Journal of Sensory Studies最新文献

This research aimed to use two projective methods and the Big Five Personality Traits (BFPT) model to study food consumer behavior in the case of traditional Mexican cheeses. Based on an online survey (n = 197), this study employs the Word Association and Mason-Haire's Shopping List projective techniques with two shopping lists (traditional vs. supermarket). Several factors influencing consumers' perceptions of traditional cheeses were identified, such as hedonism, sensory characteristics, quality and freshness. The shopping list allowed the identification of factors related to food consumption and consumer personality traits. Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were associated with the profile of the consumer who purchases food in supermarkets. In contrast, the personalities of Agreeableness and Openness were associated with the profile of the consumer of traditional Mexican cheeses. The results of this research could be helpful in promoting and marketing traditional foods, considering consumers' personality traits.

Practical applications

This research identified consumer perceptions of traditional cheeses produced in the central region of Mexico and the personality traits associated with the consumer profile of these food products. The results can be of great use to the cheese-producing agroindustry, considering that consumers are aware that by purchasing these products, they are contributing to the development and support of the local economy. Therefore, it is essential for producers and sellers to consider the attributes that consumers associate with traditional cheeses, such as artisanal and local characteristics, hedonic value, and consumers' personality traits.

Using an online questionnaire, the perception of additives/stabilizers in ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk was investigated using different projective techniques. Clustering data on the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) identified two groups of participants, Moderates and Judicious, with the latter assigning significantly higher agreement scores for all FCQ items. In the Word Association task, clean label UHT milk was more associated with “Nutrients and Constituents” by the Moderates and less by the Judicious, suggesting that for part of the interviewed participants, the absence of stabilizers increases the general quality of the product. In the Product Personality Profiling task, the same product was related to “young people” and a “balanced diet” by the Moderates. At the same time, the Judicious was designed for a stereotype of healthy living. Finally, the methodologies used provide valuable insights into the dairy sector, holistically highlighting the nuances in consumer preferences and expectations, offering a significant strategic opportunity for developing and promoting new clean-label products in the segment.

Practical Application

Investigating consumer perceptions regarding the absence of additives offers valuable insights for marketing strategies and product development aimed at different consumer market segments, especially the dairy sector, and contributes to consumer psychology and behavioral research. At the same time, the food industry can use these findings to improve attribute communication, build consumer confidence, and adapt products to identified preferences, reflecting a practical intersection between academia and the industry.

Underwear is an intimate apparel with skin contact that impacts wearer's sensory experience. The visual and tactile properties of an underwear play critical roles in consumers' comfort and style considerations. This study concentrated on analyzing consumer perceptual preferences for underwear through surveys of bipolar word-pairs describing the visual and tactile properties of underwear. A questionnaire on the word pairs was designed using semantic differential scales, and 60 selected participants were surveyed under five test modes, including visual observations and tactile explorations (such as touching, pressing, and grasping). Clustering analysis was utilized to categorize the word-pairs into four clusters—“appearance,” “hand,” “style,” and “quality”—representing vital aspects of consumer concerns about underwear. The significance of the clusters and the test modes in assessing perceived underwear values was scrutinized, and the models to predict underwear's perceived values were established through multivariate regression analysis. It was found that consumers are likely to prioritize the “appearance” and “style” clusters over the “hand” and “quality” clusters, and the visual and grasping tests over the other tactile tests. The predictive models demonstrate high reliability in estimating the perceived values of underwear.

Practical Applications

The study findings highlight that, in assessing underwear products, consumers give greater importance to “appearance” and “style” than to “hand” and “quality.” In addition, the visual and grasping tests prove more effective than the other three methods (i.e., palm touching, fingertip touching, and fingertip pressing). These insights are valuable for underwear designers aiming to create marketable products. Moreover, the predictive models developed in the study exhibit high reliability, offering a valuable guide for consumer purchasing decisions. This is particularly pertinent in online shopping scenarios where the physical sensing of visual and tactile features of underwear is not possible.

Sensory experience pertaining to any of the recognized senses can manifest as a form of intangible cultural heritage, therefore having considerable value for society. Heritage research into multiple sensory components needs to consider not simply the social experience of each of the individual modalities, but how these sensory components combine or integrate to form an all-encompassing multisensory experience. Clear terminologies are needed to accurately identify and describe such complex processes. We put forward a distinct lexicon in this perspective, building on conventional terms “multisensory perception” and “multisensory integration” and advancing the definitions “multisensory experience” and “multisensory heritage.”

Practical applications

This perspective serves to delineate the extension of the term multisensory into the social science discipline. The sharing of a common nomenclature will allow a more unified development and scientific rigor moving forward and allows us to recognize, identify, and describe complex processes of multisensory experience and multisensory heritage. It allows us to understand that the human emotional response to multisensory experience is culturally enshrined, being recognized as a form of multisensory heritage following attribution of societal values. Finally, it recognizes the experiential response to multisensory heritage is unique, being significantly different than those of individual sensory experiences, presenting opportunities and challenges in heritage management.

This study explores the relationship between consumers' taste preferences—specifically sweetness and saltiness—and dietary diversity. This study utilizes consumer panel data collected by the Rural Development Administration of South Korea, in combination with a food nutrient database. The study applies long-term purchase data to derive indices of dietary diversity and taste preferences. The objective is to examine the impact of sweetness and saltiness preferences, as a consumer attitude, on dietary diversity as a consumption behavior. The findings suggest that consumer preference for sweet and salty tastes significantly contributes to dietary diversity, while preference for sweetness has a negative impact and preference for saltiness has a positive impact on dietary diversity.

Practical Applications

The utilization of long-term consumer panel data for the calculation of household-level dietary diversity, as an alternative to short-term memory recall surveys, offers a more comprehensive and data-driven approach to the measurement of dietary diversity. Furthermore, an integration of nutrient content with purchased items to quantify consumers' sweet and salty taste preferences and a measurement of preference based on nutrient intake can be employed as a more objective approach to assessing taste preferences.

The results indicate that consumption behavior, specifically dietary diversity, is significantly influenced by sweet and salty taste preferences. Consumers who prefer sweetness are expected to exhibit lower dietary diversity, contributing to the association between sweetness preference and poorer health outcomes. In particular, as sweetness preference is a learned behavior, it is necessary to recognize that frequent exposure to sweetness fosters its preference and that this, in turn, negatively impacts dietary diversity. Therefore, individuals aiming for a higher level of dietary diversity should actively reduce their exposure to sweetness.

The present study aimed to characterize chemical and sensorial composition of Goethe wines from Goethe Grape's Valley Geographical Indication, Brazil. The wine samples were made from Goethe Clássica grape and its spontaneous clone, Goethe Primo, grown in two different micro-regions located in the GI territory (2022 and 2023 vintages). Samples were produced by microvinification process and evaluated for classic oenological parameters, antioxidant activity, total polyphenol, organic acids, and sensory descriptive analysis. The results demonstrated that Goethe Clássica wines presented highest browning index, total acidity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content in both consecutive vintages. Moreover, in both vintages, the major organic acid in all Goethe wines was malic acid. The wine sensory analysis allowed the accomplishment of the sensorial attributes and its intensities previously unknown in the literature. The overall data afford new insights related to the impact of grape's genetic differences on wine sensorial and chemical characteristics.

Practical Applications

This research supports evidence for the relationship between chemical and sensory properties of wine and the sensorial differences in wines due to grape clonal variation. Moreover, the present study detailed the chemical and sensory profiles of wines derived from two different Goethe grape clones, a variety considered nonconventional for winemakers. Overall, the results of this research might be beneficial not only for the producers who are exploring novel or less prevalent wine grape varieties but also to the beverage industry more comprehension through genetic differences influencing wine quality and sensory perceptions.

This study determined the region-specific characteristics of traditional doenjang produced in Chungcheongbuk-do by analyzing the physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and aroma characteristics of the samples. Color, moisture, pH, soluble solid content, salinity, acid value, titratable acidity, amylase and protease activities, and NH₂-N, alcohol, and total/reducing sugar contents were analyzed. A descriptive sensory analysis involving trained sensory panelists was also conducted for aroma profile determination. Similarities were observed among the samples produced in the same city. The Yeongdong-made samples had strong fermented and lipid/musty aromas. The Cheongju-made doenjang had a high protease activity and a high NH₂-N content. The Goesan-made samples had a high reducing sugar content due to amylase activities and a fishy aroma, and the Jincheon-made doenjang had a high soluble solid content and an intense spice aroma. This study describes for the first time the region-specific characteristics of traditional doenjang produced in Chungcheongbuk-do.

Practical applications

Traditional food produced through a natural fermentation process may have differences in physicochemical properties and flavor due to the diversity of microbial communities depending on the region and environment. Previous studies have identified the characteristics of traditional Korean fermented foods such as doenjang and kimchi in each region, but this study is the first to analyze differences in the characteristics of traditional doenjang produced in a small city within a specific region (Chungcheongbuk-do). The findings from this study can give baseline information on the doenjang produced by small- to mid-sized doenjang manufacturers located in Chungcheongbuk-do, and allow them to use it for strategic marketing to expand their market to the national market in Korea.

Coffee beverages are renowned for their complex chemical composition and sensory attributes. The Koar® filter holder, developed in Brazil, is an extraction method which utilizes percolation and is available in acrylic, stainless steel, ceramic, and porcelain variations. Thus, this study aimed to investigate how the manufacturing materials of Koar® filter holders impact the sensory profile of coffee beverages, as perceived by consumers. A group of 100 consumers were used, and the methods of check all that apply (CATA), and acceptance testing were applied. The results revealed significant variations in eight sensory attributes assessed by consumers. The beverages prepared with ceramic and porcelain filter holders exhibited similar sensory profiles, contrasting with those produced using acrylic and stainless steel. These sensory findings emphasize the impact of the Koar® filter holder material on the coffee beverage's sensory attributes and underscore the importance of understanding the specific perceptions and needs of the target audience.

Practical applications

Considering the importance of the studies with consumers, this research presents findings that are very important for industries in the equipment production segment for the coffee beverage extraction process. Based on the results presented in this study, industries can develop products with specific materials that can enhance the sensorial attributes of the coffee beverage according to consumer preference.