Consumer acceptability of coffee as affected by situational conditions and involvement

"That Looks Like My Kitchen!" - Personalized context by usage frequency and familiarity influences consumer perception and liking of chicken nuggets in VR

Restoring relevant context during consumer sensory testing using virtual reality (VR) technologies may facilitate evaluations reflective of real-world experiences, enabling reliable data collection to better predict product success. Prior research has applied the same consumption scenario to all participants without accounting for variations in individual consumption habits. Thus, a consumption scenario of low personal relevance can lead to misleading conclusions. This study aimed to investigate how personal relevance (usage frequency and similarity) of a consumption environment influences consumer perception and acceptance during product evaluations. Using a VR system, 63 consumers evaluated four commercial frozen chicken nuggets in three virtual environments one week apart: sensory booth, high-relevance kitchen, and low-relevance kitchen. Participants assessed the products virtually on overall liking, Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) on 20 attributes, and purchase intent. They also completed a virtual presence and engagement questionnaire after testing. Results found better product discrimination in both kitchen environments compared to the booth as demonstrated in more post-hoc statistical subgroups (p's < 0.05) on liking and purchase intent. Additionally, more significant product differences were found among CATA attributes in the kitchens. CATA penalty-lift analyses indicated that sensory attributes had more pronounced positive and negative impacts on liking in the high relevance kitchen, followed by the low relevance kitchen, and lastly the booth. Consumers were equally present and engaged during testing across conditions (p's > 0.05). Results suggest providing a personally relevant consumption environment via VR technologies for consumer testing generated more discriminating data that can improve the quality of consumer insights.

Sensory Analysis Performed within Augmented Virtuality System: Impact on Hedonic Scores, Engagement, and Presence Level

Sensory analysis methodologies are performed in sensory booths designed to minimise external stimuli, lacking ecological validity. Immersive environments are used to introduce contextual cues, but there is a lack of studies using mixed reality systems. The main goal of this study was to evaluate an augmented virtuality (AV) system where participants are inserted into a virtual environment and evaluate a real product, being able to interact with both dimensions. A panel of 102 consumers evaluated five samples of commercial peach nectars in three sessions, each in a different environment: public food court, living room (AV environments), and laboratory (traditional sensory booth). Consumers rated overall liking, followed by open comments, and also answered an Engagement (EQ) and a Presence Questionnaire (PQ). The type of environment only affected hedonic discrimination among samples, with the laboratory setting being the only one with sample discrimination. Nonetheless, each sample was not evaluated differently across the different environments. Concerning engagement, the environment only significantly influenced the EQ's 'Affective Value' factor, being higher when using an AV system. The level of presence in the virtual environment was significantly higher in the public food court, being significantly correlated with the EQ factor scores.

Drivers of coffee liking: Effect of physicochemical characteristics and aromatic profile on consumers' acceptability of mono-origin and mono-variety coffees

Few studies have investigated at the same time how physicochemical, volatile, and sensory characteristics affect coffee liking. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of geographical origin and variety on physicochemical parameters and volatile compounds composition of mono-origin and mono-variety coffees. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) method was used with the aim of identifying the drivers of coffee liking. Moisture content, bulk density, solubility index, color parameters, and phenols and caffeine content were useful parameters for discriminating Robusta from Arabica variety, but not samples from different origins. The hierarchical cluster and principal component analyses performed on the headspace compositions showed a quite sharp ability to group the samples based on their variety. Based on CATA results, roasted attribute, related to the presence of pyrazines, was considered a positive driver of coffee liking unlike grassy and acidic attributes (associated to the presence of acids and aldehydes, respectively). Findings from this study can be a useful tool for coffee manufacturers for a winning market strategy, helping them in the choice of the most suitable raw materials and process conditions in order to produce a well-balanced beverage by enhancing all the possible positive drivers of acceptability and reducing the negative ones.

Nature Ambience in a Lunch Restaurant Has the Potential to Evoke Positive Emotions, Reduce Stress, and Support Healthy Food Choices and Sustainable Behavior: A Field Experiment among Finnish Customers

Laboratory experiments have indicated that exposure to restorative ambiences in food environments can lead to beneficial outcomes for consumers, but there is little evidence if this positive effect holds true in real-life consumption conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of lunch restaurant ambience on customers’ emotional responses, stress recovery, food choices, and generation of plate waste. The expectation was that ambience inducing positive emotional responses would lead to alleviated stress, healthier food choices, and reduced plate waste. A field experiment with a baseline and two experimental ambiences (‘nature ambience’ to induce positive emotions and ‘fast food ambience’ to induce less positive emotions) including visual and auditory stimuli was conducted in a lunch restaurant for one week per ambience. Emotional responses, and objective and subjective stress were measured from a subgroup of participants (n = 32). Food choices and plate waste were measured for all customers (n = 1610–1805 depending on the study week). During ‘nature ambience’ week, customers more often chose vegetarian dishes and generated less plate waste. The results on emotional responses and stress recovery were partially in line with the expectations. The study provides real-life evidence that restaurant ambience modification could lead to beneficial consequences for customers.

The organoleptic quality of liquid food formula made from snail (Pila ampullacea), tempeh, and moringa leaves

This study aims to determine the organoleptic quality of liquid food formula made from snail (Pila ampullacea), tempeh, and moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves. The study was conducted in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It involved 25 moderately trained panelists and also 5 trained panelists, who met the criteria. The measured variable was the organoleptic quality, which included aspects of color, texture, taste, and aroma. The formula tested was a powder formula made from the snail, tempeh, and moringa leaves. The proportion of snail flour, tempeh flour, and moringa leaves flour was 50:30:20. It was found that more than 50% of panelists liked the liquid food formula based on color, texture, taste, and aroma. Independent t-test to determine the difference between the organoleptic quality of the two groups showed p = 0.710 for color, p = 0.335 for texture, p = 0.603 for taste, and p = 0.880 for aroma. In conclusion, most of the panelists liked the liquid food formula products made from snail, tempeh, and moringa leaves based on the organoleptic quality result. There was no difference between the organoleptic quality studies of the two groups in the aspect of color, texture, taste, and aroma.

Sonic Seasoning and Other Multisensory Influences on the Coffee Drinking Experience

The coffee drinking experience undoubtedly depends greatly on the quality of the coffee bean and the method of preparation. However, beyond the product-intrinsic qualities of the beverage itself, there are also a host of other product-extrinsic factors that have been shown to influence the coffee-drinking experience. This review summarizes the influence of everything from the multisensory atmosphere through to the sound of coffee preparation, and from the typeface on the coffee packaging through the drinking vessel. Furthermore, the emerging science around sonic seasoning, whereby specific pieces of music or soundscapes, either pre-composed or bespoke, are used to bring out specific aspects in the taste (e.g., sweetness or bitterness) or aroma/flavor (nutty, dark chocolate, dried fruit notes, etc.) of a coffee beverage is also discussed in depth. Relevant related research with other complex drinks such as beer and wine are also mentioned where relevant.

Consumer Choices and Habits Related to Coffee Consumption by Poles

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks consumed in the world, also in Poland. In the literature, much attention is paid to the influence of coffee on human health, especially daily intake of caffeine, and also purchasing consumer behavior. There is a lack of research devoted to consumer choices and habits in relation to coffee consumption and brewing method. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of coffee consumers and present their segmentation based on consumer choices and habits towards coffee consumption. The study was performed using the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) method on a group of 1500 adults respondents in Poland reporting the consumption of coffee. We collected information about consumer choices and habits related to coffee consumption, including brewing method, place of consuming coffee, and factors determining coffee choices. Using cluster analysis, we identified three main groups of coffee consumers. There are “Neutral coffee drinkers”, “Ad hoc coffee drinkers”, and “Non-specific coffee drinkers”. The respondents in the study are not coffee gourmets; they like and consume coffee, but these are often changing choices. To conclude, it can be stated that the Polish coffee consumer prefers conventional methods of brewing coffee (like a “traditionalist”) but is open to novelties and new sensory experiences. Based on study results it is possible to know the coffee drinking habits in Poland.

Flavor Profiling by Consumers Segmented According to Product Involvement and Food Neophobia

The relationship between food-related individual characteristics and performance in sensory evaluation was investigated. The study focused on differences in discriminative ability and perceptual sensitivity according to levels of product involvement or food neophobia during the intensity rating of sensory attributes in consumer profiling. Consumers (N = 247) rated the intensity of attributes for seven flavored black tea drinks and completed the Food Neophobia Scale and the Personal Involvement Inventory measuring product involvement with the flavored black tea drink. In the higher product involvement (IH) group and the lower food neophobia (NL) group, the number of sensory attributes representing the sample effect and of subsets discriminating the samples were greater, and more total variance of the samples was explained. The higher the product involvement or the lower the food neophobia, the greater the differentiation in characterizing samples with more attributes in the intensity ratings. Interestingly, the high food neophobia (NH) group showed less active performance compared to the NL group during the sensory evaluation overall, but the NH group was more concerned about unfamiliar attributes and samples. The results implied that the positive attitude resulting from high product involvement and low food neophobia may induce more active behavior and better performance during the sensory evaluation.

Reliable Discrimination of Green Coffee Beans Species: A Comparison of UV-Vis-Based Determination of Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acid with Non-Targeted Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Species adulteration is a common problem in the coffee trade. Several attempts have been made to differentiate among species. However, finding an applicable methodology that would consider the various aspects of adulteration remains a challenge. This study investigated an ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy-based determination of caffeine and chlorogenic acid contents, as well as the applicability of non-targeted near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, to discriminate between green coffee beans of the Coffea arabica (Arabica) and Coffea canephora (Robusta) species from Java Island, Indonesia. The discrimination was conducted by measuring the caffeine and chlorogenic acid content in the beans using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The data related to both compounds was processed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Information about the diffuse reflectance (log 1/R) spectra of intact beans was determined by NIR spectroscopy and analyzed using multivariate analysis. UV-Vis spectroscopy attained an accuracy of 97% in comparison to NIR spectroscopy’s accuracy by selected wavelengths of LDA (95%). The study suggests that both methods are applicable to discriminate reliably among species.

Sensory Nudges: The Influences of Environmental Contexts on Consumers' Sensory Perception, Emotional Responses, and Behaviors toward Foods and Beverages

Food products with highly acceptable flavors are not always successful in the marketplace. Sales of identical food products sold in two different stores often differ. Patrons’ choices of specific menu items vary depending on menu designs at restaurants. Such examples suggest that consumer behavior related to eating, preparing, or purchasing foods and beverages is typically complex, dynamic, and sensitive. There is a growing body of evidence that environmental cues surrounding foods and beverages can modulate consumer perception and behavior in the context of eating and drinking. In light of increasing interest in environmental cues, this Special Issue was designed to introduce recent research that highlights how sensory cues derived from environmental cues can modulate consumer perceptions, emotional responses, and behavior related to foods and beverages. The eleven articles addressed in this Special Issue provide informative and insightful findings that may be applied to a wide range of food-related sites, including grocery stores, retail markets, restaurants, dining facilities, and public dining areas. The findings from these articles also suggest that product developers, sensory professionals, retailers, marketers, and business owners should consider not only sensory aspects of food products, but also sensory cues derived from surrounding contexts to better understand consumer perception, acceptability, and behavior toward their food products.

Development and validation of the food involvement inventory (FII) featuring the attitudinal constructs

Food involvement is one of the personality traits that influences the food cognition and behavior of consumers. Given the irrelevance of previous food involvement scales such as measuring lifestyle diligence and a food culture, this study aimed to develop the food involvement inventory (FII) designed specifically for foods and current consumers. This study focused on identifying the factors/constructs of the FII that would best represent and explain food involvement through item generation, administration, and validation. The collected items from involvement-related scales and expert discussions were administrated based on the evidence of construct and content. Validation of the FII based on the exploratory factor analysis identified four attitudinal components as constructs (affective, cognitive, behavioral-purchase, and behavioral-cooking) within the final 25 items. These four constructs constituted structural models for the FII, and the models were shown to be acceptable in the confirmatory factor analysis.

The Effect of Consumer Involvement in Light Lamb Meat on Behavior, Sensory Perception, and Health-Related Concerns

Involvement can explain behavioral consequences, such as consumer decision-making and consumption. The first aim of this study is to identify the profiles of consumers based on their involvement in light lamb meat. The second aim is to study the influence of involvement on consumers' attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, preferences, quality cues, and sensory perception regarding light lamb meat. Two consumer profiles are identified. The first cluster includes consumers who enjoyed eating light lamb meat, were conscious of their self-image, and perceived the consequences of poor choices; these consumers also perceived the probability of making an incorrect choice as high. The second cluster includes consumers who truly loved eating lamb meat, were also conscious of their self-image, and perceived the consequences of poor choices; however, these consumers were confident in not making incorrect choices. Although both involvement-based profiles showed high involvement in light lamb meat, it can be concluded that the second cluster had a higher involvement. In general, the involvement-based profiles did not influence health-related attitudes, preferences, or sensory perceptions of light lamb meat, while beliefs, behavior and quality cues were influenced by involvement.

Reprint of "Capturing consumer perception of vegetable freshness in a simulated real-life taste situation"

Consumer testing in re-created purchase or consumption contexts may produce results with a higher external validity than laboratory testing and be a valid alternative to consumer testing in real-life contexts. Hence, the present study evaluates the utility of a novel immersive approach in sensory consumer testing. An immersive multisensory room was designed to reproduce consumption conditions close to real life, with large wall screen projections, audio and olfactory stimuli and furniture consistent with the video scenario. Overall liking and perceived freshness of two vegetable products (salad tomato and wild rocket) at different storage time were evaluated by a group of volunteers, regular consumers of the products. Evaluations were performed both in a immersive environment setting - the scenario was the dining room of a holiday farm overlooking a patio and the countryside - and in a traditional sensory lab setting, as a control. The magnitude of liking was higher when evaluations were performed in the immersive environment setting than in the traditional lab setting. However, the discrimination efficacy for freshness and liking of stored and un-stored vegetables was reduced in the immersive environment with respect to the control lab. Additional research, aimed at exploring other products and other consumption or purchase immersive scenarios, will further clarify whether these findings are product-dependent or determined by the contingent immersive situation.

Environmental Immersion's Influence on Hedonics, Perceived Appropriateness, and Willingness to Pay in Alcoholic Beverages

The eating experience is multimodal. As we consume a dish, we perceive much more than that which initially activates the senses, including influences from our surroundings. Foods sampled in experimental settings are largely evaluated within a sensory booth, an environment designed to be devoid of such external or non-standardized stimuli, so that participants can focus solely on the sample itself. In natural experiences, we rarely consume food in such isolation—context is actually key to many dining experiences and can have an integral role in how we perceive the foods we eat. Using virtual reality to artificially provide this context, we tested how the setting in which a beverage was consumed influenced perception of two different samples. Virtual environments were formed by processing custom-recorded 360 degree videos and overlaying audio, text, and sensory scales to simulate a typical sensory evaluation. Participants were asked to taste two alcoholic beverages, a beer and a sparkling wine, in two virtual contexts, a bar and a winery. The results indicated that participants’ willingness to pay for, and overall enjoyment of the sparkling wine increased when placed in the winery context, with no change between the two virtual contexts for the beer sample. This occurred without alteration of the samples’ sensory properties or the ability of panelists to identify the beverage they were drinking; however, perceived appropriateness of the samples for the setting was strongly influenced by the context in which they were sampled, suggesting that perceived appropriateness for a surrounding may play a role in the degree to which we enjoy a food. Results provide further proof that artificially-applied context, such as that provided by virtual reality, can further the sensory testing of foods.