Variations in Sensory and Emotional Responses to Gluten-Containing and Gluten-Free Cookie Products Under Blind and Labeled Conditions

The gluten-free food market is expanding rapidly. However, consumer acceptance and emotional responses to gluten-free food, especially commercially available products, have received relatively underexplored. This study aimed to determine how consumer perceptions, acceptance, and emotional responses differ between gluten-containing (C) and gluten-free (F) chocolate chip cookies from three brands under both blind and labeled conditions. In the labeled condition, 84 participants without celiac disease evaluated 3 F cookies labeled "gluten-free" and 3 C cookies presented without claims on a plain white card. In the blind condition, they tested the six cookies without labels. Participants provided hedonic ratings, Just-About-Right (JAR) ratings, and checked their emotional responses for each cookie. Results showed that participants liked the texture and overall aspects of the C cookies more than their F counterparts. Significant variations were observed in hedonic ratings of appearance, flavor, texture, and overall impression between C and F cookies, with brand playing a notable role. Although the gluten condition had a minimal effect on emotional responses to C and F cookies, this impact varied by brand. The influence of gluten-free labeling on sensory and emotional responses to C and F cookies was limited. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that sensory and emotional responses to gluten-containing versus gluten-free cookies can differ significantly across brands, and gluten-free claims had little impact on these responses. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Our study revealed that gluten-free cookies from some brands can rival their gluten-containing counterparts. However, there is still room for improvement in the sensory quality of gluten-free products, particularly regarding texture.