Cross-cultural effects of food product familiarity on sensory acceptability and non-invasive physiological responses of consumers

Enhancing functional buffalo yogurt: Improving physicochemical properties, biological activities, and shelf life using marjoram and geranium essential oils

The use of essential oils (EO) has attracted interest in the food industry because of their wide range of beneficial properties. In this study, a new functional yogurt was developed using 2 EO, marjoram and geranium, at 3 different concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% vol/vol). The physicochemical properties, including syneresis, viscosity, pH, and chemical composition; bioactivities, including antioxidant activity, anticancer and antibacterial effects, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC); and sensory characteristics of the developed yogurt were evaluated. The findings indicated that the yogurts fortified with 0.6% marjoram or geranium exhibited higher viscosity and lower syneresis compared with other treatments. The yogurt supplemented with 0.6% marjoram displayed significant antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Escherichia coli. In addition, the yogurt enriched with geranium and marjoram oils at a concentration of 0.6% had notably significant (P < 0.05) higher TFC levels compared with the control sample and other concentrations. In the same context, in terms of TPC, yogurt supplemented with 0.6% marjoram displayed significantly (P < 0.05) elevated levels in comparison to the other samples tested. Yogurt enriched with marjoram oil exhibited noteworthy antioxidant activity, followed by geranium oil, compared with the control samples. The yogurt supplemented with 0.6% marjoram demonstrated strong radical scavenging activity, and the yogurt fortified with 0.6% geranium showed higher anticancer activity against HepG2 human liver carcinoma cells and oxidative stress enzyme activities. Among the various concentrations of EO tested, the yogurts fortified with 0.6% marjoram or geranium EO exhibited the most favorable outcomes, followed by 0.4% marjoram or geranium. To summarize, geranium and marjoram EO can be used as a potential nutritious ingredient and as a natural preservative for milk and related products.

Consumers' familiarity with wine increased their acceptance of pasta sauce containing grape pomace

Grape pomace (GP) is a waste product of the winemaking process and has been proposed as a nutritionally beneficial ingredient, as it contains phenolic compounds, dietary fiber, and antioxidant activity. It can be a polarizing ingredient due to its flavor components. Familiarity has been found to influence consumers' preferences and sensory perception of food. A sensory test was conducted to evaluate the acceptance, sensory perception, and emotional response to pasta sauces containing GP (3% [3GP], 6% [6GP], 9% [9GP] by volume and control without GP addition). The sensory trials included wine consumers (n = 44) and nonconsumers of wine (n = 58) to determine how consumers' familiarity with the flavor properties of GP influenced their perception of the pasta sauce. Overall, the addition of GP decreased the liking scores of the GP-containing sauces, but the wine consumers' hedonic scores for the control, 3GP, and 9GP were significantly higher than the nonconsumers. Both consumer groups identified that the samples with a higher amount of GP addition were associated with sour, bitter, astringency, grainy, and gritty attributes. However, the wine consumers used more positive emotions to describe their emotional response to the GP-containing samples. The study identified that GP led to off-flavors and textures in the pasta sauces. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: GP is currently a waste product, but it has many nutritional benefits. Consumers are increasingly looking for nutritional benefits from their food. When incorporated into pasta sauces, GP decreased the acceptance of the pasta sauce and negatively impacted the flavor and texture. Familiarity has been found to impact consumer acceptance, and wine consumers had a more positive emotional response and higher hedonic scores in response to the GP-containing pasta sauce than nonconsumers of wine.

An investigation into the sensory properties of luffa (Luffa cylindrica (L.)) seeds and a comparison to other seeds (flax, sunflower, chia, and hemp)

Consumers are interested in new sustainable ingredients but are unwilling to accept undesirable sensory properties in their food products. Luffa (Luffa cylindrica) is mainly harvested and processed for its fibrous network, which is used as an exfoliator, while its seeds are usually discarded. However, the seeds have been found to have various nutritional benefits. As such, this study investigated the sensory properties of luffa seed powder added to yogurt and compared it to other seed powder (flax, sunflower, chia, and hemp). Consumers (n = 107) evaluated their liking of the different seeds added to yogurt using hedonic scales and the sensory properties using check-all-that-apply (CATA). The luffa seeds when mixed with yogurt were associated with off-colour, off-flavour, metallic, strong flavour, bitter, salty, earthy and decreased consumer liking. The flax and sunflower seeds were found to be sweet, nutty, cooked, mild flavour, and to have a smooth texture. The overall liking scores for the flax and sunflower seed samples were significantly higher than the luffa and hemp samples. Future studies should investigate different drying and roasting treatments to improve the sensory properties of the luffa seeds.

An investigation into the sensory properties of luffa [Luffa cylindrica (L.)] sap

The seeds and sap of luffa [Luffa cylindrica (L.)] are usually discarded as waste. As such, this study aimed to identify the sensory properties of luffa sap (aqueous solution) and if it can be incorporated into a food item (orange juice) for added nutritional benefits and as an alternative sweetener. A sensory trial (n = 94) asked participants to evaluate a luffa sap sample and five different orange juice samples with increasing amounts of luffa sap (control [0%], 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5%). The participants evaluated the samples using 9-point hedonic scales, check-all-that-apply, and an open-ended comment question. The luffa sap was described as having a mild flavor as well as woody, earthy, and floral attributes and an aftertaste. The liking scores for the orange juice with the 5% luffa sap did not significantly differ from the control. However, as the amount of luffa sap increased above 5%, the liking scores decreased and were significantly different from the control. The orange juice with luffa sap samples (7.5% and above) was associated with off-flavors, while the orange juice with 5% luffa sap and the control were associated with the attributes (sweet, fruity, orange, tropical, citrus) that increased the participants liking. Future studies should continue to investigate the sensory properties of luffa sap and its incorporation into different food products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This is one of the first studies to investigate the sensory properties of luffa sap with participants residing in the Western world. The luffa sap was found to be woody, earthy, bitter, and floral. It was acceptable to add luffa sap to orange juice up to 5% by volume. However, it did not increase the sweetness perception of the orange juice. At a 7.5% luffa sap addition and higher levels, off-flavors were observed in the orange juice.

Comparative Evaluation of the Sensory Qualities of Refined and Wholegrain Rice as Ingredients within Mixed Dishes

Low wholegrain food consumption is a leading dietary risk for avoidable morbidity and mortality globally, with limited sensory acceptability suggested to be a challenge for changing behaviour. This study aimed to evaluate the sensory acceptability of both wholegrain (brown) and refined (white) rice in common preparations. Four brown- and white-rice-containing dishes (Garlic Rice, Rice and Beans, Jollof Rice, and Rice Pudding) were tested. Quantitative (five-point scales) and qualitative (open question responses) sensory information were collected for dish appearance, aroma, taste, and texture. All four characteristics were scored equally acceptable in Rice and Beans and Rice Pudding (p > 0.05) between paired comparisons for brown and white rice. Scores were significantly lower for all characteristics for Jollof Rice (p ≤ 0.002), and lower for Aroma (median (lower quartile-upper quartile)) for brown (3.5 (3-4)) vs. white rice (4 (4-5)), p = 0.006). Appearance (brown (3 (3-4)) vs. white rice (4 (3.25-5)), p = 0.012), and Texture (brown 3 (2.25-4) vs. white rice (4 (4-5)), p < 0.001) for Garlic Rice. Familiarity and appealingness were qualitative themes aligned with the higher acceptability of white-rice-containing dishes. Certain dishes appear to mask key negative sensory attributes of wholegrain foods, possibly representing a means to increase wholegrain ingredient acceptability, thereby potentially improving individual/population-level intake.

The N270 as an index of consumer commodity color preference in the S1-S2 paradigm

Introduction

Affective decision-making is a prominent topic in consumer psychology research, with its core assumption being that consumers tend to purchase brands and commodities they like. However, the reasons behind why we develop emotional responses of liking or disliking toward certain commodities, as well as what the underlying neural mechanisms are, remain largely unknown.

Methods

This study utilized the S1-S2 paradigm in an experiment wherein S1 presented 12 types of commodities and S2 displayed 48 distinct colored squares. Participants were instructed to assess whether they "Like" or "Dislike" the commodity in S1, which was colored with the S2 color. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were obtained during the reaction process and subsequently analyzed to examine the components of S2-induced event-related potentials (ERPs).

Results

The analysis revealed that S2 elicited a significant N270 in the prefrontal scalp area under both the "Like" and "Dislike" conditions. Interestingly, the amplitude of the N270 was significantly higher during the "Dislike" condition compared to the "Like" condition.

Discussion

The N270 component was shown to reflect the conflict in physical attributes between S1 and S2, as well as the conflict between commodity and color. This highlights the potential utility of this component as an objective EEG indicator of consumer commodity color preferences in future marketing research.

Identification of Aroma-active Compounds in Milk by GC×GC-O-TOF-MS Combined with Check-all-that-apply

Understanding consumers' sensory preferences for dairy products is essential. This study employed sensory analysis and instrumental techniques to analyze the flavor of pasteurized milk and ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk. There were 6 milk samples with similar fat content (4.0-4.6 g/100mL) and protein content (3.2-3.8 g/100mL). Sensory data from consumer tests was collected using CATA (n = 100) and 9-point hedonic preferences. Research showed that Chinese consumers could distinguish the flavor of the 2 types of milk, and UHT milk showed a higher preference score, which may be due to the more pronounced milky flavor and sweet taste of UHT milk. A total of 48 aroma-active compounds were sniffed through GC × GC-O-TOF-MS, among which 11 were determined as key aroma-active compounds. Correlation analysis showed that milky odor, sweetness, and aftertaste-milky were positively correlated with γ-dodecalactone and γ-nonanolactone. Cooked and oxidized taste were positively correlated with 1-octen-3-ol and E-2-octenal. This study is important for developing Chinese dairy products and exporting dairy products to China by multinational companies.

Sensory Attributes Driving Preference for Wild Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) Leaves Tasted as a Single Ingredient and as a Part of a Recipe

Two cultivars of wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), cv. Denver and Marte, were subjected to chemical determination of flavour-related constituents, sensory descriptive analysis, and measurement of liking by consumer test. Consumers evaluated rocket leaves both as a single ingredient and in a recipe formed by a roll of bresaola with also Grana Padano cheese. Sensory analyses showed that Marte was characterized by a more intense bitterness, hotness, and pungency, which corresponded to a higher total GSL content, mainly due to a higher level of dimeric 4-mercaptobutyl GSL. Five clusters of consumers were identified based on their liking scores. When tasting rocket leaves as a single ingredient, three clusters showed a higher liking for the milder cultivar, one cluster showed an opposite preference, while flavour attributes, such as bitterness and hotness, appeared as the main drivers of liking. Differences in liking were no longer found between the two cultivars when rocket leaves were evaluated in the recipe. Therefore, as rocket leaves are generally consumed as a part of a recipe with other ingredients instead of as a single ingredient, in the assessment of consumer preferences, it should not be neglected the influence of the way in which the product is consumed.

Dairy Matrix Effects: Physicochemical Properties Underlying a Multifaceted Paradigm

When food products are often considered only as a source of individual nutrients or a collection of nutrients, this overlooks the importance of interactions between nutrients, but also interactions between nutrients and other constituents of food, i.e., the product matrix. This product matrix, which can be defined as 'The components of the product, their interactions, their structural organization within the product and the resultant physicochemical properties of the product', plays a critical role in determining important product properties, such as product stability, sensory properties and nutritional and health outcomes. Such matrix effects can be defined as 'the functional outcome of specific component(s) as part of a specific product matrix'. In this article, dairy matrix effects are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the nutrition and health impact of dairy products. Such matrix effects are critical in explaining many effects of milk and dairy products on human nutrition and health that cannot be explained solely based on nutrient composition. Examples hereof include the low glycemic responses of milk and dairy products, the positive impact on dental health, the controlled amino acid absorption and the absence of CVD risk despite the presence of saturated fatty acids. Particularly, the changes occurring in the stomach, including, e.g., coagulation of casein micelles and creaming of aggregated fat globules, play a critical role in determining the kinetics of nutrient release and absorption.

Resveratrol-loaded octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch emulsions and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) microparticles: Cytotoxicity and antioxidant bioactivity assessment after in vitro digestion

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-based microparticles and modified starch emulsions (OSA-MS) were loaded with resveratrol and characterized regarding their physicochemical and thermal properties. Both delivery systems were subject to an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion to assess the bioaccessibility of resveratrol. In addition, cell-based studies were conducted after in vitro digestion and cytotoxicity and oxidative stress were assessed. HPMC-based microparticles displayed higher average sizes (d) and lower polydispersity index (PDI) (d = 948 nm, PDI < 0.2) when compared to OSA-MS-based emulsions (d = 217 nm, PDI < 0.3). Both proved to protect resveratrol under digestive conditions, leading to an increase in bioaccessibility. Resveratrol-loaded HPMC-microparticles showed a higher bioaccessibility (56.7 %) than resveratrol-loaded emulsions (19.7 %). Digested samples were tested in differentiated co-cultures of Caco-2 and HT29-MTX, aiming at assessing cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, and a lack of cytotoxicity was observed for all samples. Results displayed an increasing antioxidant activity, with 1.6-fold and 1.4-fold increases over the antioxidant activity of free resveratrol, for HPMC-microparticles and OSA-MS nanoemulsions, respectively. Our results offer insight into physiological relevancy due to assessment post-digestion and highlight the protection that the use of micro-nano delivery systems can confer to resveratrol and their potential to be used as functional food ingredients capable of providing antioxidant benefits upon consumption.

Associations of food motives with red meat and legume consumption in the population-based DILGOM study

PURPOSE

To improve human health and environmental sustainability, red meat consumption should decrease and legume consumption increase in diets. More information on food motives, however, is required when developing more tailored and effective interventions targeting legume and meat consumption. We aimed to examine the associations between food motives and red meat and legume consumption, and whether these associations differ between different subgroups (gender, age groups, marital status, education, BMI).

METHODS

Ten food motives (health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price-cheap, price-value, weight control, familiarity and ethical concern measured with Food Choice Questionnaire) were studied in 3079 Finnish adults in the population-based DILGOM study. Food consumption was assessed with Food Frequency Questionnaire. The adjusted estimates from multivariable regression models are reported.

RESULTS

Higher relative importance of natural content (β = - 0.275, 95% CI - 0.388; - 0.162) and ethical concern (β = - 0.462, 95% CI - 0.620; - 0.305) were associated with lower red meat consumption, and higher appreciation of sensory appeal (β = 0.482, 95% CI 0.347; 0.616) and price-cheap (β = 0.190, 95% CI 0.099; 0.281) with higher red meat consumption. Higher importance of health (β = 0.608, 95% CI 0.390; 0.825) was associated with higher legume consumption, and higher appreciation of convenience (β = - 0.401, 95% CI - 0.522; - 0.279), price-value (β = - 0.257, 95% CI - 0.380; - 0.133) and familiarity (β = - 0.278, 95% CI - 0.393; - 0.164) with lower legume consumption. The associations of particularly ethical concern, weight control, sensory appeal and mood varied according to gender, age, marital status or BMI.

CONCLUSION

The development and implementation of actions to decrease red meat and increase legume consumption should focus on several food motives across different subgroups.

Recent advances in oral delivery systems of resveratrol: foreseeing their use in functional foods

Herein, we review the current state-of-the-art on the use of micro- and nano-delivery systems, a possible solution to some of the drawbacks associated with the incorporation of resveratrol in foods. Specifically, we present an overview of a wide range of micro-nanostructures, namely, lipidic and polymeric, used for the delivery of resveratrol. Also, the gastrointestinal fate of resveratrol-loaded micro-nanostructures, as a critical parameter for their use as functional food, is explored in terms of stability, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability. Different micro-nanostructures are of interest for the development of functional foods given that they can provide different advantages and properties to these foods and even be tailor-made to address specific issues (e.g., controlled or targeted release). Therefore, we discuss a wide range of micro-nanostructures, namely, lipidic and polymeric, used to deliver resveratrol and aimed at the development of functional foods. It has been reported that the use of some production methodologies can be of greater interest than others, for example, emulsification, solvent displacement and electrohydrodynamic processing (EHDP) enable a greater increase in bioaccessibility. Additionally, the use of coatings facilitates further improvements in bioaccessibility, which is likely due to the increased gastric stability of the coated micro-nanostructures. Other properties, such as mucoadhesion, can also help improve bioaccessibility due to the increase in gut retention time. Additionally, cytotoxicity (e.g., biocompatibility, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory) and possible sensorial impact of resveratrol-loaded micro- and nano-systems in foods are highlighted.

Review of technology advances to assess rice quality traits and consumer perception

The increase in rice consumption and demand for high-quality rice is impacted by the growth of socioeconomic status in developing countries and consumer awareness of the health benefits of rice consumption. The latter aspects drive the need for rapid, low-cost, and reliable quality assessment methods to produce high-quality rice according to consumer preference. This is important to ensure the sustainability of the rice value chain and, therefore, accelerate the rice industry toward digital agriculture. This review article focuses on the measurements of the physicochemical and sensory quality of rice, including new and emerging technology advances, particularly in the development of low-cost, non-destructive, and rapid digital sensing techniques to assess rice quality traits and consumer perceptions. In addition, the prospects for potential applications of emerging technologies (i.e., sensors, computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence) to assess rice quality and consumer preferences are discussed. The integration of these technologies shows promising potential in the forthcoming to be adopted by the rice industry to assess rice quality traits and consumer preferences at a lower cost, shorter time, and more objectively compared to the traditional approaches.

Development, sensitivity and reliability of a French version of the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ-fr) for the evaluation of food preferences and reward

BACKGROUND

. There is a growing global interest in the evaluation of food reward, necessitating the adaptation of culturally appropriate instruments for use in empirical studies. This work presents the development and validation of a culturally adapted French version of the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ-fr).

METHODS

. The LFPQ-fr was developed and validated in healthy-weight adults using the following systematic approach: i) selection and validation of appropriate food pictures; ii) linguistic translation of liking and wanting constructs in the target population (n=430; 81% female; 42.2 ± 12.7 years); iii) validation of the sensitivity and reliability of the task performed in a fasted state and in response to a standardized test meal (n=50; 50% female; 30.0 ± 8.4 years).

RESULTS

. During the first and second phases, the nutritional and perceptual validation of culturally appropriate food pictures and pertinent reward constructs, respectively, was demonstrated in a healthy-weight French sample. Findings from the third phase indicated that all food reward components were sensitive to the test meal and showed moderate to high agreement in both fasted (Lin's CCC =.72-.94) and fed (Lin's CCC = .53-.80) appetitive states between visit 1 (V1) and visit (V2). Except for explicit liking fat bias, all primary outcomes were statistically consistent in fasted and fed states between V1 and V2. Changes in fat and taste biases in response to a standardized meal for all primary outcomes were also consistent between V1 and V2 except for explicit liking fat bias (Lin's CCC = .49- .72).

CONCLUSION

. The LFPQ-fr developed and tested in this study is a reproducible and reliable method to assess food reward in both the fasted and fed states in a healthy-weight French population.

Comparing consumer liking of beef from three feeding systems using a combination of traditional and temporal liking sensory methods

Research on the effects of animal diet on consumer liking of beef has yielded conflicting results. Currently it is unknown whether dynamic changes occur in liking during consumption of beef. This study applied a combination of traditional and temporal (free and structured) liking methods to determine consumer liking of beef derived from animals that were fed grain (GF), grass silage plus grain (SG) or grazed grass (GG) during finishing. Three separate panels of beef eating consumers (n = 51; n = 52; n = 50) were recruited from Teagasc Food Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland to assess striploin steaks from animals fed either GF, SG, or GG. Using the free temporal liking (TL) method, results revealed that beef from GF animals was liked significantly less (p ≤ 0.05) in terms of overall liking, tenderness and juiciness, when compared to steaks from the SG and GG animals. These effects were not observed using the structured TL or traditional liking methods. Further analysis showed the evolution of scores over time was significant (p ≤ 0.05) for all attributes using the free TL method. Overall, the free TL method yielded more discriminative data and was perceived as easier to perform by consumers compared to the structured TL method. These results show that the free TL method may provide an opportunity to elicit more in-depth information regarding consumer sensory response to meat.

From the exotic to the everyday: The Avocado crossing borders via cyberspace

With the globalization of food sales and consumption, exotic foods are now regularly crossing geographical and cultural borders and moving into local areas. This process is attracting ever-increasing attention from academics. Taking avocado consumption presented on Sina Weibo as an example, this research analyzes avocado related user-generated content on Sina Weibo over three years- 2013, 2015, and 2017- and employs topic modeling and semantic network methods to obtain the mechanism by which exotic food cross borders to appear in local consumers' daily food choices. Two specific links are explored: online information dissemination and offline daily consumption. The result indicates that a selective geographical narrative and framework for avocado information influence local consumers' choice of exotic foods according to three aspects: edibility, accessibility, and acceptability. For local consumers, the avocado is now connected with local objects and spaces, gradually transforming from a novelty to functional daily food and from low to high-frequency consumption to high-frequency consumption, escaping the marginal and penetrating into the core cultural context and completing the process of embedment into the everyday. This study refutes the assertion that "globalized diets bring about homogenized diets," explores the mechanism of influence by which information dissemination in cyberspace affects cultural borders, complements the study of food consumption in Southern countries, and provides new thoughts on the theoretical and practical exploration of food globalization from the perspective of food geography.

Development of Chinese food picture library for inducing food cravings

Cue-induced food cravings are strong desires directed toward specific foods, usually ones with high caloric content, and can lead to overeating. However, although food cravings vary according to individual preferences for specific high-calorie food subtypes, a structured library of food craving-inducing pictures including multiple categories of high-calorie foods does not yet exist. Here, we developed and validated a picture library of Chinese foods (PLCF) consisting of five subtypes of high-calorie foods (i.e., sweets, starches, salty foods, fatty foods, and sugary drinks) to allow for more nuanced future investigations in food craving research, particularly in Chinese cultural contexts. We collected 100 food images representing these five subtypes, with four food items per subtype depicted in five high-resolution photographs each. We recruited 241 individuals with overweight or obesity to rate the food pictures based on craving, familiarity, valence, and arousal dimensions. Of these participants, 213 reported the severity of problematic eating behaviors as a clinical characteristic. Under the condition of mixing multiple subtypes of high-calorie foods, we did not observe significant differences in craving ratings for high- and low-calorie food images (p _tukey > 0.05). Then, we compared each subtype of high-calorie food images to low-calorie ones, and found craving ratings were greater for the images of salty foods and sugary drinks (ps < 0.05). Furthermore, we conducted a subgroup analysis of individuals according to whether they did or did not meet the criteria for food addiction (FA) and found that greater cravings induced by the images of high-calorie food subtypes (i.e., salty foods and sugary drinks) only appeared in the subgroup that met the FA criteria. The results show that the PLCF is practical for investigating food cravings.

Cross-Cultural Differences in the Perception of Lamb between New Zealand and Chinese Consumers in New Zealand

This study investigated differences between general New Zealand consumers and ethnic Chinese consumers living in New Zealand regarding the importance of lamb attributes at the point of purchase and opinions of New Zealand lamb. A central location test survey was undertaken with 156 New Zealand consumers living in Dunedin, New Zealand, and 159 Chinese consumers living in Auckland, New Zealand. In terms of importance at the point of purchase, Chinese consumers rated a number of attributes as more important than New Zealand consumers by a difference of >1.0 on a 9-point Likert scale for importance: animal origin, feeding, age, presence of hormones/residues, traceability, food safety, place of purchase, brand/quality label, and label information (p < 0.05). New Zealand consumers rated the price of other meats and animal welfare as more important than Chinese consumers (p < 0.05); however, the differences in scores were <1.0. In terms of opinions, Chinese consumers also considered New Zealand lamb to be better value for money, more additive-free, and more likely to make people feel good (p < 0.05), by scores >1.0 on a 7-point Likert scale for agreement. New Zealand consumers considered New Zealand lamb more traditional and boring (p < 0.05); however, the differences in scores were <1.0.

A preliminary study on the impact of contextual information regarding the origin of food on consumers’ judgments and skin conductance responses

Explicit and implicit responses to food and beverage are known to be modulated by expectations generated by contextual factors. Among these, labelling regarding the country of origin has been systematically shown to impact on consumers' evaluations of products. However, it is not clear yet whether the presence of food origin biases also affects humans’ physiological (i.e., implicit) responses, as well as whether different conditions of sensory appreciation of products are equally influenced. The present preliminary study investigated the psychophysiological responses to food samples paired to labels of declared (i.e., Italy, Spain/Germany, EU) or undeclared origins. Food items (i.e., olives and cracker) were presented in visual or taste conditions to thirty Italian participants, whose behavioral (i.e., liking, willingness to buy, and estimated cost) and physiological (i.e., skin conductance responses) responses were collected. The results indicated that the food samples elicited stronger liking and willingness to buy responses by participants and were estimated as more expensive, when being firstly experienced through vision than taste. No differences in the physiological arousal state were found as a function of food origin or sensory condition of presentation.

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Explicit choices related to food are modulated by expectation generated by contextual factors.

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Labelling regarding the country-of-origin impacts the consumer evaluations of products.

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The study investigated the behavioral and psychophysiological responses to food products comparing different labelling.

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Food items were presented in visual or taste conditions.

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The sensory modalities and the labeling information affect the behavioral choice (but not the physiological response).

Consumer Perception of Milk and Plant-Based Alternatives Added to Coffee

Consumers have begun to use plant-based alternatives (PBAs) in their coffee instead of dairy products. PBAs can include soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, and hemp milk. The objective of this study was to investigate consumer acceptability and sensory perception of coffee with added dairy milk and added oat, soy, and almond PBAs. Consumers (n = 116) that frequently add milk to their coffee (n= 58) and consumers that usually use PBAs (n = 58) were recruited to participate in the study. They evaluated four different coffee samples with the addition of dairy milk as well as soy, almond, and oat PBAs. Overall, the consumers liking increased when they perceived sweetness in their coffee. The plant consumers (usually added PBAs to their coffee) liked the milk addition significantly less than the dairy consumers (usually added dairy to their coffee). In addition, the plant consumers were able to differentiate between the almond and soy PBAs, while the dairy consumers grouped them together. More studies need to be completed to investigate a wider range of PBAs, dairy products, and varieties of coffee.

Do Consumers Want Seaweed in Their Food? A Study Evaluating Emotional Responses to Foods Containing Seaweed

Seaweeds are nutrient-dense marine organisms that have been proposed as a key ingredient to produce new functional foods. This study's first objective was to identify consumers' emotional responses and purchase intent towards a variety of food products containing seaweed. The secondary objective was to evaluate how hunger status and lifestyle affect consumers' emotional responses. Participants (n = 108) were asked to evaluate pictures of different food items containing seaweed (beef burger, cheddar cheese, fettuccine, fish filet, sausage, bread, yogurt, and dried seaweed) using the CATA variant of EsSense25 Profile® and a purchase-intent scale. The consumers also answered questions about their hunger status, food neophobia, food-related lifestyle, as well as open-ended comment questions about seaweed. Participants' purchase-intent scores were highest for bread and dried seaweed, which they associated with positive emotions. The participants disliked yogurt and sausage, indicating that they were disgusted with them. Participants believed seaweed could be added to fish, savoury, and cereal grains-based foods. The participants' hunger status as well as their food neophobia and lifestyle impacted their emotional responses. Future research should continue to investigate how emotions affect purchase intent, how participant's hunger status affects their emotions, and how participants' lifestyle changes how they perceive new food products.

Tartary Buckwheat: A New Plant-Based Ingredient to Enrich Corn-Based Gluten-Free Formulations

Tartary buckwheat is a pseudocereal receiving increasing attention as a minor crop interesting for agrobiodiversity conservation and sustainability. It is rich in bioactive substances which, however, may lead to sensory properties undesirable to the consumer, such as bitterness and astringency. The aim was to evaluate consumers' perception and overall liking of food products enriched with tartary or common buckwheat. A total of 120 consumers (56% women) aged 20-60 years (mean age ± SD: 38.8 ± 13.0 years) evaluated six samples of a corn-based gluten-free formulation enriched by increasing concentrations (20%, 30%, 40%) of either common (CB) or tartary buckwheat (TB) flour for overall liking and appropriateness of sensory properties. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.0001) in liking among samples. Considering all subjects, liking decreased with the increase of tartary buckwheat additions, although TB20 and TB30 samples were well accepted and comparable to all CB samples. TB40 was the least liked product. Two clusters of consumers showing opposite behaviours according to liking were found. One cluster (30%) showed an increased liking with the increasing amount of tartary buckwheat. These results show that by keeping the concentration of tartary buckwheat up to 30%, it is possible to develop new products accepted by consumers.

Effect of three post-harvest methods and roasting degree on sensory profile of Turkish coffee assessed by Turkish and Brazilian panelists

BACKGROUND

This study was carried out in order to investigate the role of post-harvest methods and roasting degree on the sensory profile of Turkish coffees and to compare the results between two sensory panels: Turkey and Brazil. Bourbon variety of Arabica coffee beans processed by three different post-harvest methods (natural, pulped natural and fully washed) and roasted at three different roasting degrees (light, medium and dark).

RESULTS

Ground coffee in powder size was heated with cold water and prepared in a Turkish coffee machine. Twenty assessors - ten Turkish and ten Brazilian - were selected and trained to assess 20 flavor attributes of nine Turkish coffee samples. Sensory evaluation results showed that the effects of roasting method on flavor development were perceived more dominantly than effects of post-harvest methods. For the first time, this study highlighted the sensory analysis of Turkish coffees assessed by Turkish and Brazilian assessors.

CONCLUSION

Turkish coffee flavor profiles were significantly influenced by roasting method and no significant effects of post-harvest method were observed. Sensorial properties of Turkish coffee were affected by several factors, such as geographical origin and techniques used for preparation of coffee beans, cultural tradition, lifestyle, social behavior and habit. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Effect of Carbonation Level on the Acceptability and Purchase Intent of Muscadine and Fruit Wines

Carbonation is a value-added process that can affect the mouthfeel, perception of volatile compounds, perception of sweetness, and ultimately if a consumer likes a wine. While much work has been completed on traditional varieties of sparkling wine, little research has been completed on niche market wines such as muscadine and fruit wines, which make up a large percentage of wines produced in the Southeastern USA. The objective of this research was to create and evaluate force-carbonated sparkling wine at five carbonation levels. Five finished wines from Florida wineries were obtained, then assessed for the sugar and alcohol content. Each wine was carbonated and then presented to consumers for sensory evaluation (n = 68–89 per evaluation). The questionnaire assessed the perceived sweetness, preference, liking, purchase intent, and comments of each sample. The data illustrated participants consistently preferred the carbonated samples over the noncarbonated sample. The data indicates a roughly even distribution of preference between the four carbonation levels. The data also showed statistically significant differences between the original wine and the carbonated varieties with respect to liking, preference, and purchase intent, which was supported by the consumer’s comments for the most preferred and least preferred samples. Overall, this research serves to impact the wine industry by identifying how carbonation levels affect the acceptability of niche wine varieties, and allows winemakers to successfully expand, diversify, and increase the product portfolio for wineries.

Understanding preferences for, and consumer behavior toward, cheese among a cohort of young, educated, internationally mobile Chinese consumers

This study explores the experiences of a cohort of young, educated, internationally mobile Chinese consumers with cheese and other dairy products, and how these experiences shape their behavior toward cheese products. In total, 41 Chinese students studying at an Irish university participated in 5 focus groups (n = 41, n = 7-10). Thematic analysis identified important factors that influence consumer behaviors regarding cheese products. Individuals' expectations toward cheese were embedded in their knowledge structures, which were constructed from previous experience. Participants had general positive expectations toward cheese due to associations with western-style foods and nostalgia; however, direct eating experience determined long-term behavior. When making a purchase decision, choice motives were weighed and negotiated to establish a fundamental driving factor for purchase. Perceived probability of choice motive fulfillment was important in determining purchase decisions, with many participants having low perceived ability to select cheese and limited motivation to engage with cheese due to limited perceived relevance of cheese to their daily food life. Individuals' innovativeness was an important factor that influences their openness to cheese products when moving beyond familiar foods. Opportunities exist such as using nostalgic cues as marketing tools to increase consumers' interest in cheese or combining cheese with Chinese food to increase perceived relevance of cheese to their daily food life. Providing information at point of purchase could reduce the disconnect between expectation and actual experience, and innovative cheese products may be developed to better fulfill important choice motives.

A 3D Food Printing Process for the New Normal Era: A Review

Owing to COVID-19, the world has advanced faster in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, along with the 3D printing technology that has achieved innovation in personalized manufacturing. Three-dimensional printing technology has been utilized across various fields such as environmental fields, medical systems, and military materials. Recently, the 3D food printer global market has shown a high annual growth rate and is a huge industry of approximately one billion dollars. Three-dimensional food printing technology can be applied to various food ranges based on the advantages of designing existing food to suit one’s taste and purpose. Currently, many countries worldwide produce various 3D food printers, developing special foods such as combat food, space food, restaurants, floating food, and elderly food. Many people are unaware of the utilization of the 3D food printing technology industry as it is in its early stages. There are various cases using 3D food printing technology in various parts of the world. Three-dimensional food printing technology is expected to become a new trend in the new normal era after COVID-19. Compared to other 3D printing industries, food 3D printing technology has a relatively small overall 3D printing utilization and industry size because of problems such as insufficient institutionalization and limitation of standardized food materials for 3D food printing. In this review, the current industrial status of 3D food printing technology was investigated with suggestions for the improvement of the food 3D printing market in the new normal era.

Carbonated emotions: Consumers' sensory perception and emotional response to carbonated and still fruit juices

The global carbonated beverage market is large, and consumers like the oral irritation (ex. burning or prickling) associated with carbonated beverages. This study's first objective was to identify the effect of carbonation on consumers' liking and sensory perception of fruit juices (apple, cherry, and blueberry). The secondary aim was to evaluate consumers' emotional responses to carbonated fruit juices. The first trial asked consumers (n = 103) to use check-all-that-apply (CATA) and nine-point hedonic scales to evaluate six fruit juices (three carbonated and three non-carbonated). In the second trial, consumers (n = 107) were asked to evaluate the pictures of the same juices using the CATA variant of EsSense25 Profile® and a purchase intent scale. The consumers were also asked to identify what they like and dislike about carbonated beverages using an open-ended comment question. The first trial demonstrated that flavour significantly affected the overall liking scores but also identified that carbonation increased the overall liking of the blueberry and apple juices (p < 0.05). In the emotional response trial, the participants did not separate the samples based on carbonation, but rather separated the blueberry juices from the cherry and apple juices. The penalty lift analysis identified that when positive emotions were selected, the participants' purchase intent increased. Lastly, the consumers identified they like mouthfeel and flavour-enhancing qualities of carbonated beverages and associated them with special events. However, the participants disliked beverages that are too carbonated or flat and associated carbonated beverages with negative physical sensations and health perceptions. Overall, the flavour was more important than if the beverage was carbonated or not and purchase intent scores increased when positive emotions were perceived. Future research should investigate how emotions affect purchase intent, how participant's familiarity affects the emotions they select and evaluate how carbonation affects other beverages.

Application of Augmented Reality in the Sensory Evaluation of Yogurts

Augmented reality (AR) applications in the food industry are considered innovative to enrich the interactions among consumers, food products, and context. The study aimed to investigate the effects of AR environments on the sensory responses of consumers towards different yogurts. AR HoloLens headsets were used to set up two AR environments: (1) AR coconut view (ARC) and (2) AR dairy view (ARD). Hedonic ratings, just-about-right (JAR), check-all-that-apply (CATA) attribute terms, emotional responses, purchase intent, and consumer purchasing behaviors of three types of yogurts (dairy-free coconut, dairy, and mixed) were measured under ARC, ARD, and sensory booths (SB). The results showed that the liking scores of dairy and mixed yogurts were generally higher than the coconut yogurt regardless of the environment. The interaction effect of yogurts and environments was statistically significant in terms of appearance, taste/flavor, sweetness, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and overall liking. JAR and penalty analysis revealed that consumers penalized the coconut yogurt for being “too much” in sourness, “too little” in sweetness, and “too thin” in mouthfeel. For the CATA analysis, attribute terms positively associated with overall liking (such as “sweet”, “smooth”, and “creamy”) were selected for dairy and mixed yogurts, whereas the attribute terms negatively associated with overall liking (such as “firm”, “heavy”, and “astringent”) were only selected for coconut yogurts. Regarding yogurt-consumption behaviors, the purchase intent of dairy and mixed yogurts was higher than that of the coconut yogurt, and taste and health were considered to be the most critical factors for yogurt consumption.

Measuring Implicit Approach-Avoidance Tendencies towards Food Using a Mobile Phone outside the Lab

Implicit ('unconscious') approach-avoidance tendencies towards stimuli can be measured using the Approach Avoidance Task (AAT). We recently expanded a toolbox for analyzing the raw data of a novel, mobile version of the AAT (mAAT), that asks participants to move their phone towards their face (pull) or away (push) in response to images presented on the phone. We here tested the mAAT reaction time and the mAAT distance in a study with 71 Dutch participants that were recruited online and performed an experiment without coming to the laboratory. The participants used both the mAAT and (explicit) rating scales to respond to photographic images of food. As hypothesized, the rated wanting, rated valence and mAAT reaction time indicated a preference for palatable over unpalatable food, and for Dutch over Asian food. Additionally, as expected, arousal was rated higher for unpalatable than for palatable food, and higher for Dutch than for Asian food. The mAAT distance indicated that the unpalatable food images were moved across larger distances, regardless of the movement direction (pull or push), compared to the palatable food images; and the Dutch food images were moved across larger distances than the Asian food images. We conclude that the mAAT can be used to implicitly probe approach-avoidance motivation for complex images in the food domain. The new measure of mAAT distance may be used as an implicit measure of arousal. The ratings and the mAAT measures do not reflect the exact same information and may complement each other. Implicit measures, such as mAAT variables, are particularly valuable when response biases that can occur when using explicit ratings are expected.

Differences in Hedonic Responses, Facial Expressions and Self-Reported Emotions of Consumers Using Commercial Yogurts: A Cross-Cultural Study

Hedonic scale testing is a well-accepted methodology for assessing consumer perceptions but is compromised by variation in voluntary responses between cultures. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) methods using emotion terms or emojis and facial expression recognition (FER) are emerging as more powerful tools for consumer sensory testing as they may offer improved assessment of voluntary and involuntary responses, respectively. Therefore, this experiment compared traditional hedonic scale responses for overall liking to (1) CATA emotions, (2) CATA emojis and (3) FER. The experiment measured voluntary and involuntary responses from 62 participants of Asian (53%) versus Western (47%) origin, who consumed six divergent yogurt formulations (Greek, drinkable, soy, coconut, berry, cookies). The hedonic scales could discriminate between yogurt formulations but could not distinguish between responses across the cultural groups. Aversive responses to formulations were the easiest to characterize for all methods; the hedonic scale was the only method that could not characterize differences in cultural preferences, with CATA emojis displaying the highest level of discrimination. In conclusion, CATA methods, particularly the use of emojis, showed improved characterization of cross-cultural preferences of yogurt formulations compared to hedonic scales and FER.

Texture-Modified Food for Dysphagic Patients: A Comprehensive Review

Food texture is a major food quality parameter. The physicochemical properties of food changes when processed in households or industries, resulting in modified textures. A better understanding of these properties is important for the sensory and textural characteristics of foods that target consumers of all ages, from children to the elderly, especially when food product development is considered for dysphagia. Texture modifications in foods suitable for dysphagic patients will grow as the numbers of elderly citizens increase. Dysphagia management should ensure that texture-modified (TM) food is nutritious and easy to swallow. This review addresses how texture and rheology can be assessed in the food industry by placing particular emphasis on dysphagia. It also discusses how the structure of TM food depends not only on food ingredients, such as hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and thickening and gelling agents, but also on the applied processing methods, including microencapsulation, microgels as delivery systems, and 3D printing. In addition, we address how to modify texture for individuals with dysphagia in all age groups, and highlight different strategies to develop appropriate food products for dysphagic patients.

Trends in functional food development with three-dimensional (3D) food printing technology: prospects for value-added traditionally processed food products

One of the recent, innovative, and digital food revolutions gradually gaining acceptance is three-dimensional food printing (3DFP), an additive technique used to develop products, with the possibility of obtaining foods with complex geometries. Recent interest in this technology has opened the possibilities of complementing existing processes with 3DFP for better value addition. Fermentation and malting are age-long traditional food processes known to improve food value, functionality, and beneficial health constituents. Several studies have demonstrated the applicability of 3D printing to manufacture varieties of food constructs, especially cereal-based, from root and tubers, fruit and vegetables as well as milk and milk products, with potential for much more value-added products. This review discusses the extrusion-based 3D printing of foods and the major factors affecting the process development of successful edible 3D structures. Though some novel food products have emanated from 3DFP, considering the beneficial effects of traditional food processes, particularly fermentation and malting in food, concerted efforts should also be directed toward developing 3D products using substrates from these conventional techniques. Such experimental findings will significantly promote the availability of minimally processed, affordable, and convenient meals customized in complex geometric structures with enhanced functional and nutritional values.

Analysis of facial expressions in response to basic taste stimuli using artificial intelligence to predict perceived hedonic ratings

Taste stimuli can induce a variety of physiological reactions depending on the quality and/or hedonics (overall pleasure) of tastants, for which objective methods have long been desired. In this study, we used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to analyze facial expressions with the aim of assessing its utility as an objective method for the evaluation of food and beverage hedonics compared with conventional subjective (perceived) evaluation methods. The face of each participant (10 females; age range, 21–22 years) was photographed using a smartphone camera a few seconds after drinking 10 different solutions containing five basic tastes with different hedonic tones. Each image was then uploaded to an AI application to achieve outcomes for eight emotions (surprise, happiness, fear, neutral, disgust, sadness, anger, and embarrassment), with scores ranging from 0 to 100. For perceived evaluations, each participant also rated the hedonics of each solution from –10 (extremely unpleasant) to +10 (extremely pleasant). Based on these, we then conducted a multiple linear regression analysis to obtain a formula to predict perceived hedonic ratings. The applicability of the formula was examined by combining the emotion scores with another 11 taste solutions obtained from another 12 participants of both genders (age range, 22–59 years). The predicted hedonic ratings showed good correlation and concordance with the perceived ratings. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a model that enables the prediction of hedonic ratings based on emotional facial expressions to food and beverage stimuli.

Consumer Perception of Red Wine by the Degree of Familiarity Using Consumer-Based Methodology

Capturing and understanding consumers' perceptions is not a simple quest, particularly for wine, which is one of the most complex beverages. In contrast to the increasing amount of wine import and consumption, studies on how Korean consumers perceive wine characteristics are limited. In this study, two different consumer-based questionnaires, check-all-that-apply (CATA) and rating, were used to compare the discrimination ability of samples and attributes. Consumer data were analyzed and compared to investigate whether the difference in the degree of familiarity with consumption frequency affects wine perception and preference. Consumers discriminated samples and attributes by sample using both scales, CATA and rating. It was confirmed that the CATA citation frequency reflected the rated intensity of the attributes in this study. Consumers who checked or did not check the CATA response rated the intensity of attributes differently. Different consumer subgroups based on familiarity also discriminated the samples effectively. However, users had a higher configuration similarity between the two questionnaires than non-users. Furthermore, the preference for wine might be affected by the degree of familiarity.

Cross-cultural emotional response to food stimuli: Influence of consumption context

Emotional responses elicited by certain types of food can be influenced by past experiences, frequency of consumption, culture, and other personal preferences. The present research aimed i) to investigate the impact of culture (Brazilian and Spaniard) on consumers' emotional responses and acceptability of different food stimuli, and ii) to explore the influence of evoked contexts. Brazilian (n = 437) and Spanish (n = 397) participants were exposed to three visual food stimuli (image of chocolate, potato chips, and yogurt) in an online survey and reported their emotional responses. Sociodemographic data, liking, and frequency of consumption were also collected. The evoked context in our study were designed and proposed, for each product and culture, based on four dimensions (consumption time, location, social setting, and hungry state). The evoked emotional lexicon was different for each food stimulus and was clearly influenced by the cultural factor. However, there are more similarities between cultures when evaluating the same product category. The evoked contexts were appropriated and influenced the citing frequency of some emotion terms, including positive ones. The most cited emotion terms tended to positively impact product liking ratings, acting as drivers of liking. Consumption level was positively related to liking regardless of cultural interactions for both chocolate and potato chips stimuli. In conclusion, the cultural background demonstrated to be an important impact factor to be considered for understanding the effects of product, consumption occasions, and degree of liking, on emotional responses to foods. These findings offer new possibilities to be explored in marketing messages for interventions or stimuli that guide food choices.

Comparing Explicit and Implicit Measures for Assessing Cross-Cultural Food Experience

The present study investigated the potential of implicit physiological measures to provide objective measures of affective food experience in contrast to explicit self-report ratings in a cross-cultural context. Dutch and Thai participants viewed 120 food images portraying universal food image categories (regular and molded food) and cultural food image categories (typically Dutch and Thai food). The universal food images were taken as ground truth high and low valence stimuli, where we assumed no genuine difference in affective experience between nationalities. In contrast, for the cultural food images, we did expect a genuine difference between nationalities. Participants were asked to rate valence, arousal and liking of each food image. In addition, heart rate (HR) and phasic electrodermal activity (EDA) responses to the images were recorded. Typically Asian and Western response biases were found for explicit ratings of regular and molded food with an extreme response style for Dutch, and a middle response style for Thai participants. However, such bias was not observed in HR. For cultural food image categories, HR showed the hypothesized interaction between participant nationality and food image category, reflecting the expected genuine difference between nationalities in affective food experience. Besides presenting participants with images, we also asked participants to taste typically Thai and Dutch drinks. Similar to images, a significant interaction between participant nationality and cultural food category was found for HR. An interaction was also found for sip size, while this was not seen in explicit measures. We attribute this to differences in the moment that these measures were taken. In this study, phasic EDA did not appear to be a sensitive measure of affective food experience, possibly since stimuli mostly differed in valence rather than arousal. To conclude, our study constitutes an example where cultural bias negatively affected the accuracy of self-reports, and only the implicit physiological measures followed the prior expectations of genuine food experience, indicating the potential of these measures to study cross-cultural food experience.

Animal welfare information affects consumers' hedonic and emotional responses towards milk

This research aimed to explore the effects of animal welfare information on consumers' hedonic and emotional responses towards milk. Two studies were conducted. For Study 1, participants (N = 101) were asked to fill out a questionnaire on attitudes towards animal welfare, in which a variety of factors including raising methods, quality of life, emotions, quality of the product, nutrition, price, and environment, were tested. For Study 2, participants (N = 63) tasted a milk sample (2% fat, standardized and homogenized) in two different conditions: [1] blind (without any previous information), and [2] informed (with information stating that the milk was obtained from a farm with an animal welfare system in place). For Study 1, participants with higher milk consumption per week showed a higher agreement with positive animal welfare statements. For Study 2, the overall liking for the milk in the informed condition was significantly higher than that of the milk in the blind condition (7.4 vs. 6.8, using a 9-point hedonic scale). Participants had higher penalizations for the milk in the blind condition as they suggested that the milk's flavor, sweetness, aroma, and mouthfeel were not enough in the product. This research showed that animal welfare can be an important extrinsic factor in the consumers' hedonic and emotional responses towards milk. These findings can be useful for understanding consumers' behaviors towards animal welfare.

Some insights into the development of food and brand familiarity: The case of soy sauce in the Netherlands

With the increasing globalization, new unfamiliar flavors gradually find their way into local Western cuisines. The mechanisms behind the successful integration of novel flavors into local cuisines are largely unknown. This study investigates the effects of frequency of soy sauce use, levels of food neophobia, and brand specificity on liking of a relatively unknown flavor in the Netherlands, soy sauce. A total of eighty-nine (26 men and 63 women; mean age 47.5 ± 17.7 years) high- and low-frequency users of soy sauce rated liking of five soy sauces separately presented with and without branding information. Liking of four soy sauces with the typical salty and savory flavor increased with increasing frequency of use, and with decreasing levels of food neophobia. Another soy sauce with additives resulting in a distinctive taste was liked irrespective of the frequency of use. Soy sauces, which were recognized correctly or incorrectly as the participants' own familiar brand, received 50% higher or lower liking ratings than other soy sauces, respectively. Furthermore, users of one of the brands preferred the taste of their own brand over that of other brands, whereas users of the other brands did not show such specificity, indicating clear differences in specificity of liking soy sauce among the various user groups. This study provides insights into consumer liking and preference of semi-familiar foods, revealing the contribution of consumer traits and brand familiarity that may influence the spread of unfamiliar foods.

Self-Reported Emotions and Facial Expressions on Consumer Acceptability: A Study Using Energy Drinks

Emotional responses elicited by foods are of great interest for new product developers and marketing professionals, as consumer acceptance proved to be linked to the emotions generated by the product in the consumers. An emotional measurement is generally considered an appropriate tool to differentiate between the products of similar nutritional value, flavour, liking and packaging. Novel methods used to measure emotions include self-reporting verbal and visual measurements, and facial expression techniques. This study aimed to evaluate the explicit and implicit emotional response elicited during the tasting of two different brands (A and B) of energy drinks. The explicit response of consumers was assessed using liking (nine-point hedonic scale), and emotions (EsSense Profile^®—Check-All-That-Apply questionnaire), and implicit emotional responses were evaluated by studying facial expressions using the Affectiva Affdex^® software. The familiarity of the product and purchase intent were also assessed during the study. The hedonic rating shows a significant difference in liking between the two brands of energy drink during the tasting session. For the explicit emotional responses, participants elicited more positive emotions than the negative emotions for both energy drinks. However, participants expressed “happy”, “active” and “eager” emotions more frequently for energy drink A. On the other hand, the implicit emotional responses through facial expressions indicated a high level of involvement of the participants with energy drink B as compared to energy drink A. The study showed that overall liking and the explicit and implicit emotional measurements are weakly to moderately correlated.