Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS submitted to NRP
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR WITH RESPECT TO FOOD, NUTRITION AND DIET-RELATED HEALTH
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1010421
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Dec 5, 2016
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2021
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
410 MRAK HALL
DAVIS,CA 95616-8671
Performing Department
Food Science and Technology
Non Technical Summary
The relation between diet and health is well documented. The rapid increases in chronic diseases and obesity in the US are attributed in significant part to unhealthy dietary choices and patterns. Yet, our understanding of the determinants of food preferences, choice and intake and other diet-related consumer behaviors continues to be limited, and so is our understanding of the obstacles to the adoption of healthy diets by individuals. Evidence does suggest that for many of the foods or recipes deemed healthful by nutrition experts (i.e., produce, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fish), consumer appeal is low compared to less healthy foods and recipes whose sensory appeal is linked to high levels of salt, sugar and fat (Drewnowski, 1997; Drewnowski and Rock, 1995). But many other variables come into play. Hence our continued commitment to research consumer behavior using a consumer research model that considers the respective and combined influences of product variables, consumer variables and context variables on consumer behavior, and uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches (Delgado et al., 2013).Research into consumer behavior with respect to food, nutrition and diet-related health will help us (1) manufacture better food and beverage products, create healthier recipes and menus, and offer more appropriate diets by first understanding, and then meeting consumer needs and expectations and (2) 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.The overall goal of this research is to improve our understanding of consumer behavior with respect to food, nutrition and diet-related health.Specific objectives are:1. To develop and test new consumer research methods and models for the investigation of consumer behavior, particularly food preferences, likes and dislikes, food choice, and food intake.2. To research the formulation of sensory liking among consumers.3. To investigate the respective influences of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior.4. To formulate foods, recipes and menus for health with high acceptance among consumers.Expected products, outputs and outcomes for those objectives are (1) refined and novel methodologies for the investigation of consumer behavior; (2) an improved understanding of how consumers formulate their liking or dislike for foods with regard to the process and the factors that influence that process and its outcome(s); (3) a determination of the respective influences of product (sensory and non-sensory), consumer and context variables on food choice and intake for a wide range of foods and beverages; and (4) the formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health with a high level of acceptance among consumers.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
40%
Developmental
30%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
5025010309020%
5035010309020%
5045010309010%
5027220309010%
5037220309010%
5047220309010%
7035010101010%
7045010101010%
Knowledge Area
703 - Nutrition Education and Behavior; 504 - Home and Commercial Food Service; 503 - Quality Maintenance in Storing and Marketing Food Products; 704 - Nutrition and Hunger in the Population; 502 - New and Improved Food Products;

Subject Of Investigation
7220 - Sensory evaluation/analysis methods (human senses); 5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3090 - Sensory science (human senses); 1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this research is to improve our understanding of consumer behavior with respect to food, nutrition and diet-related health.Specific objectives are:1. To develop and test new consumer research methods and models for the investigation of consumer behavior, particularly food preferences, likes and dislikes, food choice, and food intake.2. To research the formulation of sensory liking among consumers.3. To investigate the respective influences of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior.4. To formulate foods, recipes and menus for health with high acceptance among consumers.
Project Methods
(1) Consumer research methodologiesThe development or refinement of methodologies will entail combining quantitative and qualitative consumer research methods. On the quantitative side, we will use established tools such as surveys, questionnaires and product (sensory) evaluation tests that have been designed to measure specific consumer behaviors (e.g., preferences, choice, purchase, intake, etc) or consumer variables (e.g., values, emotions, demographics, psychographics, etc), and refine or combine them in unique and innovative ways to adequately tackle as many of the quantifiable variables and effects in the consumer research model. On the qualitative side, we will explore and refine existing tools (e.g., means-end chain analysis, focus groups, individual interviews, ethnography). Finally, we will combine them to provide a complete and accurate view of consumer behaviors of interest and apply multivariate statistical techniques, such as factor analysis (e.g., principal component analysis, correspondence analysis, Procrustes analysis, etc.), classification (e.g., cluster analysis) and regression (e.g., partial least squares regression, response surface methodology) methods to the analysis of the data and the modeling of the behavior.(2) The formulation of likingWe propose to compare traditional preference mapping approaches that relate consumer hedonic ratings to descriptive analysis profiles across a set of products representative of a particular category to new approaches that will involve rapid sorting and napping methods by both trained panels and consumers. The outcomes of these analyses by trained panels and consumers will then be related using multivariate statistics as outlined for the first objective.(3) Influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intakeWe plan to compare the respective influences of product sensory (e.g., color, taste, aroma, flavor, texture, mouthfeel, etc.) and non-sensory (e.g., nutritional content and information, marketing mix, brand, etc.) factors, consumer variables (genetics, demographics and psychographics), and context variables (loosely defined as anything which is not a product or consumer variable) on the consumer behaviors of interest. For that purpose, the methods outlined above will be used to measure the variables and behavior(s) of interest. And because culture contributes both consumer and context variables to our consumer research model, we anticipate that some of our studies will be cross-cultural.(4) Formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better healthWe will first look for natural ingredients and foods that have documented desirable health properties and promising sensory properties using advanced scientific literature searches and current market research. Our focus will be on ingredients, foods and recipes with documented anti-oxidant and pre- and probiotic properties, as well as flavor-enhancing or reducing capabilities, depending on the nature of the flavor. We will then use food, recipe and menu engineering to replace nutritionally-undesirable ingredients or components with desirable ones while maintaining or even enhancing the sensory appeal of the food or recipe. The success of this sensory engineering will be assessed by measuring the sensory properties of the food(s), recipe(s), menu(s) and/or diet(s) by descriptive analysis methods and their sensory acceptability by consumer testing methods. Some of this research will be carried out in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America and UC Davis Dining Services as part of the Healthy Flavors Research Initiative and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative.

Progress 12/05/16 to 09/30/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Our Flip Strategy (for a shift to plant-forward dishes, menus and diets) targets several audiences - University of California and college students nationwide through the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative; the food science, nutrition, sustainability and culinary science communities; the food, beverage, food service and restaurant industries; commodity boards and stakeholders; public health agencies; and more broadly, the general public and consumers looking to make some changes to their diet and lifestyle for improved health. Our sensory and consumer research into the optimization of the sensory quality of foods, beverages, dishes and menus targets food, beverage and food service companies; commodity and specialty product industries such as specialty coffee, olive oil, fruits and vegetables; and the general public. The new consumer research methodologies we design and validate are of interest and use to a wide range of audiences - federal and state agencies, commodity boards, academics, and most significantly consumer products companies. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 Pandemic limited our research output during the last year of the project, yet it forced us to be agile and creative. It essentially halted our research, which involves human subjects. This meant that all in-person sensory evaluation and consumer testing activities had to be paused. We pivoted by designing new descriptive analysis methodology which had us deliver experimental samples to the residence of panelists for training and data collection purposes, conducting panel discussions on Zoom, and collecting data electronically and remotely. We also conducted consumer research online in the form of focus groups, interviews and ethnography (netnography) through Zoom and related platforms. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the course of this project, members of my research group and I attended many national and international professional conferences, in person or online (during the Pandemic). Some of them also had the opportunity to act as project managers for some of our industry contracts. Through the unique partnership of academics, food service operators, chefs, dietitians and members of the food and beverage industries participating in the Menus of Change Initiative and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, members of my research group had the opportunity to see the application of their research in real-life settings. Through the rich and extensive collaboration of the UC Davis Coffee Center with the Specialty Coffee Association, members of my research group also had the opportunity to share and implement the results of their research with one of today's fastest-growing and innovative industries worldwide - specialty coffee. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific publications as well as layman publications, at professional conferences, or through invited presentations or guest lectures to professional associations, academic departments, commodity boards, private companies, and through interviews to both the mainstream and specialized media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we finalized a scorecard for consumer testing applications, particularly preference mapping. It includes overall liking and liking for appearance, flavor (taste, smell & chemesthesis), texture and mouthfeel on the 9-point hedonic scale, just-about-right (JAR) ratings of critical attributes, a check-all-that-apply list of relevant sensory and holistic attributes, and an open comment section. It allows for the justification of hedonic ratings through the application of sophisticated multivariate methods of statistical analysis to the various ratings, including penalty analyses. We also optimized our use of demographic, psychographic and usage variables in exit surveys for the characterization of consumer preference segments in preference mapping projects. We expanded traditional central location testing to actual consumption situations through full-meal testing of our Flexitarian Flip concept in university dining commons. We developed a preference similarity index (for vegetables) to study the influence of peers, siblings and mothers on children's liking of vegetables in the US, Chile and China. We applied new software to the analysis of focus group key learnings in our citrus consumer research. We tested a new method for evaluating the acceptability of consumer products called Hedonext. We found comparable outcomes between Hedonext and the traditional 9-point hedonic scale in consumer tests of 8 extra virgin olive oils with 150 consumers each. We also developed and tested an online survey tool for the evaluation of olive oil packaging. For a multi-institution study of food choice and food waste by college students, we designed and implemented a method for the analysis of pictures taken upon serving and after completion of the meal combined with answers to survey questions regarding the meal experience. For objective 2 - the formulation of liking by consumers, we combined quantitative (i.e., preference mapping) approaches with qualitative ones (i.e., focus groups, individual interviews and ethnography) to understand how consumers process the affective portion of their sensory experience when consuming foods and beverages. We researched children's vegetable preferences as well as the factors shaping them throughout childhood (from ages 5 to 12 years) in Chile, China and the United States. We found significant differences in degree of overall liking among children from the three countries. Specifically, children in China gave higher overall liking scores than children in the US, and in the US higher than in Chile. Child age and gender did not influence children's vegetable overall liking across the three countries. Liking of taste and texture were the best predictors of children overall liking. To evaluate the role of the children's social environment, we analyzed the similarity of children vegetable liking with their mothers, siblings and peers. To that end, we developed the degree of liking difference index (DLDI), which is the sum of absolute differences between the likings of the child with the likings of a second person. Country, child's age, and sensory modalities (appearance, aroma, taste and texture) influenced how much a child's vegetable liking resembled their mothers', peers', and siblings'. Children's vegetable liking resemblance with their family and peers was greatest in China, followed by the US and Chile. Children's vegetable liking was most similar to that of their siblings, followed by mothers, and finally peers, with similarity to all three groups tending to increase as children's ages increased. Our research suggests that future behavioral intervention to encourage eating of vegetables by children should target the family unit. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we conducted research on citrus, olive oil, vegetables, melons and coffee. Preference mapping studies of citrus, olive oil, melons and black coffee uncovered several preference segments with different drivers of liking and demographic, psychographic and usage characteristics. For citrus, we evaluated through taste tests and focus groups what consumers knew about 'specialty' citrus, how they liked them and why they would or would not purchase and consume them. Top scorers were DaisySL, Kinnow and Shasta Gold mandarins and Cara Cara, Boukhobza and Tarocco oranges. Consumers also differed broadly in their knowledge, attitudes, expectations and consumption of specialty oranges. We conducted cross-cultural research that compared olive oil and butter acceptance in various recipes among US (California), Italian and Spanish consumers, thus measuring the effects of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior with respect to food. In the case of specialty coffee, we redesigned the Coffee Brewing Control Chart (which mistakenly suggests the existence of an 'ideal' cup of coffee corresponding to medium brew strength and yield) to account for the segmentation of preferences among consumers. Focus groups with Chilean, Chinese and American mothers uncovered valuable and actionable information as to the important role mothers play in their children's vegetable preferences, choice and intake as well as important cross-cultural differences among mothers with respect to that behavior. For objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better heath, we researched and validated five iterations of our Flip Strategy of substituting not-so-healthy ingredients with healthy ingredients that have flavor-boosting or matching properties with (1) the Protein Flip, i. e., The (beef & mushroom) Blend, which uses the umami properties of mushrooms to maitain the flavor profile and consumer acceptance of meat-based iconic dishes such as hamburgers and tacos; (2) the Flexitarian Flip, which expanded on the Protein Flip by incorporating more legumes, vegetables and spices ('chemical heat') in meat-centric dishes; (3) the Fat Flip - the substitution of butter with olive oil; (4) the Dessert Flip - the partial replacement of dairy, eggs and added sugar with fruits and nuts in desserts; and (5) the Salt Flip - the partial replacement of salt (sodium chloride) with MSG (monosodium glutamate) in four so-called 'better-for-you' foods for an overall reduction of total sodium.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Cotter, A., Batali, M., Ristenpart, W. and Guinard, J.-X. Consumer preferences for black coffee are spread over a wide range of brew strengths and extraction yields. Journal of Food Science, 86(1):194-205 (2021). DOI:�https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15561
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Estay, K. and Guinard, J.-X. Mothers' perceptions and attitudes towards children's vegetable consumption - A qualitative, cross-cultural study of Chilean, Chinese and American mothers living in Northern California. Foods (2021).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wiriyaphanich, T., Guinard, J.-X., Spang, E., Amsler Challamel, G., Valgenti, R., Sinclair, D., Lubow, S. and Putnam-Farr, E. Food choice and waste in university dining commons. A Menus of Change University Research Collaborative study. Foods (2021).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Batali, M. E., Cotter, A. R., Frost, S. C., Ristenpart, W. D. and Guinard, J.-X. Titratable acidity, perceived sourness, and liking of acidity in drip brewed coffee. ACS Food Science and Technology (2021).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Yeager, S., Batali, M. E, Guinard, J.-X. and Ristenpart, W. D. Acids in coffee: A review of sensory measurements and meta-analysis of chemical composition. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. DOI:10.1080/10408398.2021.1957767 (2021).


Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The new consumer research methodologies we design and validate are of interest to a wide range of audiences - federal and state agencies, commodity boards, academics, and most significantly consumer products companies. Our sensory and consumer research into the optimization of the sensory quality of foods, beverages, dishes and menus targets food, beverage and food service companies; commodity and specialty product industries such as specialty coffee, olive oil, fruits and vegetables; and the general public. Finally, our Flip Strategy (for a shift to plant-forward dishes, menus and diets) targets several audiences - University of California and college students nationwide through the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative; the food science, nutrition, sustainability and culinary science communities; the food, beverage, food service and restaurant industries; commodity boards and stakeholders; public health agencies; and more broadly, the general public and consumers looking to make some changes to their diet and lifestyle for improved health. Changes/Problems:The main change to our research plan was dictated by the spread of the COVID-19 virus midway through the reporting period, which halted our research because it involves human subjects, meaning all sensory evaluation and consumer testing activities. We have since been able to resume some sensory evaluation research, by designing new descriptive analysis methodology which has us deliver experimental samples to the residence of panelists for training and data collection purposes, conducting panel discussions on Zoom, and collecting data electronically and remotely. It is therefore fair to write that the COVID-19 Pandemic substantially limited our research output during the reporting period, yet it forced us to be agile and creative, and we are optimistic that we will be able to return to a fuller research agenda and activity in the new year and complete this 5-year project with an exciting, actionable and impactfull set of research findings. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Despite the Pandemic, members of my research group and I were able to attend a number of national and international professional conferences, in person or through videoconferencing, during the reporting period. Some of them also had the opportunity to act as project managers for some of our industry contracts. Through the unique partnership of academics, food service operators, chefs, dietitians and members of the food and beverage industries participating in the Menus of Change Initiative and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, members of my research group had the opportunity to see the application of their research in real-life settings. Through the rich and extensive collaboration of the UC Davis Coffee Center with the Specialty Coffee Association, members of my research group also had the opportunity to share and implement the results of their research with one of today's fastest-growing and innovative industries worldwide - specialty coffee. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific publications as well as layman publications, at professional conferences, or through invited presentations or guest lectures to professional associations, academic departments, commodity boards, private companies, and through interviews to both the mainstream and specialized media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, and in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we plan to design and implement new consumer research methodologies, mostly through the Internet and some qualitative, such as remote focus groups and netnography. We also plan to test through scientific research the proprietary Coffee Cuality Method that I developed for the evaluation of coffee sensory quality by experts. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we began an exploration of the variables that affect cold brew coffee sensory quality and in turn, consumption, with the ultimate goal of developing a Coffee Brewing Control Chart relating sensory quality and consumer acceptance to brew strength and brew yield for cold brew. For objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we plan to promote, expand and fine-tune our Flip Strategy of replacing not-so-healthy nor sustainable (mostly animal-based) ingredients with healthy, sustainable and delicious (mostly plant-based) ingredients that have flavor-boosting or matching properties.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We report accomplishments for three of the objectives in this project. For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we finalized the design of our standard scorecard for consumer testing applications, particularly preference mapping. It includes overall liking and liking for appearance, flavor (taste, smell & chemesthesis), texture and mouthfeel on the 9-point hedonic scale, just-about-right (JAR) ratings of critical attributes, a check-all-that-apply list of relevant sensory and holistic attributes, and an open comment section. It allows for the justification of hedonic ratings through the application of sophisticated multivariate methods of statistical analysis to the various ratings. For a multi-institution study of food choice and food waste by college students, we designed and implemented a method for the analysis of pictures taken upon serving and after completion of the meal combined with answers to survey questions regarding the meal experience. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we conducted research on olive oil, vegetables, melons and coffee. Preference mapping studies of olive oil, melons and black coffee uncovered several preference segments with different drivers of liking and demographic, psychographic and usage characteristics. In the case of specialty coffee, we are using this information to redesign the Coffee Brewing Control Chart which mistakenly suggests the existence of an 'ideal' cup of coffee corresponding to medium brew strength and yield by ignoring the segmentation of preferences among consumers. Focus groups with Chilean, Chinese and American mothers uncovered valuable and actionable information as to the important role mothers play in their children's vegetable preferences, choice and intake as well as important cross-cultural differences among mothers with respect to that behavior. For objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better heath, we researched and validated the fifth iteration in our Flip Strategy of substituting not-so-healthy ingredients with healthy ingredients that have flavor-boosting or matching properties with the Salt Flip - the partial replacement of salt (sodium chloride) with MSG (monosodium glutamate) in four so-called 'better-for-you' foods for an overall reduction of total sodium. For each dish, the MSG recipe was liked the same (or significantly more for the savory yogurt dip, as the standard, normal-salt recipe, and better than the reduced-salt recipe for the quinoa bowl and the savory yogurt dip. MSG recipes were consistently described as 'delicious', 'flavorful' and 'balanced'. Two of three uncovered preference clusters, accounting for 68% of consumers, consistently liked MSG recipes, and the same or more so than the standard recipes. We concluded that MSG can successfully be used to mitigate salt and sodium reduction without compromising consumer acceptance of better-for-you foods.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Batali, M. E., Frost, S. C., Lebrilla, C. B., Ristenpart, W. D. and Guinard, J.-X. 2020. Sensory and Monosaccharide Analysis of Drip Brew Coffee Fractions versus Brewing Time. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 100:2953-2962. �doi: 10.1002/jsfa.10323.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kurzer, A., Spencer, M., Cienfuegos, C. and Guinard, J.-X. The Dessert Flip: Consumer preference for desserts with a high proportion of fruit and nuts. Journal of Food Science. 85(11):3954-3968. DOI:10.1111/1750-3841.15462.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Batali, M.E., Cotter, A., Ristenpart, W.D. and Guinard, J.-X. Brew temperature, at fixed brew strength and extraction, has little impact on the sensory profile of drip brew coffee. Scientific Reports, 10, 16450 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73341-4.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Farcuh, M., Copes, B., Le-Navenec, G., Marroquin, J., Jaunet, T., Cantu, D., Bradford, K., Guinard, J.-X. and Van Deynze, A. Sensory, physicochemical and volatile compound analysis of seven melon (Cucumis melo L.) genotypes with different ripening patterns at harvest and after postharvest storage. Food Chemistry (2020).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kurzer, A., Wiriyaphanich, T., Cienfuegos, C., Spang, E. and Guinard, J.-X. 2020. Exploring fruit's role in dessert: The Dessert Flip and its impact on university student acceptance and food waste. Food Quality and Preference. 83, 103917.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Estay, K., Pan, S, Zhong F. and Guinard, J.-X. 2020. The relationship between children's and mothers' vegetable preferences in Chile, China and the United States. Food Quality and Preference. 86, 104000.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Frost, S. C., Ristenpart, W. D. and Guinard, J.-X. 2020. Effects of brew strength, brew yield and roast on the sensory quality of drip brewed coffee. Journal of Food Science. 85(8): 2530-2543. �DOI:�10.1111/1750-3841.15326
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Halim, J., Bouzari, A., Felder, D. and Guinard, J.-X. 2020. The Salt Flip - sensory mitigation of salt (and sodium) reduction with monosodium glutamate (MSG) in Better-for-You foods. Journal of Food Science. 85(9):2902-2914. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15354.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Guinard, J.-X., Yang, S., Pasquali, G., Borchi, C. and Briwa, B. 2020. The Fat Flip - Sensory profiles of four dishes in which butter was replaced with extra virgin olive oil. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. 22, 100250.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Batali, M., Lebrilla, C., Guinard, J.-X. and Ristenpart, W. Less strong, more sweet: fractionation experiments at UC Davis yield surprising results about the natural sweetness of black drip brew coffee. 25 Magazine, No. 11:26-31, 2019.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Guinard, J.-X. Evaluacion Sensorial: Porque me gusta este caf�? Revista Forum Caf�, Issue 83, December 2020.


Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Our research on sensory strategies for dietary change targets several audiences - University of California and college students nationwide through the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative; the food science, nutrition, sustainability and culinary science scientific communities; the food, beverage, food service and restaurant industries; commodity boards and stakeholders; and more broadly, the general public and consumers looking to make some beneficial changes to their diet and lifestyle. The research we are doing to optimize the sensory quality of foods, beverages, dishes and menus has targeted food, beverage and food service companies; commodities including specialty coffee and specialty citrus; and again, the general public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate and undergraduate students in my research group and I attended a number of national and international professional conferences during the reporting period. Some of them also had the opportunity to act as project managers for some of our industry contracts. Through the unique partnership of academics and food service operators, chefs and dietitians within the Menus of Change Initiative and Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, our dining services colleagues have had an opportunity to engage in academic, applied research, and we (faculty and students) have had an opportunity to work in the university dining environment and see the results of our joint research implemented into healthy, sustainable and delicious plant-forward menus. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific as well as layman publications, at professional conferences or invited presentations to professional associations, academic departments, commodity boards, private companies and through interviews with the media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we plan to continue our preference mapping studies on specialty coffee and to investigate the drivers of consumer behavior with respect to specialty coffee, including cold brew and espresso by quantitative and qualitative consumer research methods. We also plan to develop a new tool for the evaluation of espresso quality. For our research on food waste behavior, we are developing survey- and observation-based tools to measure food waste behavior, and models to predict food waste behavior. For objectives 2 and 3- the formulation of liking, and the influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we plan to carry out preference mapping studies and consumer research on a range of foods and beverages, including specialty coffee and plant-forward dishes, in central location tests and actual situations of consumption, to allow us to better understand the complex process of formulating hedonic judgments, and the respective effects of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior. For objective 4, formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we plan to continue and expand our research on sensory and culinary strategies for dietary change, with a focus on plant-forward products and dishes, and sodium reduction. This will include an investigation of the mitigation of salt (and sodium) reduction with monosodium glutamate (MSG) in so-called 'Better-For-You Foods'.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we tested a new method for evaluating the acceptability of consumer products called Hedonext. We found comparable outcomes between Hedonext and the traditional 9-point hedonic scale in consumer tests of 8 extra virgin olive oils with 150 consumers each. We also developed and tested an online survey tool for the evaluation of olive oil packaging. For objective 2 - the formulation of liking, we researched children's vegetable preferences as well as the factors shaping them throughout childhood. We analyzed liking for 14 vegetables in 384 children from four different age ranges (5 -6, 7 -8, 9 -10 and 11 -12 years old) in Chile, China and the United States. We found significant differences in degree of overall liking among children from the three countries (p < 0.001). Specifically, children in China gave higher overall liking scores than children in the US, and in the US higher than in Chile. Child age and gender did not influence children's vegetable overall liking across the three countries. Liking of taste and texture were the best predictors of children overall liking. To evaluate the role of the children's social environment, we analyzed the similarity of children vegetable liking with their mothers, siblings and peers. To that end, we developed the degree of liking difference index (DLDI), which is the sum of absolute differences between the likings of the child with the likings of a second person. Country, child's age, and sensory modalities (appearance, aroma, taste and texture) influenced how much a child's vegetable liking resembled their mothers', peers', and siblings'. Children's vegetable liking resemblance with their family and peers was greatest in China, followed by the US and Chile. Children's vegetable liking was most similar to that of their siblings, followed by mothers, and finally peers, with similarity to all three groups tending to increase as children's ages increased. Our research suggests that future behavioral intervention to encourage eating of vegetables by children should target the family unit. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we continued our research on citrus and coffee. For citrus, we turned our attention to so-called "specialty" mandarins and oranges and guaged through taste tests and focus groups what consumers knew about them, how they liked them and why they would or would not purchase and consume them. Top scorers were DaisySL, Kinnow and Shasta Gold mandarins and Cara Cara, Boukhobza and Tarocco oranges. We again found some preference segmentation for the sensory profiles of specialty mandarins and oranges. Consumers also differed broadly in their knowledge, attitudes, expectations and consumption of specialty oranges. For coffee, we researched how brewing variables affect flavor extraction, sensory profile and consumer acceptance of coffee. We are in the process of revamping the Brewing Control Chart by mapping the relation between total dissolved solids (TDS), percent extraction (PE) and the sensory profile of coffee. To that end, we measured the effects of basket geometry, roast and grind size, holding time and brewing temperature on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of drip-brewed coffee. For objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we completed our testing and validation of our most recent sensory strategy for dietary change - The Dessert Flip, which partially replaces conventional full-calorie and high-saturated fat and sugar desserts like cake with increased servings of fruit and nuts. We first tested the acceptance and the feasibility of the dessert flip with cake using student consumers. Flipped desserts containing 80% fruit and nuts and 20% cake were liked the same as conventional desserts with 80% cake and 20% fruit. In a subsequent study of the relationship between the composition of the main course and subsequent dessert choice using pictured desserts, flipped cakes with 60% fruit fared as well as conventional dessert options. We then served students (n=86) in a university dining hall a full-sized entrée followed by a dessert randomized over three weeks: a conventional plated dessert (20% fruit, 80% cake), a flipped dessert (60% fruit, 40% cake), and a "stealth" flipped dessert with peach purée in the cake (45% fruit, 55% cake). The flipped dessert was significantly preferred over the conventional and the stealth versions in ranking and in overall, appearance, color, and, flavor liking (p<0.05). The stealth flip was liked equally as the conventional cake. Percent food waste was significantly lower in the flipped dessert than in the conventional or stealth flip desserts. In a follow-up free choice study with all dining hall users, students selected a flipped dessert significantly more often than the conventional dessert, although the average food waste was not significantly different. Our research shows that the Dessert Flip and the stealth Dessert Flip both can be successful strategies for increasing servings of fruits and nuts, and reducing added sugar and saturated fat, without increasing food waste.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Simons, T.J., McNeil, C. J., Pham, A. D., Slupsky, C. M., Roose, M.L. and Guinard, J.-X. Chemical, sensory, and consumer evaluation of `DaisySL' mandarins grafted onto three different rootstocks. HortScience, 54(7):1217-1222. 2019
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kurzer, A. B., Bechtel, A.R. and Guinard, J.-X. Adult and child focus group views of oranges and mandarins. HortTechnology, 29(4):408-416. 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Frost, S., Ristenpart, W. and Guinard, J.-X. Effect of basket geometry on the sensory quality and consumer acceptance of drip brewed coffee. Journal of Food Science, 84(8):2297-2312. 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Menezes Ayres, E. M., Lee, S.-M., Boyden, L. and Guinard, J.-X. Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of cantaloupe melon cultivars. Journal of Food Science, 84(8):2278-2288. 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Estay Villalon, Pan, S., Zhong, F., Capitaine, C. and Guinard, J.-X. A cross-cultural analysis of the evolution of children's vegetable preferences during childhood. Appetite, 142. 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Estay Villalon, K., Lestringant, P., Pan, S. Zhong, F., Capitaine, C., Agosin, E. and Guinard, J.-X. Influencers of children's vegetable liking - A look from a social and cultural perspective. Journal of Sensory Studies, 34(6). 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Cecchi, L., Shuster, N., Flynn, D., Bechtel, R., Bellumori, M., Innocenti, M., Mulinacci, N. and Guinard, J.-X. Sensory profiling and consumer acceptance of pasta, bread and granola bar fortified with dried olive pomace (p�t�) - a by-product from virgin olive oil production. Journal of Food Science, 84(10):2995-3008. 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Simons, T., McNeil, C., Pham, V., Slupsky, C. and Guinard, J.-X. Comparison of preference clustering outcomes from replicated consumer tests - a case study with mandarins. Journal of Sensory Studies, 34(6). 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Simons, T., McNeil, C., Pham, A., Wang, S., Wang, Y., Slupsky, C. and Guinard, J.-X. Chemical and sensory analysis of commercial Navel oranges in California. NPJ Science of Food. 22. 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Simons, T., McNeil, C., Pham, V., Suh, J. H., Wang, Y., Slupsky, C. and Guinard, J.-X. Evaluation of California-grown Blood and Cara Cara oranges through consumer testing, descriptive analysis, and targeted chemical profiling. Journal of Food Science. 84(11): 3246-3263. 2019.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Frost, S., Guinard, J.-X. and Ristenpart, W. Flat vs. cone. Basket shape is as important as grind size in drip brew coffee. 25 Magazine, Issue 8, 2019.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: O. Auell and Guinard, J.-X. The Sensory Evaluation of Coffee - Sensory Science Principles in Action. Roast Magazine, September-October 2019.


Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Our research on sensory strategies for dietary change continues to target several audiences - University of California and college students nationwide through the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative; the food science, nutrition, sustainability and culinary science scientific communities; the food, beverage, food service and restaurant industries; commodity boards; and more broadly, the general public and consumers looking to make some beneficial changes to their diet and lifestyle. The research we are doing to optimize the sensory quality of foods, beverages, dishes and menus has targeted food, beverage and food service companies, commodity boards, and again, the general public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate and undergraduate students, a couple of post-doctoral scholars and a visiting professor in my research group and I attended a number of national and international professional conferences during the reporting period. Several of them also had the opportunity to act as project managers some some of our industry contracts, and to travel to present our results to those industrial partners. Through the unique partnership of academics and food service operators, chefs and dieticians within the Menus of Change Initiative and Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, our dining services colleagues have had an opportunity to engage in academic, applied research, and we (faculty and students) have had an opportunity to work in the university dining environment and see the results of our joint research implemented into healthy, sustainable and delicious plant-forward menus. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated in scientific and layman publications, at professional conferences or invited presentations to professional associations, academic departments, commodity boards, private companies and through interviews with the media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we plan to conduct preference mapping studies on specialty coffee and to investigate the drivers of consumer behavior with respect to specialty coffee by means end chain analysis (MECA), an interview-based qualitative consumer research method. We are also testing a new method for the measurement of consumer liking called Hedonext with extra virgin olive oil. The outcomes of the new method will be compared to those of the traditional 9-point hedonic scale. For objectives 2 and 3- the formulation of liking, and the influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we plan to carry out preference mapping studies and consumer research on a range of foods and beverages, including specialty coffee, mangos, finger limes, mandarins, rice, beans, olive oil and desserts, in central location tests and actual situations of consumption, to allow us to better understand the complex process of formulating hedonic judgments, and the respective effects of product, consumer and context variables on consumer behavior. For objective 4, formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we plan to continue and expand our research on sensory and culinary strategies for dietary change, with a focus on plant-forward products and dishes, and sodium reduction. Healthy desserts, grain- and legume-based dishes, specialty coffee, and extra virgin olive oil will be the focus of these investigations.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we expanded traditional central location testing to actual consumption situations through full-meal testing of our Flexitarian Flip concept in university dining commons. We developed a preference similarity index (for vegetables) to study the influence of peers, siblings and mothers on children's liking of vegetables in the US, Chile and China. We applied new software to the analysis of focus group key learnings in our citrus consumer research. And we compared different conjoint analysis methods and models in our consumer research on acai products. For objective 2 - the formulation of liking, we continue to combine quantitative (i.e., preference mapping) approaches with qualitative ones (i.e., focus groups, individual interviews and ethnography) to understand how consumers process the affective portion of their sensory experience when consuming foods and beverages. This approach has allowed us to characterize the preferences of Northern California consumers for specialty citrus (i.e., blood oranges), specialty coffee, and extra virgin olive oil; and to further our understanding of how children develop likes and dislikes for citrus and vegetables. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we have applied our consumer research model to the study of consumer behavior with respect to plant-forward dishes that enable the Flexitarian Flip and the Dessert Flip; specialty coffee; specialty citrus; and vegetables (using a cross-cultural research design with children in the US, Chile and China). For objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we tested and validated the Flexitarian Flip and the Dessert Flip as sensory and culinary strategies for plant-forward eating, with the development of plant-forward recipes for iconic Mediterranean, Latin-American and Asian dishes. Successful strategies combined umami, spicy (trigeminal) and aromatic synergies through the use of appropriate ingredients in those recipes. These strategies were further validated in research on rice-based dishes with an industrial partner. And we measured the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of pasta, bread and granola bars fortified with a high-antioxidant freeze-dried by-product of the olive oil extraction process with demonstrated health benefits. Finally, we continued to build our understanding of the extraction of coffee bio-actives during the brewing process and their influence on coffee sensory quality and consumer acceptance.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Spencer, M., Cienfuegos, C. and Guinard, J.-X. The Flexitarian Flip" in university dining venues: student and adult consumer acceptance of mixed dishes in which animal protein has been partially replaced with plant protein. Food Quality and Preference, 68:50-63. 2018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Simons, T., Sivertsen, H. and Guinard, J.-X. Mapping the preferences of adult and child consumers for California-grown Navel oranges. Horticultural Science, 53(5):661-668. 2018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Simons, T., Sivertsen, H. and Guinard, J.-X. Mapping the preferences of adult and child consumers for California-grown mandarins. Horticultural Science. 53(7): 1029-1037. 2018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Spencer, M., Cienfuegos, C., Kurzer, A. and Guinard, J.-X. Student consumer acceptance of plant-forward burrito bowls in which two-thirds of the meat has been replaced with legumes and vegetables: the Flexitarian Flip" in university dining venues. Appetite. 131:14-27. 2018.


Progress 12/05/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Our research on sensory strategies for dietary change has targeted several audiences - University of California and other college students through the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative; the food science, nutrition and culinary science scientific communities; the food, beverage, food service and restaurant industries; commodity boards; and more broadly, the general public and consumers looking to make some beneficial changes in their diet. The research we have done to optimize the sensory quality of foods, beverages, dishes and menus has targeted food, beverage and food service companies; commodity boards; ad again the general public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate and undergraduate students and a research scientist in my research group attended a number of national and international professional conferences during the reporting period. Several of them also had the opportunity to act as project managers for some of our industry contracts, and to travel to present our results to those industrial partners. Through the unique partnership of academics and dining service operators, chefs and dieticians within the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, our dining services colleagues have had an opportunity to engage in academic, applied research, and we (faculty and students) have had an opportunity to work in the dining services environment and see the results of our joint research implemented into healthy, delicious and sustainable plant-forward menu options. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results were disseminated in scientific and layman publications, at professional conferences or invited presentations to professional associations, academic departments and commodity boards, and through interviews with the media and Internet blogs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For objectives 1 and 2 - consumer research methodologies, and the formualtion of liking, we plan to test a new method of measuring liking and purchase intent by consumers, to extend our research into sorting and other rapid methods of descriptive analysis that use consumers as 'semi-trained experts', and to expand our consumer behavior measures to include measures of satisfaction, positive and negative emotions, and wellness and happiness. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we will continue our cross-cultural consumer research. And for objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we plan to expand our research into sensory strategies for dietary change and to further test the feasibility of The Flexitarian FlipTM, The Dessert FlipTM, The Plant-Forward Bowl and other healthy, delicious and sustainable dietary alternatives for plant-forward eating. To that end, we will continue our collaboration with UC Davis Dining Services and begin to collect multisite (multicampus) data as well through the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative for which this PI serves as Chair of the Research Working Group.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For objective 1 - consumer research methodologies, we have expanded our use of the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method to better understand consumer perceptions of foods, beverages, dishes, menus and other consumer products. We have also begun to systematically combine hedonic ratings and Just-About-Right (JAR) ratings in most consumer test ballots to enable us to carry out penalty analyses that relate liking by consumers as measured on the 9-point hedonic scale to perceived adequacy of specific sensory attributes as measured on JAR scales. We are also working on the development of methods to evaluate the effectiveness of video games in increasing vegetable liking and intake in children. Finally, we have improved our choice of demographic, psychographic and usage variables in exit surveys for the characterization of consumer preference segments in preference mapping projects. For objective 2 - the formulation of liking, we continue to combine quantitative (i.e., preference mapping) approaches with qualitative ones (i.e., focus groups and ethnography) to understand how consumers process the affective portion of sensations they perceive when consuming. This approach has led us to characterize the preferences, attitudes and beliefs of child and adult California consumers for oranges and mandarins; and to further our understanding of how children develop likes and dislikes for vegetables. For objective 3 - influence of product, consumer and context variables on food choice and intake, we completed an important cross-cultural research that compared olive oil and butter acceptance in various recipes among US (California), Italian and Spanish consumers, thus measuring the effects of product, consumer and context variables on consmer acceptance. For objective 4 - formulation of foods, beverages, recipes and menus for better health, we have built on our success with The Blend (of mushrooms and beef), now widely used in restaurants, food service and the food industry more broadly, and explored other means of implementing the Healthy Flavors Research Initiative and The Protein Flip (from animal protein to plant protein in the diet) with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). We invented and trademarked The Flexitarian Flip and The Dessert Flip, as a means of replacing meat and/or eggs and dairy with plant ingredients as the main component of a dish, and hence a menu. Our main accomplishment was the completion of research that compared the effectiveness of four different flavor strategies for dietary change - one focused on the manipulation of taste qualities within select recipes, a second on aroma, a third on chemesthesis and a fourth that combined all three components of flavor. We found that chemesthesis or 'heat' and a combination of all three flavor modalities at reduced intensities resulted in the highest acceptability of plant-forward dishes among consumers. This will provide a workable avenue for chefs and food and beverage developers to innovate in the plant-forward space. Our research on extra virgin olive oil as a healthier fat alternative than butter showed that while butter remained the preferred source of fat overall (particularly for American consumers), there were some segments of Spanish, Italian and even California populations that liked recipes prepared with olive oil equally.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Lee, S.M., J-X. Guinard and K.-O. Kim. Exploration of cross-cultural perception of spicy chicken made using hot sauces with different degrees of flavor familiarity in Korean and US consumers. Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture, 32(1): 1-9, 2017.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Spencer, M. and Guinard, J.-X. The Flexitarian Flip": Testing the Modalities of Flavor as Sensory Strategies to Accomplish the Shift from Meat-Centered to Vegetable-Forward Mixed Dishes. Journal of Food Science, 83(1):175-187. 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Guinard, J.-X. Sensory properties of foods. In Proceedings, International Conference on Food Values - The Renaissance of the Mediterranean Diet and Significance for a 21st Century World. Pp. 26-27. Casina Pio IV, Vatican City - February 14th, 2017.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Simons, T., Sivertsen, H., Kurzer, A. Estay Villalon, K., Lestringant, P. & Guinard, J.-X. How do California consumers like their mandarins and oranges? Citrograph Magazine, 8(1):32-38, 2017.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Consumer Reports - December 2016 http://www.consumerreports.org/diet-nutrition/healthy-fall-foods-to-add-to-your-diet/