Progress 10/01/11 to 10/01/16
Outputs
Target Audience:There were several target audiences for this research. The first one was the academic community. We reached this audience through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at regional, national and international conferences. We also taught and trained undergraduate and graduate students in the conduct of sensory and consumer research and in the statistical analysis of data generated in this research. The second one was the food and beverage industry, or even the consumer product industry at large, as the research developed and tested new sensory evaluation and consumer testing methodologies, provided new insights into sensory and non-sensory drivers of food choice and intake, and offered means to optimize the sensory quality of foods and beverages. And more broadly, the general public or consumers were our main audience as the findings from our research offer new knowledge, strategies and tools for healthier food choice and intake behaviors. This audience was reached through outreach and communications in tours, presentations, interviews and publications in the general media. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students from my research group attended and presented their research at a number of national and international conferences. Some of them also had the opportunity to participate in workshops, seminars and other training activities in food science and related areas. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated at professional conferences and invited presentations to professional associations and commodity boards. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The main objective of this project was to investigate the behavioral barriers to the adoption of healthful diets by consumers. We pursued two general lines of research: (1) Sensory and non-sensory determinants of food preferences, choice, purchase and intake and (2) optimization of the sensory and nutritional quality and consumer acceptance of foods, beverages and other consumer products. We developed and worked from a Consumer Research Model that considered three types of variables as drivers of consumer behavior - product variables, consumer variables and context variables. We developed and/or used both quantitative and qualitative methods of consumer research and we developed and/or applied multivariate statistics to the data generated. Our accomplishments were in the following lines of research: The Healthy Flavors Research Initiative™ (HFRI) (in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America) The HFRI's working hypothesis is that healthy ingredients with flavor-boosting properties can be used to substitute for not-so-healthy ingredients and even mitigate for sodium reduction without loss of consumer acceptance because their flavor-boosting properties make up for the overall flavor reduction that would otherwise take place. We successfully completed proof-of-concept research on beef replacement with mushrooms, an effort that resulted in the development of The Blend™ - a mixture of beef and mushrooms that is now used in school and office cafeterias around the country. We demonstrated that the umami principles in mushrooms made up for the reduction in meat and possibly sodium in taco blends, and that two of the four uncovered preference segments (accounting for 50% of the consumer population we tested) actually liked or even preferred a blend of meat and (up to 80%) mushrooms with 25% less sodium to the original 100% meat (and full-salt) recipe. We are expanding this line of research with three ongoing PhD dissertations on (1) replacing butter with extra virgin olive oil in select recipes and implementing that dietary change through nutrition, culinary and sensory education; (2) personalized sensory and culinary strategies for the implementation of The Protein Flip™ and the increase of vegetable consumption; and (3) the Dessert Flip™ - a means of reducing caloric and saturated fat intake in desserts through increased fruits and nuts. Personal values and food preferences and choice Our investigation of the effects of personal values on food preferences, choice and purchase using potato chips and orange juices as food and beverage media revealed three consumer segments embracing different values - Universalism, Conservatism and Hedonism. Those groups had dissimilar concerns for the various features and properties of the products, which influenced their food choice differently, and they differed in their sensory preferences as well. The Universalism cluster emphasized the sensory quality of the products, nutritional benefits, and packaging materials, which reflected their motivational goals of preserving the welfare of the environment and of other people. They also developed sensory preferences for products that were perceived to be healthy and natural. The Conservatism cluster emphasized monetary value when they made food choices and preferred products that they were familiar with. The Hedonism cluster emphasized the sensory quality of the products and tended to choose foods that provided pleasure and enjoyment. Valuable information with respect to the associations between tangible product factors and personal values were determined by means-end chain analysis. We also compared the use of conjoint analysis and of Schwartz' Portrait Value Questionnaire for the investigation of the effect of personal values on food preferences and choice. The formulation of sensory liking For our investigation of the formulation of sensory liking by consumers, we developed a holistic approach to the measurement of liking with consumers that combined descriptive, sorting, napping and rating tasks. These approaches were investigated in fruit juice blends, for an aqueous food system, and in cereal/granola bars, for a solid food system. We first assessed whether a holistic way of collecting sensory information, with the use of projective mapping, would better link to consumers' hedonic judgments, which are integrated measurements, compared to an analytical data collection approach. We found that projective mapping allowed less complex polynomial modeling for consumer preferences in the tested food systems. We then focused on validating the argument that hedonic judgment is involved when sensory information is collected directly from consumers through the use of projective mapping. The results suggested that consumers may have been influenced by their hedonic judgment when performing a projective mapping based on the product's sensory (dis)similarities; and that they may have prioritized the criteria for the differentiation of the products based on their relevance to hedonic judgment, i.e., sweetness. Optimizing citrus sensory quality (funded by the Citrus Research Board) With the ultimate aim of optimizing fruit quality and consumer acceptance through improved breeding, growing, harvesting and post-harvest practices, we investigated the preferences, knowledge, attitudes and opinions of Northern California adult and children consumers for Navel oranges and mandarins. We found some segmentation of preferences for Navel oranges and mandarins in both adults and, to a lesser extent, children (4 preference segments for oranges and 3 for mandarins in adults and 3 preference segments for oranges and 2 for mandarins in children). This suggests that children's likes and dislikes are more homogeneous than those of adults, a logical outcome since children go primarily on sensory quality of the fruit, whereas both sensory and cognitive variables are considered by adults. We then used regression statistics to find which sensory properties, as measured by descriptive analysis, drove liking by the consumer segments. Consistent drivers of liking for the preference segments were overall flavor (+), sweetness (+), acidity (+ or -, depending on the segment), firmness (-), juiciness (+), fibrousness (-) and ease of peeling (+). And because we collected demographic and usage information from the consumers through an exit survey, we can find out what the consumers in each preference segment have in common, so that their ideal fruit may be marketed to them more effectively. Focus groups conducted in parallel showed that adults seemed more concerned with the flavor and price of oranges or mandarins, whereas children were more affected by availability of oranges and mandarins as well as by competition from other foods and were more concerned about the basic flavors of oranges as well as presence of albedo (white part) and seeds. Children's food preferences and intake - the case of vegetables In collaboration with Chinese and Chilean colleagues, we began a cross-cultural quantitative and qualitative study of young children and their mothers' vegetable preferences and eating habits with a series of focus groups and the administration of surveys to mothers from the US, Chile and China.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Guinard, J.-X., A. Myrdal Miller, K. Mills, T. Wong, S.-M. Lee, C. Sirimuangmoon, S. E. Schaefer and Greg Drescher. 2016. Consumer acceptance of dishes in which beef has been partially substituted with mushrooms and sodium has been reduced. Appetite. 105:449-459.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Lee, S.M., S.-E. Kim, J.-X. Guinard and K.-O. Kim. 2016. Exploration of flavor familiarity effect in Korean and US consumers' hot sauces perceptions. Food Science and Biotechnology. 25(3):745-756.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Spencer, M., Sage, E., Velez, M. and Guinard, J.-X. 2016. Using single free sorting and multivariate exploratory methods to design a new coffee taster's flavor wheel. Journal of Food Science. 81(12):S2997-S3005.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:There are several target audiences for our consumer research - the food and beverage industries, including the food service industry, the nutrition community, including registered dieticians, government agencies, commodity groups, and the consumer population at large. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students in my research team attended a number of professional conferences during the reporting period. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated at professional conferences and invited presentations to professional associations and commodity boards. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to carry out a study of adult and children consumer preferences, purchasing and eating habits for citrus fruit (mandarins and Navel oranges) funded by the Citrus Research Board of California. This will be an opportunity to test and implement new quantitative and qualitative consumer research methods. As part of our Healthy Flavors Research Initiative with the Culinary Institute of America, we will carry out the cross-cultural research on consumer preferences for recipes varying in the source of fat/oil and on the feasibility of replacing butter with olive oil in the diet without loss of consumer acceptance. And we will get research on culinary and other strategies for increasing vegetable consumption in both adults and children under way.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The major goals of this project are to (1) to develop and test consumer research methods and models; (2) understand how consumers formulate liking for foods, beverages and other consumer products; (3) study the effects of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior; and (4) formulate foods, recipes and menus for optimal consumer acceptance and health. Our work with food and food service companies continues to result in enhanced sensory and nutritional quality of foods and menus, improved sustainability and environmental consciousness, and enhanced nutrition education of consumers. Our research on sensory evaluation and consumer testing methods and models, and on statistical methods for the analysis of sensory and consumer data results in better practices by sensory and consumer testing professionals and sensometricians. For example, we fine-tuned discrimination testing and descriptive analysis methods for chocolate products and refined methods for the assessment of panel performance in descriptive analysis. For our Healthy Flavors Research Initiative with the Culinary Institute of America, we developed recipes for the substitution of butter with extra virgin olive oil that will be tested with consumer populations in California and Tuscany in an upcoming cross-cultural proof-of-concept study.
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience:Our research is designed to improve consumer behavior with respect to food, nutrition and diet-related health. As such, the main target audience for our efforts is consumers at large. Other audiences are food and consumer researchers, the food industry and the food service and restaurant industries. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students participated in various professional conferences in food science, sensory science and/or consumer researched, where they presented their work, learned about new research in their discipline, and networked with fellow graduate students and researchers and professionals in the field. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?I presented our group's research on the sensory determinants of food choice and intake and more specifically our proof-of-concept Healthy Flavors Research Initiative on the use of mushrooms as a means to reduce saturated fat and sodium intake from beef-containing dishes at Food 3000 (March 2014 in Amsterdam), an international conference that draws key influencers from the nutrition, dietetics and wellness communities and instantaneously turns scientific information into dietary and behavioral recommendations through the Internet and social media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Submit work completed during this cycle for publication. Conduct the second phase of the Healthy Flavors Research Initiative (HFRI) with a continued focus on the reduction of saturated fat and sodium intake, this time through the substitution of butter with olive oil in select recipes; in addition to assessing consumer acceptance of the recipes by preference mapping, and dependent on the confirmation of our hypotheses, we will also explore the potential success of a dietary behavioral change through the incorporation of olive oil in the purchasing, cooking and intake of consumers. Plan for the third phase of the HFRI, to be focused on increasing the consumptions of vegetables through the use of spices and herbs as flavor enhancers and sodium reduction mitigators.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We continued to optimize our consumer research model (Delgado, Santosa and Guinard, 2013) through the investigation of the effects of personal values on food preferences and choice (Kitsawad and Guinard, 2014). Indeed personal values figure as important determinants of consumer behavior, and we were able to confirm that they indeed had an effect on food preferences and even more so on food choice. We completed and published the results of our proof-of-concept study for the Healthy Flavors Research Initiative, a joint venture between UC Davis and the Culinary In statute of America (Myrdal Miller et al. 2014). We demonstrated that mushrooms, through the flavor-enhancing properties of their umami principles, could be used to substitute for beef in taco blends without a significant reduction of flavor or consumer acceptance, even mitigating to some extent the reduction of sodium (salt) in the dish. The findings of our research have led the food service industry to implement some substitution of meat with mushrooms to reduce saturated fat in select dishes, sometimes with a sodium reduction as well.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Kitsawad, K. & Guinard, J.-X. 2014. Combining means-end chain analysis and the Portrait Value Questionnaire to research the influence of personal values on food choice. Food Quality and Preference, 35:48-58.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Myrdal Miller, A., Mills, K., Wong, T., Drescher, G., Lee, S.M., Sirimuangmoon, C., Schaefer, S., Langstaff, S., Minor, B. & Guinard, J.-X. 2014. Flavor-enhancing properties of mushrooms in meat-based dishes in which sodium has been reduced and meat has been partially substituted with mushrooms. Journal of Food Science, 79(9):S1795-S1804.
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Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Our research is designed to improve consumer behavior with respect to food, nutrition and diet-related health. As such, the main target audience for our efforts is consumers at large. Other audiences are food and consumer researchers, the food industry and the food service and restaurant industries. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduate students participated in various professional conferences in food science, sensory science and/or consumer researched, where they presented their work, learned about new research in their discipline, and networked with fellow graduate students and researchers and professionals in the field. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of our research were presented at the Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium - the premier international conference for sensory science and consumer research, in Rio de Janeiro in July 2013. This conference is attended by many food, beverage and consumer product industry professionals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Publish the results of our cross-cultural research on rice. Plan for the next proof-of-concept study for the Healthy Flavors Research Initiative, this time focusing of the replacement of butter with olive oil as a strategy for reducing saturated fat and sodium in select dishes.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The consumer research model which we developed for this project (Delgado, Santosa and Guinard, 2013) was applied to the study of olive oil consumption behavior. It helped us further our understanding of consumer preferences, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about olive oil and extra virgin olive oil more specifically, and what product variables (i.e., sensory characteristics and packaging of the oils), consumer variables, and context variables drive liking and purchase by consumers (Santosa et al., 2013; Delgado et al., 2013). It also allowed us to explore elements and combinations of qualitative (focus groups, open-ended questions, etc.) and quantitative (scales, sorting tasks, multiple choice questions, etc.) consumer research methods that best measured the consumer variables listed above. As expected from the existing literature, and as proposed in our consumer research model, combinations and/or sequences of both types of methods (e.g., qualitative and quantitative) proved most effective in uncovering product, consumer or context variables that drove specific consumer behaviors with regard to olive oil. We completed our cross-cultural study of consumer preferences, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs with regards to rice, in which we compared Asian, Caucasian-American and Latino-American populations living in Northern California. For this purpose, we applied our consumer research model (Delgado, Santosa and Guinard, 2013) and explored the use of Ajzen's and Fishbein's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate the consumer behavior measures listed above.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Santosa, M., Clow, E., Sturzenberger, N. & Guinard, J.-X. 2013. Knowledge, beliefs, habits and attitudes of California consumers regarding extra virgin olive oil. Food Research International, 54:2104-2111.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Sirimuangmoon, C. Effect of Cultural Factors on Rice Sensory Perceptions, Preferences, and Consumption Behaviors. PhD Dissertation, University of California, Davis, June 2013.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Delgado, C., Gomez-Rico, A. & Guinard, J.-X. 2013. Evaluating bottles and labels versus tasting the oils blind: Effects of packaging and labeling on consumer preferences, purchase intentions and expectations for extra virgin olive oil. Food Research International, 54:2112-2121.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Outputs are reported for Objectives 1-4. (1) a. We contributed to the development of a Universal Emotion and Odor Scale (UniGEOS) for the measurement of odor-related feelings as part of a multi-laboratory research initiative on the relation between emotions and smell. The work is in press in Food Quality and Preference, and will provide a tool for researchers to investigate odor-related emotions in different cultures around the world. b. We published the consumer research model that we developed in our previous Experiment Station Project as part of a book chapter on olive oil.c. We created a new method to assess the (sensory) quality of consumer products called Quality Mapping, which extends the preference mapping approach to the measurement of quality by experts and can be used to uncover and measure the positive and negative drivers of sensory quality as perceived by experts. It is proposed as a validation tool for the assessment of sensory quality by experts. It uncovers potential segmentation among the experts and it identifies the sensory drivers of their concept of sensory quality. d. For our investigation of the formulation of sensory liking by consumers, we developed a holistic approach to the measurement of liking with consumers that combined descriptive, sorting, napping and rating tasks. (2) We completed an extensive investigation of the formulation of liking by consumers and are in the process of submitting the dissertation work of Dr. Soh Min Lee on the topic for publication. (3) We completed an extensive investigation of the effects of personal values on consumer food preferences, choice and purchase behavior. The dissertation work of Dr. Kitsawad Kamolnate on the topic has been submitted for publication. (4) We completed the first phase of our joint Healthy Flavors Initiative with the Culinary Institute of America on the use of mushrooms as a substitute for beef in carne asada and taco mix recipes, along with a reduction of sodium, without compromising the sensory quality and consumer acceptance of the recipes. These recipes capitalize on the flavor-enhancing properties of umami principles in mushrooms, a healthy alternative to beef. They are now available for use by the food service and restaurant industries, and we are writing up the results of our research for publication. PARTICIPANTS: Participant updates are provided for Objectives 1-4. (1)Our work on odors and emotions is in collaboration with various researchers around the world led by Dr. Camille Ferdenzi at the University of Geneva. Our contribution was the focus of Kimberly Court's Master's Thesis. It was funded by Firmenich and the University of Geneva. The Quality Mapping methodology was an outcome of Dr. Claudia Delgado's Ph.D. dissertation work. (2)The investigation we began on the formulation of liking by consumers was the Ph.D. research of Dr. Soh Min Lee, now a post-doctoral researcher in my laboratory. (3) The investigation of the effects of personal values on food preferences, choice and purchase was the Ph.D. research of Dr. Kitsawad Kamolnate, now a faculty member at Assumption University in Thailand. (4)Our work on the substitution of beef with mushrooms was the first step of the Healthy Flavors Initiative - a joint project with the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (CA), which was funded by the Mushroom Council. My co-PI was Dr. Amy Myrdal-Miller from the CIA. Key personnel on the project were Greg Drescher, Kelly Mills and Thomas Wong from the CIA, Dr. Soh-Min Lee, Dr. Sarah Schaeffer and Ph.D. Candidate Chirat Sirimuangmoon from UC Davis, and Sue Langstaff, Sensory Science Consultant, Applied Sensory LLC. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our research is designed to improve consumer behavior with respect to food, nutrition and diet-related health. As such, the main target audience for our efforts is consumers at large. Other audiences are food and consumer researchers, the food industry and the food service and restaurant industries. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Outcomes and impacts are reported for Objectives 1, 3 and 4. (1) a. The scales that have been developed for the measurement of odor-related feelings are now being used by researchers worldwide in their investigation of emotions and smells, and have become the golden standard in this area of consumer research. b. Our new consumer research model, that considers the effects of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior, combines quantitative and qualitative data collection with multivariate statistics, and uncovers trends and key learnings, is now being used by the consumer research community. c. Our Quality Mapping methodology is new being used for the assessment of sensory quality in consumer products. d. Our research on the formulation of liking by consumers involved various methodological developments, most focused on providing a more holistic approach to the measurement of liking by consumers. These approaches were investigated in fruit juice blends, for an aqueous food system, and in cereal/granola bars, for a solid food system. Projective mapping allowed less complex polynomial modeling for consumer preferences in the tested food systems. Hedonic judgment may play a role when sensory information is collected directly from consumers through the use of projective mapping; and consumers may prioritize sensory criteria for the differentiation of products based on their relevance to hedonic judgment, i.e., sweetness. Positional relative rating, a hedonic data collection procedure, provided an equivalent result to monadic evaluation with the 9-point point hedonic scale. (3) Our investigation of the effects of personal values on food preferences, choice and purchase revealed three consumer segments embracing different values - Universalism, Conservatism and Hedonism. Those had dissimilar concerns for various aspects of foods, thus influencing their food choice, and differed in their sensory preferences. The Universalism cluster emphasized the sensory quality of the products, nutritional benefits, and packaging materials, which reflected the motivational goals of preserving the welfare of the environment and of others. They also preferred products that were perceived to be healthy and natural. The Conservatism cluster emphasized monetary value in their food choices and preferred products they were familiar with. The Hedonism cluster emphasized sensory quality of the products and tended to choose foods that provided pleasure and enjoyment. Rich information on the associations between tangible product factors and personal values was obtained by means-end chain analysis. (4) The first study in the Healthy Flavors Initiative determined how much sodium and meat reduction in popular meat-based dishes could be achieved through substitution with mushrooms without compromising the sensory quality and acceptability of the dishes. It is a promising first step in the development of healthy alternatives to recipes that are traditionally high in sodium and saturated fat.
Publications
- Kamolnate, K. The role of personal values in food choice and preference: A case study with potato chips and orange juice. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California, Davis. June 2012.
- Lee, S. M. An investigation of consumer methodologies for hedonic testing and sensory profiling. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California, Davis. December 2012.
- Delgado, C., and J. X. Guinard. Internal and external quality mapping as a new approach to the evaluation of sensory quality a case study with olive oil. Journal of Sensory Studies 27(5):332-343 (2012).
- Lee, S. M., K. Kitsawad, A. Sigal, D. Flynn, and J. X. Guinard. Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of imported and domestic sliced black ripe olives. Journal of Food Science 77(12):S438-S448 (2012).
- Ferdenzi, C., S. Delplanque, P. Barbosa, K. Court, J. X. Guinard, T. Guo, S. C. Roberts, A. Schirmer, C. Porcherot, I. Cayeux, D. Sander, and D. Grandjean. Affective semantic space of scents. Towards a universal scale to measure odor-related feelings. Food Quality and Preference (In Press) 2012.
- Delgado, C., M. Santosa, A. Gomez-Rico, and J. X. Guinard. Olive Oil Consumer Research. In Olive Oil Sensory Science, E. Monteleone and S. Langstaff (eds.). Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, UK (In Press) 2012.
- Delgado, C., M. Santosa and J. X. Guinard. Olive Oil Consumer Research. Methods and Key Learnings. In Handbook of Olive Oil: Analysis and Properties. 2nd Edition. R. Aparicio (ed.). Springer, New York (In Press) 2012.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1) Consumer research methodologies: we tested the validity of our consumer research model that factors the multivariate influences of product variables, consumer variables and context variables on consumer behavior. We designed three different conjoint analyses to explore consumer acceptance of acai products in the US, and preferences and purchase intentions for potato chips and orange juice; and we combined the results of these analyses with those of qualitative methods and other quantitative methods. Finally, we are developing new methods for the assessment of liking by consumers. 2) Formulation of liking: we have completed critical steps for this project, with the collection of descriptive analysis, napping and preference mapping data for the investigation of how liking for juices and cereal bars is formulated by consumers. We are now analyzing those data sets. 3) Influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake: we completed a study of the relation between odors and emotions, and presented the results at national and international conferences in the summer of 2011. Knowledge generated in this study will influence how manufacturers and marketers use odors to trigger specific emotions in their customers. We also completed a study of the effect of personal values on food preferences and choice. The results will be presented at international conferences in the summer and fall of 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Ms. Kimberly Court worked on our Odors and Emotions project for her MS Thesis. She is now a Sensory Analyst at Tragon Corporation. This research was conducted in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Geneva and Firmenich, a multinational flavor and fragrance company. Ms. Ploy Kitsawad conducted the research on personal values and food preferences and choice. She will receive her doctoral degree in the spring of 2012. Ms. Soh-Min Lee is conducting the research of the formulation of liking by consumers. She is expected to receive her doctoral degree in the fall of 2012. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Given that this project got underway in 2012, it is premature to report outcomes or impacts at this juncture.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We developed and validated a consumer research model that accounts for the multivariate nature of consumer behavior and provides a holistic framework for the investigation of sensory and non-sensory factors mitigating food consumption behavior. This consumer research model relates consumer behavior to three types of variables - product variables, consumer variables and context variables. Product variables are all the characteristics of the product, such as price, brand image, package, label information, and sensory properties, among others. Consumer variables are mostly demographics and psychographics, but also include anatomy, physiology and genetics. Context variables can summarily be defined as all those variables that are not product or consumer variables. In practice, they include the physical environment of consumption but also the non-physical context. The consumption behavior measures that can be modeled with this model are variables such as preferences, liking, purchase intent, repeat purchase, and satisfaction, among others. The model also considers culture as a set of variables that overlaps between the consumer variables and the context variables. Because it is a multivariate model, multivariate statistics are required to analyze the effect of the different variables on the behavioral measure whenever quantitative methods are used to investigate the behavior. In turn, because multivariate statistics are used, trends and patterns are uncovered rather than quantifiable cause-effect relationships. Because of the sheer number of potential variables in the model, it is not possible to effect the data collection entirely with quantitative means. The model also combines discrete and non-discrete independent variables, and hence requires both parametric and non-parametric statistics. The trends we seek to uncover and the relative contributions of the variables we want to elucidate are resolved either through multivariate analysis of quantitative data or by deriving key learnings from qualitative approaches. Our research has expanded, refined, combined or developed both quantitative and qualitative consumer testing methods as required by the model (e.g., ethnography, focus groups, sorting tasks, means end chains, conjoint analysis, etc.) and it has contributed new sensormetrics tools for the analysis of consumer data. We have applied this model to the study of purchasing and consumption behavior for a range of products such as olive oil, table olives, melons, and acai berries. Our work on the development of fortified foods with increased palatability to reduce the incidence of nutritional deficiencies has continued with the optimization of zinc-fortified flour-based products. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: The consumer research model we developed allowed us to better understand how product variables, consumer variables and context variables account for consumer behavior with regard to food choice and intake. We will disseminate this knowledge to consumers in an effort to improve their nutrition and to food producers and manufacturers to help them formulate healthier foods. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
This research into consumer behavior with respect to foods, beverages and other consumer products can help us manufacture better products by first understanding, and then meeting consumer needs and expectations, and bring solutions to the current public health crisis by improving our understanding of the behavioral obstacles to the adoption of healthy diets and lifestyles by consumers of all ages.
Publications
- Ferguson, L. Rosa, U. A., Castro-Garcia, S., Lee, S. M., Guinard, J.-X., Burns, J., Krueger, W. H., OConnell, N. V. and Glozer, K. 2010. Mechanical harvesting of California table and oil olives. Adv. Hort. Sci. 24(1):53-63.
- Santosa, M., Abdi, H. and Guinard, J.-X. 2010. A modified sorting task to investigate consumer perceptions of extra virgin olive oils. Food Quality and Preference, 21, 881-892.
- G.J. Aaron, N. Ba Lo, S.Y. Hess, A.T. Guiro, S. Wade, N.F. Ndiaye, J-X. Guinard and K.H. Brown. 2010. Acceptability of Complementary Foods and Breads Prepared from Zinc-Fortified Cereal Flours among Young Children and Adults in Senegal. Journal of Food Science. 76(1);56 - 62.
- Delgado, C. and Guinard, J.-X. 2010. How do consumer hedonic ratings for extra virgin olive oil relate to quality ratings by experts and descriptive analysis ratings Food Quality and Preference. 22(2):213-225.
- Santosa, M. and Guinard, J.-X. 2010. Means-end chains analysis of extra virgin olive oil purchase and consumption behavior. Food Quality and Preference. 22(3):304-316.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We completed our studies of consumer perceptions, sensory and non-sensory, of olive oil. Our research showed that consumers prefer oils which are low in bitterness and pungency, and that most of them actually like oils with some level of rancidity. This confirms the theories that likes and dislikes for taste (bitterness) and trigeminal (pungency) qualities are innate (negative in this case) and that olfactory preferences are learned, based on exposure. Because most of the olive oils on the US market have some rancidity, consumers have learned to tolerate or even like somewhat rancid oils. Our work on consumer perceptions of olive oil further shows that consumers know little about the sensory properties and the health benefits of olive oil, nor do they know much about the regulations that govern the production and the labeling of olive oil. Our research shows that there are huge opportunities to further introduce a healthy fat -olive oil, into the diet of Americans and it suggests that through proper education of consumers, the opportunities to expand the production and sales of high quality, extra-virgin oils are substantial. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
This research into consumer behavior with respect to foods, beverages and other consumer products can help us manufacture better products by first understanding, and then meeting consumer needs and expectations, and bring solutions to the current public health crisis by improving our understanding of the behavioral obstacles to the adoption of healthy diets and lifestyles by consumers of all ages.
Publications
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Progress is reported for research objectives 1 and 5. (1) We developed a two-stage sorting task to probe American consumers' perceptions and opinions of extra virgin olive oil. Sorting data for 25 olive oils were analyzed using a three-way extension of classical multidimensional scaling called DISTATIS which explores the level of consumer agreement as well as the structure of the olive oil products. Consumers' comments were analyzed qualitatively prior to statistical analysis and were later used to understand the sorting results. Despite differences in the socio-demographic backgrounds as well as in consumption and/or usage of extra virgin olive oil products, the majority of the consumers perceived the product set similarly. Most consumers often referred to the currently available related oil products as well as to wine to anchor their explanations for the olive oils. This shows that although extra virgin olive oil has been around for a long time, it is a relatively new product category for American consumers. Sorting allowed the consumers to define their perceptions using the physical characteristics of the extra virgin olive oil products and to provide more criteria or multidimensional views of their perception of the products. (5) We are investigating the concept of sensory quality in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by relating quality ratings by experts, descriptive analysis ratings by a trained panel and hedonic ratings from consumers, using innovative multivariate approaches. We are extending the preference mapping approach to the concept of quality and introducing quality mapping as the analysis of quality ratings by experts, their segmentation and their relation to descriptive analysis ratings. Twenty EVOOs spanning several olive cultivars, countries and prices were selected to cover the spectrum of sensory properties typically encountered in EVOO. A panel of 16 trained judges rated the intensities of over 30 sensory attributes of appearance, flavor and mouthfeel. Quality ratings are being collected from 25 experts drawn from the Los Angeles International EVOO Competition, the California Olive Oil Council Taste Panel and the UC Davis Olive Center. One hundred and twenty consumers will indicate their degree of liking for the oils and their attributes on the 9-point hedonic scale, and then complete an exit survey with demographic and psychographic components. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Table olives are a commodity of great importance in Mediterranean countries as well as in the United States. Olives produced in different countries hold distinct sensory profiles, since many factors may affect their quality, including fruit genetics, degree of ripening, processing technologies, and agronomical factors. We are characterizing the sensory profiles of sliced black table olives, identifying the sensory characteristics which appeal to consumers in the U.S, and establishing consumer driven quality factors for the table olive industry. A generic descriptive analysis was performed on 20 commercial sliced black table olives from different countries (U.S., Egypt, Morocco, Portugal and Spain). The descriptive panel indentified and rated 35 sensory attributes. It was found that texture characteristics discriminated best among the olives, although they did not separate the olives according to country of origin. When the texture component was excluded and the focus of the statistical analyses was placed on the flavor attributes in the profile, the olives were grouped based on their country of origin. A consumer test (N=100) was conducted to measure liking of the olives and to collect relevant information on olive usage. We are now using multivariate tools including Partial Least Square regression to relate consumer hedonic ratings to the sensory descriptive ratings and identify the sensory drivers of American consumers' preferences. We are also investigating the rationale for the belief that some (red) wines develop a higher sensory quality with age by comparing the sensory properties of Pinot noir wines when they were first released on the market and then four years later, using descriptive analysis methods and basic measures of wine composition. This research into consumer behavior with respect to foods, beverages and other consumer products can help us manufacture better products by first understanding, and then meeting consumer needs and expectations, and bring solutions to the current public health crisis by improving our understanding of the behavioral obstacles to the adoption of healthy diets and lifestyles by consumers of all ages.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
Progress is reported for research objective 5 - To investigate the concept of quality and the sensory and non-sensory components of quality, as perceived by producers, consumers and commodity experts. We studied the drivers of sensory quality in Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc wines. Our objectives were (1) to determine whether quality ratings by wine experts or critics and quality ratings by members of the wine industry are related; (2) to examine whether and how those quality ratings by wine experts and by members of industry relate to hedonic ratings by consumers - do consumers like those wines experts say are quality products, or those wines industry members attempt to produce? (3) To examine market segmentation for wine preferences among consumers (do consumers have the same likes and dislikes, or can a number of market segments be identified and if so, can they be characterized? And (4) for each market segment, to determine which sensory attributes drive
preferences for Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir wines (e.g., identify so-called drivers of liking for these varieties). For the Pinot noir variety, the quality ratings by wine experts and by wine industry members were consistent with the hedonic ratings by consumers. The definition of a high quality and well liked Pinot noir wine was one with a dominant red or dark fruit sensory profile, slightly sweeter, and with higher alcohol content. The Wine Spectator was also in agreement with the aforementioned groups, but considered a dark fruit sensory profile to be more indicative of a high quality Pinot noir as opposed to a red fruit sensory profile. By contrast, for the Sauvignon blanc variety, there was less agreement between quality ratings by wine experts or members of the wine industry and hedonic ratings by consumers. The definition of a high quality Sauvignon blanc wine was one with a dominant vegetable sensory profile and with higher alcohol content. A Sauvignon blanc well liked by
consumers, on the other hand, was one with a dominant tropical fruit and citrus sensory profile. This study shows that even though there is good agreement between wine critics and wine producers as to what constitutes a high-quality Pinot noir or Sauvignon blanc wine, depending on the variety, that may or may not quite be consistent with what consumers like.
Impacts
This research into consumer behavior with respect to foods, beverages and other consumer products can help us manufacture better products by first understanding, and then meeting consumer needs and expectations, and bring solutions to the current public health crisis by improving our understanding of the behavioral obstacles to the adoption of healthy diets and lifestyles by consumers of all ages.
Publications
- Tsay, M.J. 2007 Sensory drivers of wine quality: Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc. Univ. California, Davis. M.S. Thesis. 196 Pp.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Progress reported for obj. 1, 5 and 6. 1. A study of the sensory drivers of repeated purchasing behavior by consumers for three product categories showed that a successful product is one that most closely mimics the natural or restaurant version on certain key attributes. The predictive model we developed helps to show the importance of a particular attribute relative to the other. For instance, with orange juice, sourness and fresh aroma are slightly more influential on sales than transparency. The product must be viewed as a multi-collinear network of sensory attributes. A frozen cheese pizza is successful only when all attributes are at their peak levels. The approach we took is promising. By studying the sensory attributes of the food, much can be predicted about the potential success, instead of collecting data from thousands of consumers. Future studies will examine the reproducibility and predictive ability of the model we developed. The relevancy and
robustness of the model will also be enhanced by including more marketing variables into it. 5. We studied the drivers of sensory quality in caviar. There is no standardized way to grade caviar, so we looked at which sensory attributes are associated with high and low quality caviars. A descriptive analysis panel developed a lexicon of 33 attributes, 16 of which differed significantly among the 22 commercial caviars we examined. These same caviars were then presented to experts to be rated on a 100-point overall quality scale. Buttery and skin thickness attributes were positively correlated with high quality scores from the experts. Attributes such as bitter, sour, grassy, and muddy were negatively correlated. Several other attributes, such as fresh fish and salty, were unrelated to quality. The results obtained from the experts were quite variable suggesting they had differing concepts of what quality caviar is. 6. We extended our line of research into the links between genetic taste
markers, such as 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), and overall taste and sensory sensitivities, food preferences, diet and health, to children. 121 children, 5 to 7 years, were classified as PROP super-tasters (n=23), tasters (n=74) or nontasters (n=24) based on two PROP vs. water 3-Alternative Forced Choice (3-AFC) tests and a PROP detection threshold measurement using a modified up-and-down method. PROP tasters had significantly lower PROP and caffeine thresholds (P<0.05), but sucrose thresholds did not differ among taster groups. Super-tasters had the most fungiform papillae (52.7 papillae/cm2), followed by tasters (38.5 papillae/cm2) and nontasters (26.3 papillae/cm2) . Even though BMI was not linked to PROP taster status, tasters had significantly higher daily values than supertasters for several dietary intake measures: energy, fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Nontasters also consumed significantly more protein, saturated fat, and overall ate larger
portions than supertasters. Children supertasters, like their adult counterparts, had the most fungiform papillae followed by tasters and nontasters. Caffeine and PROP thresholds were significantly correlated to taster status.
Impacts
This research into consumer behavior with respect to foods, beverages and other consumer products can help us manufacture better products by first understanding, and then meeting consumer needs and expectations, and bring solutions to the current public health crisis by improving our understanding of the behavioral obstacles to the adoption of healthy diets and lifestyles by consumers of all ages.
Publications
- Smith, J. 2005. Effect of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taster status on taste sensitivity, food preferences and dietary intake of children. MS Thesis. Univ. California, Davis. 57 Pp.
- Kruse, C. Sensory drivers of repeated purchasing behavior. 2006. MS Thesis. Univ. California, Davis. 90 Pp.
- Ostrander, R. 2006. Sensory evaluation of caviar: shelf-life and drivers of quality. Univ. California, Davis. M.S. Thesis. 126 Pp.
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