Consumer perception of balsamic vinegar: A cross-cultural study between Korea and Italy

Free Drawing to assess food consumption information in comparison with the Free Listing: An intracultural study in Brazil with adolescents and dairy products

This study aimed to evaluate the Free Drawing method to assess food consumption information compared to the Free Listing method. Furthermore, the citation frequencies of dairy products consumed by adolescents were compared in Brazilian regions. Adolescents (14-17 years old, n = 265, n = 53 for each region, North, South, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast regions) listed or drew the dairy products they consumed using Free Listing or Free Drawing. The contingency tables were constructed, and the cognitive saliency indexes (CSI) were calculated. Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) was performed, and the RV indices were determined. The adolescents listed/drew 55 dairy products, grouped into 10 categories. The Free Listing method resulted in greater citation frequencies of dairy products. The Free Drawing method resulted in richer and more detailed information, with specifications of the type of product consumed within the category, flavor, type of packaging, and brand. The dairy products with the highest citation frequencies/CSI by adolescents were milk, cheese, and fermented milk. The South and Southeast regions observed greater citation frequencies and diversity of dairy products (prevalence in 6 categories). The CSI did not depend on the method, but it was affected by the region (p < 0.05). The sensory methods showed high similarity considering the categories of dairy products (RV = 0.80) and regions (RV = 0.79). It is concluded that the Free Drawing method proved to be an alternative to Free Listing for evaluating adolescents' consumption information of dairy products in an intracultural study in Brazil.

Exploring Taiwanese Consumer Dietary Preferences for Various Vinegar Condiments: Novel Dietary Patterns across Diverse Cultural Contexts

The use of vinegar as a culinary seasoning in various global cuisines to enhance the taste characteristics and profiles of foods has been extensively documented in the culinary literature. Particularly notable is traditional Taiwanese-style thick soup, where the incorporation of vinegar plays a fundamental role in imparting distinct flavors. In the context of this experimental investigation, the foundational base of Taiwanese-style thick soup serves as the platform for a meticulously planned sensory and dietary behavior evaluation. Our research methodology combines the use of survey questionnaires and experimental techniques, employing purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods to recruit participants. The central focus of this study is to understand consumers' culinary preferences when presented with a choice between two contrasting types of vinegar-specifically, black vinegar and balsamic vinegar-as alternative gastronomic enhancements. This precise orchestration of data collection and systematic evaluation provides a perceptive window into participants' culinary inclinations and food choices, resulting in a detailed and profound understanding of their taste preferences. The empirical findings stemming from this experimentation reveal notably significant differences in the sensory assessments among participants engaging in diverse culinary experiences. Notably, distinct variations are observed in terms of visual perceptions, olfactory distinctions, and overall sensory satisfaction. This study occupies a crucial position within existing research paradigms by strategically expanding the scope of sensory investigations within the realm of Taiwanese-style thick soup. This introduces an innovative aspect represented by the introduction of balsamic vinegar as a compelling alternative to the customary black vinegar. As a result, the emerging findings not only offer compelling insights into the nuanced food choice and taste preferences of consumers, but also open up new and innovative directions within the complex tapestry of Chinese gastronomy.

Influence of the sociocultural perspective on the sensory perception of wine consumers in Mexico and Spain

The increasing globalization of companies and markets, including the wine market, makes this study important as a cultural comparison between the sensory perception of wine in Mexico and Spain. Eighty consumers were selected with different consumption habits, and hedonic (Acceptance and Simple Preference) and descriptive (Word Association Task and the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method) sensory tests were performed. The results revealed that there were differences in the conceptualization of wine in the Word Association Task. Both populations preferred wines of Spanish origin over those of Mexican origin, especially in the case of red wine. Finally, the results of the CATA method showed that the attributes that discriminate the two types of wine are due more to the country origin of the tasters than to the samples. Spanish consumers used cultural and tradition descriptors and were stricter when it came to sensory evaluation. Moreover, Spanish participants demonstrated more ability to differentiating all wines in terms of visual, olfactory and taste aspects.

Pre-harvest Nitrogen Limitation and Continuous Lighting Improve the Quality and Flavor of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under Hydroponic Conditions in Greenhouse

Short-term nitrogen limitation and continuous lighting (red/blue = 3:1) were applied individually and in combination to butterhead and red oak leaf lettuce for 1, 2, or 3 days before harvest to assess their effects on improving the nutritional value and sweet taste and reducing nitrate content and bitterness of lettuce. The results suggested that a 3-day nitrogen limitation combined with continuous lighting reduced the lettuce content of nitrate and sesquiterpene lactones and improved the quantities of soluble sugar, soluble protein, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds without reducing the fresh weight of lettuce. In addition, in vitro simulated digestion results suggested that the 3-day nitrogen limitation combined with continuous lighting significantly improved the sweetness and reduced the bitterness of lettuce compared to the control. In conclusion, nitrogen limitation combined with continuous lighting for 3 days before harvest effectively enhanced the quality and taste of lettuce, showing great potential for its use in hydroponic lettuce production.

Study of Consumer Liking of Six Chinese Vinegar Products and the Correlation between These Likings and the Volatile Profile

As the aroma of Chinese vinegar is a key quality trait that influences consumer liking, a combination of sensory data and instrumental measurements were performed to help understand the aroma differences of six types of Chinese vinegar. A total of 52 volatile compounds, mostly ethyl acetate, acetic acid, and phenethyl alcohol, were detected in six types of Chinese vinegar using solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC–MS). Combined with open-ended questions, the correlation between consumer liking and the volatile profile of the vinegar was further investigated. More consumers preferred the potato vinegar (B6) described as “having a sweet aroma and fruity vinegar aroma”. The Heng-shun Jinyou balsamic vinegar (B5) was not favored by consumers with its exhibition of “too pungent vinegar aroma”. Based on their preference patterns, consumers were grouped into three clusters by k-means clustering and principal component analysis (PCA). Using partial least squares regression (PLSR), the most important volatile compounds that drove consumer liking in the three clusters were obtained, among which 14 compounds such as 1-methylpyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and acetylfuran had the greatest impact on consumer liking, which could guide manufacturers to improve product quality and customer satisfaction.

Using Cross-Cultural Consumer Liking Data to Explore Acceptability of PGI Bread-Waterford Blaa

Waterford Blaa is one of only four Irish food products granted protected geographical (PGI) status by the European Commission. This study aimed to determine whether cultural background/product familiarity, gender, and/or age impacted consumer liking of three Waterford Blaa products and explored product acceptability between product-familiar and product-unfamiliar consumer cohorts in Ireland and the UK, respectively. Familiarity with Blaa impacted consumer liking, particularly with respect to characteristic flour dusting, which is a unique property of Waterford Blaa. UK consumers felt that all Blaas had too much flour. Blaa A had the heaviest amount of flouring and was the least preferred for UK consumers, who liked it significantly less than Irish consumers (p < 0.05). Flavour was also important for UK consumers. Blaa C delivered a stronger oven baked odour/flavour compared to Blaa A and was the most preferred by UK consumers. Irish consumer liking was more influenced by the harder texture of Blaa B, which was their least preferred product. Age and gender did not impact liking for Blaas within Irish consumers, but gender differences were observed among UK consumers, males liking the appearance significantly more than females. This is the first paper comparing Waterford Blaa liking of naïve UK consumers with Irish consumers familiar with the product.

Factors related to sensory properties and consumer acceptance of vegetables

Many consumers perceive the bitter taste or other sensory characteristic of vegetables as unpleasant, posing a challenge to dietary recommendations aiming to increase vegetable consumption. Food experience is multisensory, with complex interactions between the senses and individual differences in sensory perception. This review focuses on the factors affecting sensory properties of vegetables and sensory perception of vegetables among adults. Topical examples of sensory quality and evaluation of vegetable samples are presented. Cultivar and growing conditions are related to the internal sensory quality of vegetables. The effects of different processing methods, such as freezing and cooking, on the sensory properties of vegetables are also reviewed. Flavor modification of vegetables with seasonings may be used to improve palatability and incorporating vegetables to meals may increase the intake of vegetables. Recently, external factors (e.g. visual and odor stimuli) have been tested in multisensory research in the context of vegetable perception and choice. These options to achieve better sensory quality, more palatable meals and pleasant eating context may be used to promote vegetable intake among adults.

Development of Perilla seed oil and extra virgin olive oil blends for nutritional, oxidative stability and consumer acceptance improvements

This study reports the blending at different levels (25, 30, 35, 40 and 45%) of Perilla seed oil (PO) with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Pure oils and blends were evaluated in terms of free acidity, peroxide value, fatty acid composition, sterols, tocopherols and biophenols content, oxidation stability, sensory acceptability and food pairing. Blends with high content of ω - 3 and ω - 6 fatty acids, biophenols, tocopherols, sterols and satisfying oxidation stability were obtained, representing products with improved nutritional properties. All blends resulted acceptable by consumers. Two groups of consumers with opposite preferences for samples with low (25-35%) and high (40-45%) levels of PO were identified. Blends containing 40-45% of PO were mainly paired to strong-flavour and cooked foods, while blends with less PO were preferably matched with raw meat and vegetables. Consequently, PO and EVOO blends showed promising potential as innovative vegetable oils with improved nutritional properties and versatile gastronomic use.

Consumer perception and use of nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica): A cross-cultural study between Mexico and Brazil

The objective of the present study was, in a first moment, to observe the consumers' perception, qualitatively and quantitatively, with respect to nopal through a cross-cultural study among participants from Mexico (n = 200) and Brazil (n = 200), traditional and potential consumers, respectively. And, secondly, to use a Brazilian nopal cookie to complement the perception of the Brazilians regarding the nopal, evaluating their sensory acceptance and possible commercial potential in this country through the Check All That Apply (CATA) test. The cross-cultural study using the word association task has shown that although nopal is not part of the Brazilian food culture, people are willing to accept it as food because of its functional properties. This result, coupled with the positive acceptance of Mexican nopal cookies, confirmed the primary objective of working with products made from this unfamiliar vegetable in Brazil. In this context, the use of Brazilian nopal cladodes resulted in cookies with satisfactory sensory acceptance. This acceptance was similar to the one obtained by the Mexican commercial cookies. The affective and the CATA tests constitute a potential tool to evaluate and develop innovative products made with nopal, thus increasing their commercial potential. The results obtained provide support for a better utilization of this food, mainly in the arid and semi-arid regions, where this cactus is generally abundant, considering the social and cultural context to which the nopal is inserted in each country.

What are the cultural effects on consumers' perceptions? A case study covering coalho cheese in the Brazilian northeast and southeast area using word association

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of regional diversity aspects related to consumers' perceptions of coalho cheese, with Brazilian Northeast and Southeast consumers (n=400, divided equally in each area) using Word Association (WA) task. Different perceptions were detected for both Northeast and Southeast consumers, and among 17 categories elicited for describing coalho cheese, only 7 categories (positive feeling, social aspects, sensory characteristic, dairy product technology, negative feeling, and lack of quality standard) presented significant differences in the frequency of mention according to chi-square per cell approach. The application of the discriminant technique Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) indicated that the categories "Social", "Accompaniment", "Manufacturing method" were the main responsible for differentiating consumers' perceptions of both areas. Overall, the main dimensions involved in the consumers' perceptions of coalho cheese from different Brazilian regions were identified, thus obtaining comprehensive insights that can be used as a guideline for coalho cheese producers to develop marketing strategies considering the intra-cultural differences.