables and fish are far from being fulfilled. Neophobic behavior was found for 30% of the children.

To improve these results, various training activities were carried out through short videos, games, and cooking activities. Families were also involved with questionnaires and a nutritional advice brochure. A second App test showed improvements for all evaluated terms.

The developed App has proved to be useful to evaluate the perception and preferences of different foods, eating habits and neophobic behaviour of children. The results obtained will serve as a basis to establish helpful actions to improve children´s adherence to healthy diets.

The aim of the research was to evaluate the consumers’ perceptions of 8 different extra-virgin olive oils packages and labels using an online survey with Qualtrics software. Overall expected liking and expected purchase intent using 9-point hedonic scale and a 5-point scale, respectively. The expected sensory characteristics in the oil were asked using a check-all-that-apply question. The sensory terms were selected from literature and some other hedonic ones. Olive oil (OO) consumer attitudes and behavior were also addressed in the questionnaire such as in which situation would that olive oil be used and what culinary application would that olive oil be used for. Quality, healthiness and sustainability were rated according to each sample using a 6-point scale (very poor, poor, ok, good, very good and excellent). Data was analyzed using PCA, Cochran Q test, CA, MFA and cluster. Consumers had different perceptions towards the OO as seen on the PCA map. The quality, healthiness and environmental friendliness and sustainability of the OO showed also diverse ratings according to the OO tested. This study demonstrated that packaging and labelling play an important role on consumers’ perceptions of OO.   

The popularity of cocoa products is the result of its peculiar flavour, which forms the key criterion of the cocoa bean quality, and hence is central to the consumers’ acceptance. With the rising interest by consumers for high-quality chocolates from a clear geographical origin, a rapid analytical method for quality control, authenticity and traceability assessment is of paramount importance. However, the complex mixture of volatiles present in cocoa liquor complicates reaching this purpose. An analytical fingerprint approach using advanced electronic nose (E-nose) technology may offer a suitable hybrid technique. The strengths are its short analysis time, high-sensitivity and good correlation with data from human sensory panels. Sensory evaluation by human panels is often used to evaluate the organoleptic characteristics of chocolates, but this requires special trainings for the different cocoa descriptors, and gives extra cost, subjectivity, and individual variability. This study aimed to verify the suitability of an E-nose based on ultra-fast gas chromatography (GC) for the rapid discrimination between cocoa liquors from different botanical and geographical origins. The obtained odour fingerprints were investigated using multivariate statistics. For instance, discriminant factor analysis showed the possibility to differentiate between bulk and fine-flavour cocoa. Fine or flavour cocoa beans are desired by the chocolate industry to make single-origin chocolates with special fruity or floral flavours and hence, fetch a premium price on the cocoa market. Further tentative identification allowed the detection of key compounds occurring in cocoa products, such as acetic acid, 2-heptanol, 2/3-methylbutanal, acetophenone, isoamyl acetate, tetramethylpyrazine, maltol, and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. This research proves for the first time the usefulness of the GC E-nose for effective and rapid aroma profiling and discrimination between single-origin cocoa liquors, which can be easily applied in the chocolate industry.

Spanish Iberico dry-cured ham is a very popular meat product owing to its sensory profile, its nutritional quality and long shelf life. Ibérico ham represent a large part of the meat products hosted under Quality Distinctions in Spanish market and stands out among them as a high-quality product of increasing economic relevance. To assure the quality of these products their sensory analysis according to the ISO 17025 norm is compulsory. However, sensory analysis is expensive and time-consuming. Then, some instrumental technique such as NIRS technology has been studied to predict sensory attributes but it has hardly been used for meat products. The aim of this study was the quantification of sensory attributes of Spanish Iberian dry-cured ham using NIR technology and Artificial Neural Networks. In order to do so, 91 dry-cured hams from “Ibérico” pigs elaborated according to traditional technology and matured for 24 to 36 months were selected. The sensory attributes (28 descriptors) were generated by a panel of 10 expert tasters trained by means of QDA and assessed on a scale of 10 points. Recording of the NIR spectra was accomplished by direct application of the fiber optic probe to the samples. NIRS data were analysed using a Feedforward Neural Network with one hidden layer. The selected training algorithm was Levenberg-Marquard with a variable number of neurons in the hidden layer (1 to 30). Each network was trained 30 times for each architecture. Results showed that the number of neurons in the hidden layer were between 4 and 27, the regression coefficient (R) was between 0.7 and 0.9 and the R² varied from 0.5 to 0.8 depending on the sensory parameter. The prediction of sensory parameters using NIRS and ANN were very good for descriptors such as sweating, cured odour, cured taste, taste intensity, sweet or after taste.

With the growth of “clean label” in Food & Beverages and consumer demand for transparency.

In food and beverage, the term “clean label” does not have a legal or commonly accepted definition. Several surveys showed that only two in ten consumers do know or understand what clean label means. Despite this low numbers, food manufacturers are using 

Ingredion is interested in better understanding the opportunity for this positioning in the Beauty & Home Care category.  A global online quantitative survey was initiated in eleven countries and the questionnaire was administered in eleven languages. 

This survey consisted of using Big Data companies to explore the guardrails for clean beauty claim within the Beauty Care category. It focused on the awareness and acceptability of ingredients that would align with this claim and consumer definition of clean beauty.  

This initiative will boost the role of formulation and sensory consumer science in non-food area as well as create differentiation versus competition among our customers.

The panel test for the organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oils (VOOs) determine the classification of samples based on the median of the predominant defect and the presence or not of the fruity attribute. The use of reference materials (RMs) is essential so that the tasters can recognize sensory attributes, compare their judgment to the “assigned values” and thus improve their individual skills.

Currently, the available RMs may differ in the defect intensity year by year; some of them are characterized with more than one defect and it is not easy for a panel to find them. Thus, there is a need to develop new RMs reproducible, homogeneous and stable for improving the panel performance and the efficiency of the panel test.

In this work, new RMs obtained by different chemical and biotechnological approaches have been prepared and proposed for sensory assessment: i) artificial RMs by adding specific volatile compounds responsible for negative sensory attribute to refined olive oil (results from the OLEUM project); ii) artificial RMs by adding specific volatile compounds responsible for positive and negative sensory attribute to water (FlavorActiV GMP Pharma reference standards already globally applies to regular blind testing across all types of beverages); iii) natural RMs obtained by inducing microbial fermentation/degradation of sugars/proteins/lipids and promoting the production of metabolites responsible for some sensory defects by micro-organism naturally developed or inoculated in olives, subsequently processed by a lab-scale mill. All these new RMs have been tested by sensory panels from different European countries and the two Oleum artificial RMs will be fully validated.

This work was developed in the context of the project OLEUM “Advanced solutions for assuring authenticity and quality of olive oil at global scale funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Programme (2014–2020, grant agreement no. 635690).

Recently, coffee shops are often installed in crowded sound environments such as in many bookstores in Japan. It is very interested that we prefer a noisy environment to be absorbed in reading and PC work, though the loudness often interferes our concentration. For example, if the flavour of beverages provided at a coffee shop reduces the loudness, it may be useful to actively utilize the flavour. We conducted the experiment that twenty participants in their twenties evaluated the loudness and noisiness with sniffing flavours and listening the crowded sound sampled in the cafe in the book shop and the white noise. Adaptation was confirmed in the loudness and the noise evaluations because participants listened to the sound continuously while sniffed eight flavour samples sequentially. The correction value for the decrease accompanying adaptation was calculated and added to the evaluation of the participants, and the loudness and the noise evaluation between the sound condition of two conditions and the flavour condition of eight conditions were compared. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean values among the conditions. However, paying attention to the evaluation of each participant, there was a tendency for the evaluation of loudness and noisiness to decrease in the cases of some participants, Therefore, we focused on evaluation tendencies for each participant. As a result, it turned out that less than 40% of the participants reduced the noisiness evaluations by sniffing the flavour. Moreover, it was able to classify participants who reduce the noisiness evaluation into two groups, one was the group of reduction with sniffing sweet flavours and the other was the group of reduction with sniffing pungent flavours, ie sour or like the mint flavour.

In line with Pellegrino et al. (2017), we use the term “olfactory habituation” (also known as olfactory adaptation) to describe reduction of perceived odor intensity as a result of repeated or prolonged exposure to the corresponding odorant.  As part of continuing innovation in sensory science at Firmenich, we are conducting a series of studies in order to determine the best ways to limit and/or control sensory panelists’ olfactory habituation during fragrance evaluations.  Specifically, we aim to address two main questions.  First, given that habituation can occur after only several sniffs in a bout (i.e., sniffs of the same odorant performed in quick succession), is there an optimal number of sniffs in a bout for ensuring accurate and reliable panelist performance?  While the number of sniffs does not seem to affect performance on simpler tasks involving single odorants (Laing, 1983), more complex tasks, such as mixture discrimination, may require more than one sniff.  Second, does dishabituation, a well-established phenomenon in several sense modalities, occur in olfaction?  In other words, can the perception of a newly presented odor lessen either the magnitude or duration of habituation to a previously encountered odor?  The implications of our findings for optimizing fragrance evaluation methods will be discussed.

While sweet-tasting carbohydrates generally share a similar molecular structure, the relative sweetness between these different carbohydrates can vary considerably. Understanding the impact that certain structural features [e.g., molecular conformation, degree of polymerization (DP)] have on a carbohydrate’s relative sweetness can provide insight on the mechanisms underlying sweetness potency. There has been a longstanding assumption that simple sugars, but not longer-chain carbohydrates, can be tasted by humans. Recently, our lab reported that maltotriose (DP3), a short-chain glucose oligomer, is also capable of eliciting sweetness and is a ligand of the known sweet taste receptor, T1R2-T1R3. During other studies, we likewise observed that acarbose, a natural carbohydrate derivative that is structurally analogous to a glucose oligomer, can elicit sweet taste. The goals of this study were 1) to formally investigate the underlying taste detection mechanism of acarbose, and 2) to measure the relative sweetness detection of maltotriose and acarbose compared to other sweet-tasting simple sugars (glucose, fructose, maltose, and sucrose) with varying structural features. When T1R2-T1R3 was blocked with the sweet taste inhibitor lactisole, subjects were not able to discriminate maltotriose or acarbose from blanks, confirming that the T1R2-T1R3 receptor mediates their taste. In terms of relative sweetness, we found that maltotriose has the closest discriminability to glucose and maltose at the concentrations tested. Conversely, we found that the discriminability of acarbose closely matches that of fructose. These findings are discussed in terms of how specific structural features may contribute to the relative sweetness of carbohydrates.

Consumers often complain about lack of mouthfeel in sugar-reduced beverages (Miele et al., 2017). To compensate, some companies use bulking agents as for example pectin to increase the viscosity of sugar-reduced beverages to mimic the mouthfeel of sugar-sweetened beverages (Hutchings et al., 2018). However, this could potentially have negative effects, as an increase in viscosity has been found to decrease both aroma and taste perception through cross-modal interactions. A change in viscosity could also affect other sensory interactions such as aroma-sweetness interactions.

A series of studies was conducted to investigate the cross-modal effect of viscosity in sweet beverages. The cross-modal effect of viscosity on sweet taste perception was investigated in three different model systems: an aqueous system, an apple-elderflower drink, and an apple nectar. To investigate the possible trinary interaction between viscosity, aroma, and sweetness, the effect of viscosity was studied with and without added aromas. Three aromas all associated with sweet taste were investigated, namely vanilla, pomegranate, and banana aroma. Studies were conducted with both trained panels and consumers. 

The effect of different levels of viscosity will be shown. At low levels of hydrocolloids, which is relevant for the beverage industry, viscosity was found not to affect neither sweet taste perception, nor the cross-modal effect of aromas on sweet taste, significantly. However, as this would have been negative side effects to mouthfeel mimicking, this absence of effects is actually preferable.

Hutchings, S.C., Low, J.Y.Q., Keast, R.S.J., 2018. Sugar reduction without compromising sensory perception. An impossible dream? Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 0, 1–21. 

Miele, N.A., Cabisidan, E.K., Galiñanes Plaza, A., Masi, P., Cavella, S., Di Monaco, R., 2017. Carbohydrate sweetener reduction in beverages through the use of high potency sweeteners: Trends and new perspectives from a sensory point of view. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 64, 87–93. 

Creaminess is a sensory attribute that is generally liked in foods. Viscosity is known to be an important contributor to creaminess. With increasing viscosity of liquid foods, generally creaminess increases. It has been demonstrated that surface-related properties such as friction properties also contribute to creaminess. Most studies aiming at better understanding the origins of creaminess of liquid foods varied fat content, thereby simultaneously altering viscosity and friction properties. Little is known about the relative contributions of viscosity and friction properties to creaminess. This study aims to decouple the relative contributions of viscosity and friction properties to creaminess of liquid foods. Three iced coffees with same fat content (0.9%) but differing in viscosity and friction properties were developed: (i) low viscosity – high friction (LV-HF, control); (ii) low viscosity – low friction (LV-LF) and (iii) high viscosity – low friction (HV-LF) iced coffee. Viscosity of iced coffees was adjusted by addition of maltodextrin, while friction properties were adjusted by addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG, M_W 6000). Viscosity of HV-LF was 3x higher than that of LV-LF and LV-HF (18 and 6 mPa·s at 50 s^-1, respectively), while friction coefficients of LV-LF and HV-LF were up to 2x lower than LV-HF. Two-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) tests were performed (n=47) comparing all iced coffees for creaminess, thickness and slipperiness. Thickness and slipperiness were evaluated by oral and haptic assessment, whereas creaminess was evaluated only orally. Subsequently, a rate-ranking evaluation was performed with the three iced coffees. HV-LF was perceived to be significantly thicker, more slippery and creamier than LV-HF and LV-LF. Despite its’ better lubrication properties, LV-LF was perceived significantly less creamy than LV-HF. We conclude that for liquid foods viscosity might contribute more to creaminess perception than friction properties.

Foods with condiments such as bread with spreads or vegetables with dips are frequently consumed. The aim of this study was to understand how dynamic and static sensory perception changes when foods are consumed together with condiments. Two carriers (bread, carrot) varying in hardness were combined with condiments (mayonnaises) varying in fat content and viscosity to obtain model composite foods. Dynamic sensory perception was assessed using Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) with attribute lists describing both carrier- and condiment-related attributes. Static sensory perception was evaluated using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) with attribute lists descriptive for either bread, carrot or mayonnaise. Carrier foods (bread, carrot) had a larger influence on dynamic and static sensory perception of carrier-condiment combinations than condiments (mayonnaises). Sensations related to mayonnaises (sour, creamy) were dominant at later stages of consumption when these were combined with harder bread or carrots. Hard bread or carrots reduced intensities of several mayonnaise-related attributes (sour, dairy when combined with bread; creamy, after taste when combined with carrots) to a larger extent than soft bread or carrots. Consumer sensitivity to discriminate between foods was not affected by the presence of other food items when differences in bread, carrots or mayonnaise properties were large. In case of smaller differences between food properties, consumer sensitivity to discriminate between foods declined and depended on the food type it was combined with. We conclude that the product properties of both solid carrier foods and condiments and their interaction during consumption impact dynamic and static sensory perception of carrier-condiment combinations.

Various factors related to product and packaging influence consumers’ purchase decision making of a detergent that successfully launders clothes.  In this research, we investigated how color, viscosity and fragrance attributes influence the perception of an efficacious product by combining consumer qualitative and quantitative research methodologies with flash profiling conducted by a trained descriptive panel.

A qualitative consumer study with 3 groups of 8 liquid laundry detergent users (n=21) showed that consumers perceive the clear and scented detergent as the most efficacious.  Furthermore, viscosity was important to consumers but fragrance intensity cued the effectiveness of the detergent.  

An online experimental study (n=342) confirmed the findings of the qualitative study by showing that effectiveness perception was not different for the detergent with color but for the clear detergent-effectiveness perception was higher if the detergent was scented compared to unscented. 

Moreover, a correlation of the qualitative findings with the sensory panel (n= 8) evaluation suggested the presence of fragrance intensity threshold where detergents with very low fragrance intensity and very high fragrance intensity cued ineffectiveness. Future research is planned to further explore other sensory cues that effects the perception of efficacy.

The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important product, worldwide and nationally speaking. For instance, it has relevance for some worldwide producers such as USA, China, India or Egypt; and in Colombia with several production key zones (Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá, 2015). This product is offered in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but how it is perceived by the consumer in regards of its attributes is unknowledge yet, nevertheless, there is studies that shows how shape features affects taste perception, likewise, angularity and roundness interfere on acid and sweet flavor reception where flavours that are rated as sweeter tend to be associated with round shapes, whilst those flavours that are rated as more bitter or sour tend to be associated with more angular shapes instead (Velasco, Woods, Petit, Cheok, & Spence, 2016). Therefore, the research aims to correlate attributes such as freshness, juiciness, solidness, sweetness, acidity, bitterness, astringent and aromaticity with tomatoes shape based on the perception of 100 participants. The research firstly identifies three different shapes of the same class of tomato, then it distinguishes different attributes that can be related with this kind of tomato in higher or lower degree depending on its shapes, lastly it estimates what are the attributes that correlates best with the specific shape of the tomato. Finally, the Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to examine the difference of perception among the mentioned attributes. The results shown more symmetrical circular shape has been perceived as the one with most rigidness, fibrosity, freshness, and sweetness, on the other hand, asymmetrical shape has been associated with acidity and bitterness. In conclusion, shape can influence the perception on several attributes in the same way, people naturally associate taste with a given shape.

At present-day we find many gaps in how consumers perceive and associate different stimulus that they find in the environment, in some cases those are delivered by brands and products. However, we already know that visually perceived roundness or angularity have established values in the perception of aroma, sound, texture and flavor. Nevertheless, there are still many visual characteristics that we do not know how the consumer perceives and associates, as they are the symmetry and complexity of the figures, likewise, it is not known with certainty that visual stimuli of form are associated with luxury, very important feature when assessing a product monetarily and for its quality. For that reason, this study aims to reveal if different shape features can be associated with luxury and diverse perfume attributes. To answer this firstly has been 3D-impress 5 different perfume bottles with different values of symmetry, angularity and complexity and those has been tested with hand manipulation to measure how people associate that forms with luxury, like, wish of purchase, perfume sweetness, sourness, bitterness and feminine or masculine. We find that luxury have a strong association with angular and symmetrical shapes but with low complexity, in other hand round and symmetrical shapes are strongly associated with sweet aromas and sourness with angularity in bottles, likewise, participants likes more the angular and square bottles for perfumes. In conclusion luxury can be perceived in different shape design and have stronger association with some characteristics than others, in the same way, aroma attributes are related with shape features.

Much of the published research concerning descriptive analysis focuses on the type and number of panelists, the type and/or level of training, or the statistical analysis.   Very few  published studies consider the processes panelists use to perform descriptive analysis tasks and the impact of these processes on descriptive analysis results.  To make attribute intensity ratings, panelists must (1) detect the sensation; (2) identify the attribute; and (3) assign an intensity.  If the process stops at Step 1, a rating of “0” is given, and the dataset mean is reduced; as the frequency of zero ratings increases, dataset means move progressively closer to zero. In this study, zeros were tabulated for the datasets from three different descriptive analysis panels. Datasets were then analyzed with and without the zeros.  Review of the “With Zeros” and “Without Zeros” datasets showed that taking into account the number of panelists who do not detect an attribute in data analysis can lead to different conclusions about products’ sensory attributes.

Texture is important to the overall liking of food products. Consumers are generally able to differentiate texture liking from overall liking. Liking or aversion to texture is complex and correlated to many variables, including age, dental health, behavior, and other factors. This research models texture effects on consumer liking of yogurts while investigating the correlation between consumer and sensory measures.  

Ten yogurts were evaluated where 5 consisted of liquid/solid (Icelandic style) blends (including 1 with 0.2% guar) and 5 yogurts with “stir-ins” including apple sauce, hydrated chia, dry chia, flaxseed, and granola. Samples were served blind in a randomized balanced order to descriptive analysis panelists (DA) (n=10x2 evaluations per sample) and consumers (n = 86). DA developed a lexicon (31 attributes) then measured on 150pt scales. Consumer measures included: liking for appearance, overall, flavor and texture; agreement statements on silky, slippery, slimy, pulpy, gritty, seedy, crunchy, chewy and easy to eat; and JAR on thickness, stir-in amount and particle size. Data were analyzed by Anova with Tukey’s HSD at 90% for DA and consumer liking; consumer/DA terms were linked with PCA; PLS and other regression methods were utilized.

Liking increased with increasing viscosity (r²=0.77) and stir-in particle size(r²=0.78). Well-liked products were “easy to eat” (r²=0.91). Products with stir-ins were either JAR in thickness or too thin. All stir-ins were significantly less liked (3.4-4.8) than the same solids yogurt (6.7) except granola (7.4) which may be due to familiarity. Small particle sizes with chewy textures and soft pulpy textures were disliked. Granola was most liked with large particle size, crunchy/chewy texture, and low toothstick. Descriptors were used similarly between groups. However, consumers associated thinness with slimy/slippery compared to slippery/gummy from DA. Two models for product optimization were developed from all attribute and texture data.

The extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is highly appreciated for its unique flavor. The release kinetics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from EVOO matrix within the oral cavity is a complex process influencing the evolution of sensory attributes detected by consumers. For this reason, the nose-space (NS) analysis of VOCs may unravel the oral processes occurring during EVOO tasting. Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometry coupled to Time-of-Flight (PTR-ToF-MS) analyzer offers the possibility to follow the foodstuff consumption in real time. PTR-ToF-MS was already successfully applied for NS analysis of apples, cereal bars, and coffee. In the present contribution, we report a feasibility study aiming to verify the applicability of NS analysis for the description and discrimination of EVOO individually and with respect to the combination of different food matrices which represent the real ways of EVOO consumption. 

Two Italian EVOOs and three tasting conditions were tested: pure oil, oil combination with tomato sauce and with bread. A panel of 8 assessors (4 females and 4 males) evaluated the 6 products in duplicate. The sampling of NS was carried out by applying an ergonomic glass nosepiece to the nostrils of the judges and connected to the PTR–ToF–MS 8000 (Ionicon Analytik GmbH). 

The individual profiles differed in peak intensity and duration for several masses detected. However, it was possible to distinguish the two types of oils. EVOO on bread showed higher signals intensities for all the subjects while adding tomato sauce decreased the volatile compounds reaching the nose. 

Next step is the coupling of NS analysis with dynamic sensory profiles to study the relationship between VOCs released and sensory perception. The optimized combined methods will be applied to study different EVOO within the project “VIOLIN” (Project AGER2-Rif.2016-0169 funded by Cariplo Foundation), aimed to valorize and promote the PDO Italian EVOO.

Tea is a popular non-alcoholic beverage and is the second largest consumed beverage after water. According to the Chinese National Standard, sensory attributes of tea mouthfeel include astringency, tenderness, thickness, roundness, freshness, sweet aftertaste (Hui Gan in Chinese) and others. Of all these sensory features, Hui Gan is probably one of the most important sensations associated with the premium quality of tea products. It is a delicate sweet sensation perceived after tea drinking, lasts in the mouth and throat and leads to salivation. Despite Hui Gan is a well perceived and appreciated sensory feature by tea consumers, no systematic study has been conducted on the sensation mechanism and assessment of this sensory attribute. In this research, we aimed to develop a standard sensory evaluation protocol to evaluate Hui Gan sensation in tea brews and/or water solutions. Altogether 30 subjects were recruited and trained for tea Hui Gan descriptive tests. A sensory evaluation method for Hui Gan sensation in tea and solutions was established, in which the reference of Hui Gan sensation was firstly identified and its intensity variation was clearly defined. The reliability and validity of the newly developed method were then tested for Hui Gan differentiation in different types of tea. The validity of the method was further tested in solutions to identify associated components or molecules for Hui Gan sensation.

Beyond the intrinsic properties of beverages, their containers can affect sensory perception, as it is known from studies on wine where glass shape can modify aroma release and perception. The impact of cup on coffee perception has never been explored even though cup size, shape and colour largely vary. 

We focused our study on the impact of the diameter (8 cm vs. 10 cm) of two cylindrical white cups on perception of instant coffee (that does not deliver crema). Roles of water volume (100 ml, 150 ml, 200 ml, and 250 ml), powder concentration (0.8%, 1.6%, and 2.4%), and coffee species (Arabica and Robusta) were systematically explored as variables potentially modulating the effect of cup diameter on perception leading to 48 cups. Cups were reconstituted prior to the tasting by the experimenter with 80°C mineral water. Twelve trained panelists evaluated all cups in 6 sessions using a glossary covering colour, aroma (orthonasal and retronasal), taste and texture perception. 

We observed that the larger cup diameter decreased the aroma intensity for low volume (100ml) and low concentration (0.8%), but increased it for high volume (250ml) and high concentration (2.4%). Low volume and low concentration also decreased coffee darkness because the larger bottom of the cup (that is white) attenuated the black colour of the liquid; this might induce lower expectation in aroma intensity and therefore influenced olfactory perception, even with a trained panel. Conversely, for the high volume and high concentration cup, larger air-liquid exchange might have increased aroma release and therefore perceived intensity. These results were observed in both coffee species.

Our findings demonstrate that considering cup diameter and colour is important when interpreting results of sensory and consumer tests.

The high obesity rates and high consumption of processed foods rich in simple carbohydrates, high concentrations of sodium chloride, saturated fats, with low quantity of fiber and with higher energy density creates concern in the Chilean Government for its adverse effects on nutrition, body composition and population health. In that sense, the Government creates a pioneer norm in the World, named warning labels (WL). The novelty of the WL is the black color, size, form (similar to stop sign in transport) and direct messages of the label “high on sugar/salt/calories/fat for population. The WL is a government-regulation toward food enterprise. However, no scientific evidence about the effects of these labels on the food buyers. The objective of the research is to study the effect of WL in the food processed consumption based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. A survey was applied to a sample of 807 interviewees. A structural equation modelling was used in the research. The indicators of goodness of fit were CMIN/DF = 3.0; CFI = 0.971; TLI = 0.964 and RMSEA = 0.050. The main results reveal a negative attitude toward buying processed foods with WL, while the subjective norm and perceived behavioral control had positive effects towards the purchase intension of processed foods. In conclusion, the WL as an attribute of credibility on the package of processed foods, generates a negative attitude in the consumers; which helps to enhance the public policy adopted to reduce the harmful effects of obesity and overweight in the population.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Study financed by Fondecyt iniciacion, project N°11170495

Non-communicable diseases associated with poor eating habits, such as overweight, obesity, and hypertension, continue to be a challenge for the authorities in charge of health. A recent Chilean regulation, called Warning Labels, seeks to prevent and inform the population about processed foods that exceed the levels of critical nutrients. In this way the food producing companies are forced to label the products according to the case, with warnings label that explicitly indicate the high content of sugar, saturated fats, sodium, and/or calories present in the food. In this context, the study analyzes the consumer's decision making, from the perspective of the perceived risk, which can be caused by the warning label on the processed food. Through a convenience sampling, a survey was applied to 807 consumers in the central zone of Chile where the risk dimensions were evaluated. In the first stage of the methodological strategy, a model based on exploratory factor analysis was used, which revealed five dimensions of risk (functional, financial, physical, psychological, and social). Subsequently, through a multinomial regression the weighting of the risk factors in the consumption decision was identified, controlling with sociodemographic variables. The main results show that the physical, psychological and functional risk increase the willingness of consumers to discard food with a warning label. In addition, the male gender and lower educational level decrease the willingness to discard food with a warning label. Therefore, we find evidence on the effect of labeling and its influence on the consumer food choice. This conclusion allows those in charge of the elaboration of public policies to keep in mind the role of these measures and their implications in the field of health.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Study financed by Fondecyt iniciacion, project N°11170495

Technological advances have allowed people from different cultures and economic incomes to have greater access to food that once was out of season or outside of cultural boundaries.   This change has led to an increased potential for people around the world to encounter different foods and experience food neophobia.   While skepticism of new foods had an evolutionary benefit in the past, this danger typically is no longer present for new foods people find in food markets.  Being food neophobic limits the variety of foods one consumes and can compromise nutrition and increase the reliance on fortified foods and/or multivitamins.  An international survey using the Pliner/Hobden neophobia scale conducted with 8,190 consumers across 13 countries (USA, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, UK, Russia, China, India, Japan, Thailand, and Australia) was analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance.  The “global” average neophobia score was 34.5.  We found that people in countries with a high degree of cultural insularity were the most likely to experience neophobia.  Japan had the highest mean score at 38.3%, 10% above the “global” average, while Mexico had the lowest mean score at 32.2, 7% lower than the “global” average. Those consumers over the age of 55 in every country were more likely to express neophobic tendencies.  Respondents with a college degree were less neophobic in all but two countries (Russia and Mexico) compared to those who had only completed high school.  This study gives us a better understanding of food neophobia by looking at the demographic distributions and modulators of food neophobia.

Reformation of traditional sucrose laden food commodities has become an imperative priority for food manufacturers globally. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases related to diet, such as obesity and type II diabetes, has placed responsibility on policy makers to introduce mechanisms of tackling this epidemic. Baked confectionery products (cakes, muffins, biscuits etc.) are consumed by all populations due to their desirable organoleptic properties, which is a concern due to the large volume of refined sugar present in these products.  Hence, reformulation through sucrose reduction/replacement of these products is of major interest. However, previous studies demonstrate a decline in sensory quality of sucrose reduced/ replaced baked confectionery, with aroma and flavour attributes frequently scoring significantly lower on hedonic scales, compared to traditional formulas. It is difficult to fully comprehend how aroma directly influences sensory perception in relation to changes in the raw materials unless the volatile compounds responsible for aroma are interpreted. Gas chromatography-olfactometry is a valuable technique to characterise odour active compounds in a food matrix, and their odour activity threshold, which can help elucidate what is influencing the decline in sensory quality, particularly aroma. To understand why a modulation in key character aroma and flavour attributes takes place, this study was undertaken to understand the impact of sucrose replacement on the aroma profile and flavour perception of sucrose reduced/replaced sponge cakes. Volatile analysis by head-space solid-phase micoextraction (HS-SPME), rapid sensory methods and gas chromatography-olfactometry were used to explore the differences in the aroma and flavour profiles of six sample sponge cakes- control, 70% sucrose, whey protein permeate, apple pomace, polydextrose and oligofructose.

How do consumers rate the current food and beverage products available to them? Do they meet their needs and wants? Where is there room for improvement? Leatherhead’s Consumer Perception Index shows how consumers in the UK, USA, France, China and Brazil rate the products available to them across safety, price, marketing, nutrition and ethics standards. 

While the overarching index score serves in many ways as an endorsement of the products which are currently available on the market, our index shows there are some areas for improvement. With 79% of products on average judged safe for consumption, it is clear that food safety scares can seriously dent consumer confidence. 

Leatherhead’s index also puts a mark in the sand regarding consumer perception of product pricing and the ethical positioning and marketing credentials of products – Leatherhead believes this represents a call from consumers for more transparent messages about their products and an opportunity for the industry to enter into a more open conversation with key opinion formers about the cost and the practicalities of manufacturing products.

From the focus on consumer solutions to co-creation possibilities, Leatherhead will also present guiding principles emerging from Leatherhead’s research to help companies develop products which are a real match with consumer desires.

Positive hedonic response to sweet stimuli is innate, however, not all individuals prefer the same level of sweetness in their foods and beverages. Previous research has shown that based on hedonic responses to a range of sucrose solutions consumers can be classified as Sweet Likers (SL) if their liking ratings increase with increasing sucrose concentration, and Sweet Dislikers (SD) if their liking declines as sweetness increases. Despite increasing interest in Sweet Liking Status (SLS) phenotype, the effect of SLS on emotional response to sweet foods and beverages is less understood. 

In order to address this issue, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of SLS on emotional response and acceptance of milk tea beverages varying in sweetness and fat content. 50 naïve subjects attended two tasting sessions held on separate days. On visit 1, participants were screened for their SLS Phenotype using five sucrose solutions and rated liking for each solution on the Labelled Affective Magnitude Scale (LAM). On visit 2, subjects were invited to taste milk tea beverage samples and rated them for sweetness intensity using the general Labelled Magnitude Scale, liking (LAM), and emotional response (EsSense25). Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) of liking data for sucrose solutions was used to classify SLS phenotype. The impact of SLS on perceived intensity and emotional response to sweetness was analysed by ANOVA.

The impact of SLS phenotype, liking and emotional response to milk tea product of varying fat content will be presented.

Beside many negative effects, climate change is leading to a revolution in the international wine market. Sweden is just an example of a numerous list of upcoming countries, predominantly represented by the production of white wines, where the wine industry has exponentially grown in the last decade. In Sweden, Solaris is the most representative grape cultivar of the local market. However, the understanding of Solaris typicity and its sensory space remains unclear. 

The first objective of the study was to assess the perception of Solaris typicity by a group of seventeen experts (mostly Swedish wine producers). As a second objective, the study intended to characterise the Solaris sensory space. Therefore, a total of twelve wines, integrating five Swedish Solaris wines and seven other white wines from different grape cultivars and origin, were blindly evaluated. Typicity and quality of the twelve wines were rated on a linear scale (0-100). Additionally, the aroma and taste and mouth-feel of the wines were characterised with a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) exercise.  

No significant differences were found for Solaris wine typicity. The wine selection may have influenced the results, but these findings may also indicate the absence of a common perception of what a typical Swedish Solaris wine should smell and taste like. However, Solaris wines were generally perceived as the lower quality wines. The CATA results showed a lower frequency of citation of the fruity descriptors for Solaris wines, which were mostly described as herbaceous, oaky/toasty, astringent, sour and salty. The corresponding cluster analyses revealed three groups, showing two different possible wine styles for Swedish Solaris wines. Thiol analysis will be performed to investigate a possible correlation with the described sensory results. 

The volatile profile and sensory perception of milk produced from cows maintained on 3 feeding systems (grass [GRS], grass/clover [CLV], and total mixed ration [TMR]) were assessed. Previous studies have highlighted that terpenes and carotenoids from diet can potentially impact milk flavour directly as aromatic compounds or indirectly as precursors to other volatile aromatic compounds. Raw milk was collected from 3 different spring-calving herds based at the Teagasc Moorepark dairy farm. Volatile analysis of the milk was undertaken using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GCMS). Ultra-High-Performance-Liquid-Chromatography (UHPLC) MSMS was used to identify isoflavones in milk and feed samples. A full descriptive sensory analyses was undertaken using a trained panel (n=7) with 26 selected attributes (flavour, aroma & visual). ‘Creaminess’, ‘colour’ and ‘hay-like flavour’ were found to be significantly different based on feeding system. Significant differences were also observed in the volatile profile of the milks. Clover feed samples contained higher levels of Biochanin A and Formononetin, the latter of which is known to be metabolised to p-cresol (an important volatile in products produced from grass) in the rumen. Isoflavones identified in milk samples are a result of direct transfer from feed.

It has been argued that bitterness perception not only provokes distaste but also functions as a warning signal because numerous toxins have been associated with a bitter taste. Due to the proposed function of disgust as an emotional rejection of something potentially contagious or distasteful, a connection to bitter taste perception seems reasonable. However, solid support for a relationship between bitter taste perception and disgust sensitivity is still missing. At the same time, disgust sensitivity is known to be influenced by an individuals’ sex. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between perceived bitterness, food disgust sensitivity, and sex. Participants (N = 119, 61 females) completed the 8-item short version of the Food Disgust Scale (FDS short) and a one-solution 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taster test. Based on this test, participants were categorized as PROP non-tasters, medium-tasters, or supertasters. A two-way analysis of variance of between-subject factors, sex (females and males) and PROP taster status (non-tasters, medium-tasters and supertasters), was conducted with food disgust sensitivity as the dependent variable. This revealed a significant interaction effect of sex and PROP taster status on food disgust sensitivity. We found a positive association between food disgust sensitivity and the oral sensation of bitterness in response to PROP in males but not in females. With this, our study added to the available evidence on sex differences in food disgust sensitivity and PROP taste sensitivity.

In an increasingly competitive world, the development of innovative products is the key to the success of industries. In the food sector, there is a great incentive to create new experiences and to awaken new emotions that lead to the differentiation of food products and, consequently, stimulate their purchase. Moreover, knowledge about the process of individual choices and behaviour is of major importance to the food industries and leads more companies around the world to explore the sensory stimulus of the surrounding environment. Thus, the use of sensory analysis is a very important tool. Our aim was to create a panel of semi-trained assessors, the “SensoMarES”, able to measure, analyse and interpret the reactions to the characteristics of fish species, supporting the development of new fish-based food products. Assessors’ recruitment was carried out considering the following factors: good health, non-aversion to products, ability, availability, interest and motivation. The recruited assessors were then evaluated to determine their sensory acuity in discriminating the differences between stimuli (pairing test). In the selection process, a principal components analysis was performed to verify the existence (or not) of an assessor pattern that could be preponderant to delineate its profile/behaviour during the sensory tests. Results showed no relevant pattern regarding to the flavour. However, concerning the aroma there is a statistically significant opposition in the behaviour between men and women. Moreover, candidates who had more than two adjacent errors in the vision test (colour) or exhibited symptoms of colour blindness in the Ishihara test and less than 80% of the maximum score in the matching tests were rejected. Thus, a panel of 32 assessors – “SensoMarES” - was formed from an initial recruitment of 40 people.

Make-up foundations offer a wide variety of colour shades to fulfil consumer needs. However, testing all the colours is time consuming. To understand how colour shade influence the make-up performance is an important step to understand foundation product lines, and to reduce development time and cost. 

Therefore, this study aimed at identifying the effect of foundation colour on make-up result performance, through an Asian descriptive panel. All descriptive panelists’ skin colours and dark spots were similar and representative of Japanese women. For make-up performance, the coverage of dark spots was chosen as the most important attribute for foundations.