TY - JOUR

T1 - Perception and liking of yogurts with different degrees of granularity in relation to ethnicity, preferred oral processing and lingual tactile acuity

AU - Liu, Jing

AU - Bech, Anne C.

AU - Waehrens, Sandra Stolzenbach

AU - Bredie, Wender L. P.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Food perception and liking depend on both product properties and consumer characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ethnicity, preferred oral processing and lingual tactile acuity on the consumer perception and liking of yogurt. To achieve the aim, six yogurt samples were prepared, including a homogeneous yogurt, a yogurt manufactured with micro particles, and four samples with addition of flakes or cut grains in different concentrations into homogeneous yogurt. Adults (n = 152) including seventy-five Asian Chinese subjects and seventy-seven Caucasian Danish subjects rated their perception and liking of yogurts. Subjects' preferred oral processing were identified according to how they prefer to manipulate food in their mouth ('soft processing likers' and 'firm processing likers'), and their tactile acuity was assessed by von Frey filaments. A descriptive sensory analysis of the yogurt was conducted by a trained panel consisting of 10 assessors. Results showed that ethnicity had a considerable influence on the liking of yogurts. Chinese subjects liked both yogurts containing macro particles (grains or low level of flakes) and homogeneous yogurts with no added particles, whereas Danish subjects significantly decreased their liking of yogurts with addition of particles, either micro or macro. Subjects' preferred oral processing and oral tactile acuity had a less pronounced effect on the liking of yogurts. Differences in texture perception of yogurts were negligible. The present results highlight a significant cultural effect on consumer acceptability and thus underline the importance of conducting the cross-cultural sensory research to the yogurt market.

AB - Food perception and liking depend on both product properties and consumer characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ethnicity, preferred oral processing and lingual tactile acuity on the consumer perception and liking of yogurt. To achieve the aim, six yogurt samples were prepared, including a homogeneous yogurt, a yogurt manufactured with micro particles, and four samples with addition of flakes or cut grains in different concentrations into homogeneous yogurt. Adults (n = 152) including seventy-five Asian Chinese subjects and seventy-seven Caucasian Danish subjects rated their perception and liking of yogurts. Subjects' preferred oral processing were identified according to how they prefer to manipulate food in their mouth ('soft processing likers' and 'firm processing likers'), and their tactile acuity was assessed by von Frey filaments. A descriptive sensory analysis of the yogurt was conducted by a trained panel consisting of 10 assessors. Results showed that ethnicity had a considerable influence on the liking of yogurts. Chinese subjects liked both yogurts containing macro particles (grains or low level of flakes) and homogeneous yogurts with no added particles, whereas Danish subjects significantly decreased their liking of yogurts with addition of particles, either micro or macro. Subjects' preferred oral processing and oral tactile acuity had a less pronounced effect on the liking of yogurts. Differences in texture perception of yogurts were negligible. The present results highlight a significant cultural effect on consumer acceptability and thus underline the importance of conducting the cross-cultural sensory research to the yogurt market.

KW - Consumer acceptance

KW - Cross-cultural

KW - Dairy product

KW - Preferred oral processing

KW - Tactile sensitivity

KW - Texture perception

U2 - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104158

DO - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104158

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85099485590

VL - 90

JO - Food Quality and Preference

JF - Food Quality and Preference

SN - 0950-3293

M1 - 104158

ER -