Which sensory perception is primarily considered, in consumers’ hedonic evaluation of foods?

An analysis of the primary hedonic drivers of liking and sensory satisfaction will provide valuable information to product developers on which sensory properties to emphasise the most. The aims of the present study were: a) to study if liking of the sensory properties: appearance, odour, taste and texture were considered equally, when consumers rated overall liking and sensory satisfaction b) to study if the relation depended on, whether liking of sensory properties were related to overall liking or sensory satisfaction, and c) to study individual differences in which sensory properties the consumers primarily paid attention to when rating overall liking and sensory satisfaction, respectively.

Four apple-cherry fruit drinks were used, varying in: type of sweetener, and addition of aroma and fibre. The fruit drinks were used in a in a cross-over consumer study on 67 subjects together with sensory profiling. For data analysis mixed three-way analysis of variance and principal component analysis was applied to study and visualise sensory differences.

The relative importance of liking of sensory properties; appearance, odour, taste and texture was analysed using slopes, when consumers rated overall liking and sensory satisfaction, respectively. Sensory profiling confirmed that fruit drinks varied in sensory attributes related to appearance, odour, taste and texture.

From the consumer study a significant main product effect was found for the six response variables; overall liking, liking of appearance, odour, taste and texture respectively, and sensory satisfaction. Further, liking of sensory properties differed in relation to overall liking and sensory satisfaction, respectively.

Consumers primarily paid attention to liking of taste, when evaluating overall liking and sensory satisfaction, respectively. However, individual differences were found.