Sensory characterization of conventional and organic extra virgin olive oil by Check‐all‐that‐apply and emotional responses methods

Simply red? The effects of distinct colours and sustainable production methods on the consumers' preferences for healthier sweet peppers

The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly assess the value of colours in consumers' preferences for sweet peppers, and the association with more sustainable methods of production in the consumers' minds. Furthermore, this study provides novel insights into the influence of colours on the willingness to pay (WTP) for vegetables. It explores the interplay between colours, food attributes, and socio-demographic characteristics among consumers, marking the first attempt to examine this relationship comprehensively. A discrete choice experiment, based on consumers' preferences for sweet pepper attributes (price, colour, and production method), was implemented and a Seemingly Unrelated Regression model was then applied to evaluate the willingness to pay for different colours. The study has revealed that different colours provide consumers with different utilities and WTP in the choices of potential healthier foods. In addition, gender, age, education and number of family components play a role in affecting consumers' WTP of food linked to colour. Finally, it was found that consumers' knowledge for certain pepper colours with different antioxidant contents is interrelated. This study introduces several novelties, in particular a positive correlation between interest in antioxidants and colours was found, suggesting that interest in healthy food properties might move consumers towards a specific sensory choice.

SENSORY PROFILE OF 3 IN 1 INSTANT COFFEE USING EMOTIONAL-SENSORY MAPPING, FLASH PROFILE, AND CATA (CHECK-ALL-THAT-APPLY) METHODS

Three in one instant coffee is popular among university students. A variety brands of such instant coffee are available on the market. However, the literature on the sensory aspects of the instant coffee is rather limited slim. The project aimed to test three-in-one instant coffee sachets for their sensory characteristics. Two methods, CATA (Attributes and Emotional Mapping) and Flash Profile (extension of Free Choice Profiling) were employed to generate the attribute profiles and emotional dashboard. Sixty IPB University students were selected as panelists. Sensory attributes terminologies and their relation to emotion were generated using Focus Group Discussion among instant coffee heavy drinker. Profile of coffee D showed a creamy texture, while sweetness and milky was dominant when it came to coffee B and coffee C. The creaminess in coffee G was strongly related to feelings of happiness in a consumer. In addition, the sweet and milky taste and flavor in coffee B was seen as a relaxing and luxurious feeling. A Preference Mapping was constructed, and it showed that sweetness, milky, and creaminess improved the liking of the student consumers that make coffee C the most preferred brand among the panelists. In short, the use of flash profiles and check-all-it-dilute/CATA (attributes and emotional) equipped with preference mapping can provide emotional attributes and dashboards that will be important to understand products more than just consumer liking.

Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Test to Investigate the Consumers' Perception of Olive Oil Sensory Properties: Effect of Storage Time and Packaging Material

Sensory changes during shelf-life of oils have been mostly studied by descriptive methods, while consumer-based approaches have been poorly explored. This study assessed the variations in consumers’ liking and sensory perception of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and olive oil (OO) packaged in glass, polyethylene terephthalate and tinplate. After 2, 10 and 19 months of storage, oil perception was investigated with consumers (n = 50) performing both a liking test and a check-all-that-apply (CATA) test. No significant effect of the packaging material on consumers’ response was found, whereas storage time negatively affected the sensory properties of and acceptability of OOs and EVOOs from the 10th month of storage. The CATA test results revealed the sensory changes in oils over 19 months, mainly described as a decrease in pungency for EVOO and a decrease in herbaceous and ripe fruitiness in OO. The CATA technique combined with the liking test allowed the drivers of liking (“olive” for OO and “green fruitiness” for EVOO) and disliking (“bitter” and “pungent” for EVOO) to be identified. In conclusion, the sensory approach based both on CATA technique and liking test seems promising as a rapid tool to evaluate the changes in sensory properties perceivable during the shelf-life of oils.