Abstract
Hot-pepper cheese (HPC) is a growing category of flavored natural cheese. The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer perception of HPC using a combination of quantitative survey methods and consumer evaluation of HPC. An online survey (n = 510) was conducted to understand drivers of purchase for the HPC category. Consumers of HPC answered maximum difference exercises and an adaptive choice-based conjoint activity focused on HPC attributes. Subsequently, natural HPC were manufactured in duplicate with 5 different hot-pepper blends with a range of heat intensities and distinct color differences. Trained panel profiling and consumer-acceptance testing (n = 194 consumers) were conducted on the cheeses. Three clusters of consumers were identified from the online survey. Cluster 1 (n = 175) were traditional HPC consumers, and cluster 2 (n = 152) preferred milder HPC. Cluster 3 (n = 183) showed preference for spicier HPC as well as novel HPC, such as those made with habanero peppers or white Cheddar cheese. Conceptually, the overall ideal HPC was a Monterey Jack with medium-sized, multicolored pieces of jalapeno peppers and a medium heat and spiciness. Heat and spiciness intensity and type of cheese were the most important attributes. The 5 HPC used in consumer testing had a distinct range (low to high) of hot-pepper burn and heat intensity by trained panel profiling. Consumer overall liking increased as hot-pepper burn and heat intensity increased to a certain point, indicating HPC consumers may have an optimal point for heat and spiciness in HPC. Consumers also preferred HPC with multicolored pepper pieces over those with a single pepper color, consistent with survey results. Consumers who self-reported that they prefer mild- or medium-spicy foods (mild consumers) preferred HPC that were less intense in hot-pepper burn than consumers who self-reported preference for hot or spicy foods (hot consumers). Most HPC consumers preferred HPC with higher heat intensity and were also motivated by visual characteristics of HPC.
Highlights
Consumption of cheese has been on the rise in the United States since 2000
Most survey participants (78%) self-identified as white/Caucasian, 10% identified as Asian/Indian, and 9% identified as Black/ African American
A similar distribution of preference for spice and burn was documented in a series of online surveys conducted in 12 countries with n = 500 participants each, with 40% of consumers self-reporting as medium users, 28% self-reporting as hot users, and 7% self-reporting as extremely hot users (Anonymous, 2019)
Summary
Consumption of cheese has been on the rise in the United States since 2000. In 2019, the USDA reported American cheese consumption as 15.5 lb/capita, compared with 12.7 lb/capita in 2000 (Shahbandeh, 2020). Cheese consumers reported that unique flavors and all-natural ingredients were motivating factors for purchasing and consuming a new cheese (Kamp, 2020). With increasing consumer interest in innovative and diverse cheeses, there has been a subsequent increase in the flavored-cheese category, including cheeses that contain hot peppers. Forty-one percent of consumers in a Mintel study from November 2019 to June 2020 (n = 9,009) indicated that they purchased and consumed Pepper Jack cheese, compared with 39% from August 2019 Mintel data (n = 1,401) (Kamp, 2020). In recent years, the category has grown to include different cheese types, such as Cheddar, Gouda, and Colby Jack, as well as new pepper types
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