The food industry utilizes consumer research to predict the potential success of new products. While consumers can identify some features of a product that are important to them, they are also prone to bias, meaning implicit measures often more accurately predict consumer behavior. During this study, the performance of Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis (CBCA) was evaluated for red wine samples by leveraging a CBCA with simultaneous sensory evaluation, termed Sensory-Driven Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis (SD-CBCA), and comparing it with the traditional CBCA approach, where no samples are physically interacted with. Additionally, the difference between implicit and explicit measurements of product attribute importance was evaluated by comparing the intrinsically determined relative attribute importance vs an explicitly stated attribute importance ranking. It was found that traditional CBCA yielded notably different results to SD-CBCA, demonstrating that the evaluation of sensory attributes of a product, for example how sweet, or how spicy, is more accurately modeled with real samples and in-person studies, likely due to the lack of contextual information on products in traditional CBCA. Further, implicit vs. explicit measurements demonstrated larger differences when panelists were performing the SD-CBCA, demonstrating that even when panelists are actively tasting samples, they struggle with explicitly determining what leads them to make a choice. This study emphasizes how the evaluation of food can depend on contextual information, and evaluations that look to assess or predict the acceptance of a product defined by its sensory attributes are better evaluated through an in-person test.

Wine made from grapes with extended skin contact, termed orange wine, has experienced a recent growth in popularity. The extended skin contact impacts not only color, but also flavor and mouthfeel. While several groups have studied the physicochemical impact of skin contact, there is little sensory, and virtually no consumer research on this topic. This study aimed to gain insight into consumer understanding of this growing category, and to understand the properties consumers are drawn to. Results from a survey of 144 industry experts were contrasted with a Conjoint Analysis of 179 orange wine consumers. Following this, an orange and a white wine harvested from the same vines, on the same day, from the same vineyard block were compared using a descriptive panel. These data were compared with consumer testing of these wines, in addition to engineered orange wines with manipulated color and astringency, to determine if consumer viewpoints from the survey aligned with in-person sensory testing. The experts survey highlighted color as a key factor, where consumers were less concerned. Consumer testing showed no significant difference in liking between pale and deep orange wines. Descriptive analysis highlighted fruity and sweet attributes in the white wine, and sour, bitter and astringent attributes in the orange. These differences were underscored in consumer testing, with higher liking scores for the white wine. Understanding that consumers respond more to how the wine tastes than looks challenges assumptions and highlights opportunities to refine product development and communication strategies for this growing product category.

Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) are gaining increasing attention due to their potential role as substitutes for traditional meat products, driven by sustainability and health concerns related to animal production and consumption. Therefore, investigating and understanding consumer acceptance of less common PBMAs remains crucial. In this context, this research explored sensory expectations and actual experiences of a plant-based hotdog compared to a pork hotdog in a US sample. Using a within-subject design, participants (n = 88) evaluated both products before and after tasting, assessing overall liking, willingness to buy (WTB), and key sensory attributes. Furthermore, Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) batteries were used to explore product descriptors and situational appropriateness for consumption, while open-ended questions were employed to examine what consumers liked and disliked the most about the products in more detail. Results revealed no significant differences in expected liking between the two products before tasting. However, after tasting, the pork hotdog received significantly higher scores for both overall liking and WTB compared to the plant-based hotdog. Despite the plant-based product being associated with situations related to health and sustainability, it did not lead to the same appealing hedonic experience as the animal-based product. In addition, both penalty-lift analysis and text mining of the open-ended responses confirmed that consumers seek meaty characteristics in both animal- and plant-based hotdogs (e.g., "I don't like how light the meat is" or "would like a more meat flavor"). This research provides valuable implications for policymakers and the food industry in terms of aligning strategies with consumers' preferences and needs, supporting efforts to reduce red meat consumption and promote healthier, more sustainable dietary choices.

Bitterness is one of the five recognized basic tastes. Although many groups have examined bitter taste through human sensory evaluation, there are few cases in which its taste quality and temporal characteristics have been comprehensively evaluated. In this study, we conducted sensory evaluations to assess the qualitative and temporal characteristics of bitterness and, through comprehensive analysis, to achieve a more detailed discrimination of the samples. As samples, we used bitter ingredients that are approved for food use in Japan but whose bitterness qualities have remained largely uncharacterized, and we sought to clarify their properties. Results demonstrated that it was possible for panelists to distinguish the nine bittering agents via their taste qualities, evaluated by descriptive analysis and time intensity scaling, providing evidence of differing subqualities of bitter taste. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Humans detect bitterness through a family of 26 taste receptors. These receptors may be sensitive to a family of differing stimuli, with overlap between receptive ranges. This study attempts to answer whether humans can distinguish between different bitter stimuli, or each stimulus is perceived similarly, through the creation of a systematic method to evaluate bitterness.

Yogurt is a popular dairy product, common the world over, and usually consumed sweetened in the US market. Due to a growing interest in lower calorie dairy products, we investigated consumers' interest in yogurt sweetened with rare sugars such as tagatose and allulose, which can be synthesized enzymatically from lactose removed from the same milk used to make the yogurt, but contain fewer digestible calories than sucrose. A series of 2 consumer sensory tests were carried out on yogurts sweetened with sucrose, sucralose (the most popular artificial sweetener in the US), stevia (the most popular natural low -calorie sweetener), and either single rare sugars or in blends typical of incomplete enzymatic conversion from lactose. Additionally, a conjoint analysis examined consumers' implicit choices around sweetened yogurt made with such ingredients, and how these factors influenced their willingness to pay. Results showed that grams of added sugar displayed on labels were an important driver of selection, supported by a strong negative effect on purchase intent (PI) for high added sugar samples in the in person sensory test when information was provided. Rare sugars, whether in blends or alone, elicited high liking scores, which were even higher when information on their caloric and added sugar content was revealed. Results suggest that rare sugars can be used to more closely approximate the flavor profiles of sucrose-sweetened products, while retaining a natural claim. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Consumers desire lower calorie food products with fewer grams of added sugars, and natural ingredients. Rare sugars offer a promising option for sucrose replacement, providing a sensory profile in yogurt more similar to that of sucrose than most popular artificial or natural low calorie sweeteners. Consumers were willing to pay more for such products and viewed them as more appealing than samples sweetened with sucralose or stevia.

Background/Objectives: Taste guides the consumption of food and alcohol for both humans and rodents. Given that chronic dietary exposure to bitter and sweet foods are purported to alter the perception of bitter and sweet tastes respectively, we hypothesized that dietary habits may shape how the taste properties of ethanol are perceived and thus how it is consumed. Methods: Using C57BL/6 mice as a model, we contrasted taste behavior, morphology, and expression after a 4-week diet featuring consistent bitter, sweet, or neutral (water) stimuli. Results: Our results demonstrated that a 4-week bitter diet containing a quinine solution increased preference for ethanol, while a 4-week sweet diet consisting of a sucralose solution did not alter ethanol preference nor intake. The quinine diet also reduced the number of sweet- or umami-sensing T1R3-positive cells in the circumvallate papillae taste buds of the mice. Conclusions: Based on the behavioral changes observed with the bitter diet, it is possible that either bitter or sweet taste, or both together, drive the increase in ethanol preference. The implications of these findings for alcohol consumption are that dietary habits that do not necessarily concern alcohol may be capable of altering alcohol preference via taste habituation. Habitual intake of bitter and/or sweet foods can shift the perception of taste over time. Changes to how the taste components of alcohol are perceived may also alter how acceptable the taste of alcohol is when experienced as a whole, thereby having the unintended consequence of shifting alcohol consumption levels. Our study demonstrates another side to bitter habituation, which, thus far, has been studied in the more positive context of developing a set of dietary tactics for promoting bitter vegetable intake.

Maple Syrup is an important agroforestry product in New York State (U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2017), produced from the sap of maple trees in late winter-early spring. Climate change has compressed the sap harvesting season due to increased average temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events, increasing tree stress and the potential for microbiological spoilage during sap collection and processing, that lead to off-flavor development. Our research objective was to determine consumer acceptance and perceived product value of maple syrup with a range of off-flavors. Twelve maple syrup products including those with common flavor defects, Grade A, "buddy", "sour," and "dark/acrid" types, produced in NY State across the maple sap collection season were evaluated by trained descriptive panel (n = 9) to produce detailed sensory profiles. Samples were also evaluated by 85 consumers in a two-session sequential monadic acceptance test to generate consumer perceptions and hedonic scores. We found the samples exhibited a broad range of descriptive sensory profiles. Overall liking was strongly correlated with Flavor Liking, Maple Flavor intensity and its Perceived Value. While certain off-flavor categories did have negative effects on consumer acceptance, there was a broad range of descriptive sensory profiles beyond the Grade A "gold standard" that were well received by consumers and could be a source of further value than is currently understood. Therefore, we conclude that some maple syrup products outside of the currently defined "gold standard" sensory profile may still be effectively marketed to consumers.

Mice developing obesity through their diet have fewer taste buds than littermates maintained on healthy chow. In this experiment we investigated if diet-induced taste bud loss, inflammation, and an attenuated regenerative capacity of taste buds would persist after return to a healthy weight. 8-week-old C57Bl/6 mice were split into three groups, one (chow) maintained on a standard lab chow diet for 16 weeks, a second (HFD) maintained on a high fat diet for 16 weeks, while the third (diet) was placed on a HFD for the first 8 weeks, then switched to the healthy diet. In this second 8 week period, diet mice lost all excess weight. Despite returning to a healthy weight, dieted mice showed only minor recovery of taste buds, with better recovery for proliferating cells and cells undergoing apoptosis. HFD mice exhibited increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) expression, with altered Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) expression, both linked to taste homeostasis. Overall, data demonstrate that obesity has a persistent effect on taste buds long after excess weight is lost.

Food consumption is by its nature a crossmodal, multisensory experience. The combined inputs from our senses provide the perception of a “flavor”. Altering input from one sensory modality can change the perception from another. Previous research has shown that visual, auditory, olfactory, and somatosensory, as well as gustatory systems contribute to flavor. However, the vast majority of this work concerns adding input to one of the senses, where there is a lack of research into the effect of instead removing passive sensory input from one modality, on the other senses. The study was designed to address the effect of sensory blockade on taste response. Two experiments were performed with this in mind. The first recruited 47 participants rating the sweetness of different solutions when adding or subtracting sensory input. Sucrose, sucrose plus vanilla odor, sucrose plus red color, and sucrose plus both combined were tasted under four conditions: a control, with blindfold, with nose clip, and combined blindfold and nose clip conditions. The results found as expected that adding vanilla odor enhanced the sweetness of the sucrose solution, however a significant inhibitory effect of the nose clips was also plain on sweet taste response. This effect surprisingly did not require a sweet odorant in the sucrose solution; sucrose itself was less sweet without passive olfactory input. No significant effects of visual input were recorded, thus olfaction was focused on in the following test. In the second experiment we investigated olfactory blockade on the other 5 classical senses, to determine if effects observed were limited to links between taste and olfaction, or were more broadly experienced across the senses, and thus could perhaps be attributed to attention or information processing. 45 panelists tested the intensity of sensory stimuli with and without nose clips. Results demonstrated that sweet taste was again impaired by loss of olfactory input, as were umami and bitter (with trends also for sour and salty), chemesthetic stimuli, and of course, detection of aroma. The results of this study suggest a close relationship between olfactory and gustatory input, and that humans may be less able to separate input from the senses, supporting evidence of constant passive crossmodal interaction.

Long-term storage of many apple cultivars can be especially challenging for organic production where use of 1methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), a crop protectant that controls ripening is disallowed. For many cultivars, controlled atmosphere (CA) storage alone, is inadequate for managing disorders and ripening. Dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA), by determining the pO2 2 just above the lower oxygen limit (LOL), permits the use of lower pO2 2 setpoints without any negative impacts of anaerobiosis. Consequently, DCA can replace 1-MCP for maintenance of fruit quality. The goal of this study was to determine where this held true for a selection of old and new release organically-grown cultivars in the context of sensory perception. Cultivars included 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' harvested in 2018 (year 1), and 'Honeycrisp', 'Golden Delicious', 'Jonagold', and 'Fuji' harvested in 2020 (year 2). The LOL was monitored for DCA using chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) and compared with conventional static CA with or without 1-MCP treatment at harvest. DCA storage suppressed ripening to a similar level as 1-MCP plus CA in both years as indicated by reduced ester biosynthesis and, for some cultivars, maintenance of flesh firmness. However, ripening suppression did not impact the overall sensory preference of 'Enterprise', 'Honeycrisp', or 'Fuji', as all cultivars retained firmness and tartness regardless of storage regime and even negatively impacted it for 'Goldrush', an especially tart and firm cultivar. Sensory liking of 'Golden Delicious' and 'Jonagold' which have more typical diminishing firmness and acid profiles were most benefited by either 1-MCP treatment or DCA storage. The results highlight that use of storage technologies that suppress ripening beyond conventional CA storage are best employed on cultivars with more conventional softening and acid metabolism profiles as opposed to new cultivars that were selected primarily against these ripening phenotypes. The results also demonstrate the value of sensory evaluation compared with instrumental measurements to reveal the influence of different storage regimes on human perception.

Alcohol use disorder in humans is highly heritable, and as a term is synonymous with alcoholism, alcohol dependence, and alcohol addiction. Defined by the NIAAA as a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences, the genetic basis of alcohol dependence is much studied. However, an intriguing component to alcohol acceptance exists outside of genetics or social factors. In fact, mice of identical genetic backgrounds without any prior experience of tasting ethanol display widely varying preferences to it, far beyond those seen for typical taste solutions. Here, we hypothesized that a preference for ethanol, which tastes both bitter and sweet to humans, would be influenced by taste function. Using a mouse model of taste behavior, we tested preferences for bitter and sweet in mice that, without training or previous experience, either preferred or avoided ethanol solutions in consumption trials. Data showed clear sex differences, in which male mice that preferred ethanol also preferred a bitter quinine solution, whereas female mice that preferred ethanol also preferred a sweet sucralose solution. Male mice preferring ethanol also exhibited lower expression levels of mRNA for genes encoding the bitter taste receptors T2R26 and T2R37, and the bitter transducing G-protein subunit GNAT3, suggesting that the higher ethanol preference observed in the male mice may be due to bitter signaling, including that arising from ethanol, being weaker in this group. Results further support links between ethanol consumption and taste response, and may be relevant to substance abuse issues in human populations.

Sodium intake is linked to multiple negative health outcomes, particularly hypertension, the leading cause of premature death globally. Sodium intake levels in human populations are high, due in part to our desire for palatable salty-tasting foods. Two leading salt replacement strategies are the use of potassium chloride (KCl) and monosodium glutamate (MSG), the latter of which still contains some sodium, but both of which can replace some salty taste in foods while reducing net sodium levels. In this report, we employed a trained descriptive sensory panel to optimize saltiness in sodium-reduced aqueous samples using various concentrations of KCl and MSG. Following this, we assessed consumer attitudes to sodium-reduction strategies in a model food, canned soup, known to typically be high in sodium. Finally, in a large consumer test, we verified that these optimized levels of KCl and MSG did not lead to a drop in liking for the reduced-sodium soups with saltiness subsidized in this manner. Our results showed that sodium can be readily reduced in soups by 18% while actually scoring higher in liking, and in some cases being perceived as even more salty tasting, but that consumers are more open to sodium reduction in this manner when sodium replacements are not specifically highlighted, and when percentage sodium reduction is stated over absolute levels.

Overconsumption of added sugars is associated with higher incidences of obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Alternative sweeteners have long been relied on as a strategy to reduce consumption of added sugars; however these alternatives differ notably from sucrose in their sensory properties. Recently, consumers have also been looking to reduce consumption of ingredients deemed "artificial," seeking natural alternatives despite poor definitions of these terms on the whole. Wider knowledge of the sensory properties of natural sweeteners would greatly aid in this goal. Descriptive analysis and time-intensity scaling were used to characterize the temporal profile and off-flavors of allulose, erythritol, rebaudioside (Reb) A, Reb D, Reb M, monk fruit, and thaumatin, as compared to sucrose. Further, each was blended to reduce sucrose by 50% and 75% in binary mixtures. Where significant off-flavors were frequently reported with sweeteners, when delivered in binary mixtures for partial sugar reduction, these were much mitigated, while also bringing temporal profiles closer to that of sucrose. This suggests that partial sugar reduction may be an effective way of reducing caloric intake while not compromising sensory experience. Practical ApplicationThe use of both descriptive analysis and time-intensity scaling allows for a more complete understanding of the sensory properties of natural alternative sweeteners. Understanding their sensory deficits and ways to improve these sweeteners plays a critical role in creating healthier products that will be accepted by consumers.

Fermentation is a critical step in the production of coffee when following standard wet processing, one of the most common methods used to remove the mucilage layer from coffee cherries. During this step, the de-pulped coffee cherries undergo fermentation with native yeast that modifies the flavor profile of the resultant coffee. This study aimed to ferment green coffee beans using commercial yeast strains from beer and wine prized for their ability to produce specific flavors, and subsequently evaluate the aroma and flavor of the coffee using coffee consumers. Four Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were used: Belgian Ale, Sourvisiae, 71 B, and Tropical IPA, along with one non-Saccharomyces, Toluraspora delbrueckii (Biodiva), and a non-inoculated control sample. The green coffee beans underwent a controlled wet fermentation for 72 h, followed by roasting, grinding, and brewing. Results showed that flavor profiles varied broadly by yeast strain, suggesting that producing novel flavors in coffee through fermentation is feasible and that these flavors survive the roasting process; however, higher liking scores were still reported for the control sample compared to the fermented samples. Biodiva, a strain used in wine to produce esters and fruity flavors, resulted in coffee with highly fruity notes, and all strains were rated more floral than the control, while the sample fermented with Sourvisiae yeast used in the brewing of sour ales resulted in coffee that was both perceived as more sour and had the lowest pH, likely due to the degree of lactic acid this strain is engineered to produce. Further, there were significant color differences between the samples. In conclusion, fermenting green coffee beans with brewing and winemaking yeast strains strongly impacted the flavor and aroma of the resultant coffee; however, evaluating larger panels of strains or optimizing strain performance may yield flavor profiles more suitable for coffee.

Visual inspection is widely used in sanitation program monitoring. However, the degree of residual food soil on equipment surfaces that is below the limit of visual detection has not been determined. The overall goal of this study was to critically evaluate the limit of detection of visual inspections and establish evidence-based strategies to improve the implementation of this monitoring activity. Respondents (n = 101) completed a visual sensory test in which they viewed 15 stainless steel and 15 white high density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets, clean or soiled with dry wheat flour, in a randomly generated order. Respondents were asked if they could visually detect food residue on each surface and, if so, if the surface should be re-cleaned. Half of the respondents failed to visually detect up to 0.05 g and 0.02 g of flour per square foot (929 cm2) on HDPE and stainless steel surfaces, respectively. Tactile inspection improved respondent detection sensitivity to 0.001 g of flour per square foot (929 cm2) on both HDPE and stainless steel. Respondent height, visual acuity, and prior food safety experience had significant (p < 0.05) effects on visual detection sensitivity. Respondents were more likely (p < 0.001) to say that a food-soiled surface should be re-cleaned after an intervention training. The findings from this study support the use of surfaces that color-contrast food residue, tactile evaluation with a gloved hand, training, and the use of flashlights or positional changes (e.g., crouching) to improve pre-operational inspections. Nonetheless, the additional use of verification tests remains necessary given the limit of detection determined for visual evaluation. Further research is needed on other food residues with different visual properties such as oils.

Photooxidation has long been affecting nutrient and sensory quality of fluid milk. Light oxidation starts from the activation of photosensitive compounds, followed by generation of singlet oxygen that reacts with vitamins, proteins, and lipids in milk. It is hypothesized that wavelength-tailored light schemes possessing spectral properties capable of avoiding excitation maxima of common photosensitizers in milk could slow the chemical degradation of light-exposed milk and thus preserve consumer acceptability. A series of 6 consumer tests with sample sizes from 95 to 119 participants tested hedonic responses to fluid milk samples exposed to light of varying wavelength spectra. For milk in clear plastic bottles (polyethylene terephthalate or high-density polyethylene), consumer panels generally liked milk exposed to light-emitting diodes eliminating wavelengths below 520 or 560 nm more than standard white light, or those eliminating other wavelength bands. This higher degree of liking coincided with panelists citing fewer off-flavors or aromas from these samples. Taken together, these observations suggest such light schemes can protect milk from light damage to some extent. Wavelength-tailored light schemes used in this study did not offer effective protection for milk in glass bottles. Dissolved oxygen, color, riboflavin loss, and hexanal content were instrumentally evaluated, but results failed to indicate significant signatures of light damage in milk compared with sensory measures. The appearance of milk bottles illuminated by the slightly greenish or yellowish light were less liked by consumers, suggesting further efforts on consumer education may be necessary if these light schemes were to be installed in retail dairy coolers.

Increased added sugar consumption is associated with type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Low and no-calorie alternative sweeteners have long been used as an aid in the reduction of added sugar. Unfortunately, these alternative sweeteners often have notable sensory deficits when compared to sucrose. Furthermore, many alternative sweeteners have synthetic origins, while consumers are increasingly turning to foods from natural origins, and from more sustainable sources. Such sweeteners include the rare sugar allulose, which can be manufactured from common agricultural waste and dairy co-product streams, and is reported to have a sensory profile similar to sucrose. This study aimed to determine the influence of the rare sugar allulose on consumer perception of sweetened vanilla yogurt. Participants were recruited to evaluate 4 vanilla yogurts sweetened with either sucrose, allulose, stevia or sucralose, and to rate their liking of the samples overall, and for flavor, texture, and their purchase intent. Statistical analysis of hedonic data from 100 consumers suggested that allulose performed similarly to sucrose in liking and purchase intent, and superior to other sweeteners tested in this study, with fewer off-flavors. Moreover, when consumers were queried on their purchase intent after learning details on the sweetener for each formulation, allulose scored significantly higher than all other formulations in purchase intent. This study highlights the potential of the rare sugar allulose as a low calorie, zero glycemic index, natural and better tasting sugar replacement in sweetened yogurt.

Soybean oil is an important commodity in the US and abroad. As lipids are vulnerable to oxidation, damage to soybean oil has been previously reported to arise from prolonged light exposure. Here, we assessed the extent of damage to samples of soybean oil from light, tested with sensory evaluation, assaying the effects of both LED and fluorescent lighting (both at 2000 lux) exposure to oil in PET bottles, using a variety of sensory approaches. Threshold testing (n = 66) suggested that differences in the sensory properties of soybean oil could be detected by a human panelist after only 32 h of LED exposure. Sensory flash profiling (n = 21) again confirmed that light-exposed samples were perceived differently to shielded samples, with LED-exposed samples clustering together, but separately from those instead exposed to fluorescent light. These differences did not necessarily result in a drop in liking of the samples, assessed with consumer testing (n = 94), despite a trend for lower liking in exposed versus shielded samples. With similar levels of light exposure, elevated dissolved oxygen levels could be mitigated with O-2 scavenging. Our results suggest that soybean oil may be reaching the consumer at a differing quality than intended, which may be mitigated with superior packaging technologies. Practical Application Soybean oil is used widely in the US and global food systems; however, it can be damaged via light oxidation. Here, we show that human panelists can readily detect the sensory signals from light damage in oil exposed for only short periods of time, via either fluorescent or LED light sources. The results suggest that superior soybean oil could be delivered to the market if improvements in packaging technologies were considered.