Consumption and liking of a fat modified product during short trial periods

Abstract

The effects of short term product trial and switching among products of varying fat contents (cream cheese) on the amount of product consumed and liking scores throughout two short (7-day) trial periods were investigated. One hundred and twenty respondents participated in a study that included three tests at a central location and two in-home testing periods of 1 week, during which respondents consumed one of three types of cream cheese (full-fat, reduced-fat, and fat-free). Results suggest that trial consumption over time can impact the amount eaten and liking, which might result in longer term use of fat-modified products. Groups introduced gradually to reduced fat content showed no change in liking scores over time. However, a contrast effect between liked and disliked samples suggested that when consumers moved from full-fat cream cheese directly to fat-free cream cheese, the fat-free product did not meet quality and taste expectations. Over the 2 weeks of testing, product consumption did not change for acceptable products but decreased for the less acceptable products.