76C-5 |
Relationship between sensory attributes and Brazilian consumer preference towards orange juice |
M. Frata1, M. F. VALIM1, H. J. MacFie2, and M. Monteiro2. (1) Food and Nutrition Department, Sao Paulo State University - UNESP, PO Box 502, Araraquara, SP, 14801-902, Brazil, (2) Sensometrics, Bristol, United Kingdom Brazilian domestic market for ready to drink orange juice is growing and diversifying during the last years. Descriptive sensory analysis and consumer research can help to improve this market share by providing diagnostic information about products performance. Our objective was to determine the sensory attributes that would drive consumers’ preference towards orange juice. Seven commercial samples of orange juice, either reconstituted from concentrate or pasteurized, were assessed by 86 consumers using the nine-point structured hedonic scale. The same samples were also submitted to the evaluation by a panel of 7 trained assessors. They evaluated 7 sensory attributes yellow color, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, astringency, cooked taste and pulp. The intensities of the attributes were rated on non-structured scales (100 mm) anchored on the left side as “weak” and on the right side as “strong”. Descriptive analysis of the 7 samples was carried out in quadruplicates. Multivariate statistical methods were used to study the relationships among products, sensory attributes and between preference and sensory attributes. Data was analyzed by principal components (PCA) using XLSTAT and STATISTICA. The external preference mapping analysis indicated that 86% of the consumers preferred juices rated higher in sweetness, cooked taste and yellow color. The apparent preference for cooked taste was unexpected. This can be explained by the factor that sweetness and cooked flavor were signicantly correlated Samples with higher scores for sourness, bitterness and astringency were less preferred and were highly inversely correlated to sweetness (R=-0.727, -0.751 and –0.788 respectively). Fifty five percent of the total variance was explained by the first two PCA. The relationship between sensory attributes and preference data can help orange juice processors to develop products that would meet consumers’ expectations. In this study consumers’ preference was driven by a sweetness/sourness-bitterness axis.
Session 76C, Citrus: General
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