Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different origin (Venezuela, Ghana, Peru) dark chocolates on emotions induced for consumers, and to analyse the relationships among overall acceptability (OA), emotions, and physicochemical attributes of the chocolate (fatty acids (FAs) and volatile compounds (VC)). Chocolate-elicited emotions were measured with FaceReader 8 software, scaling 10 emotion patterns (neutral, happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, disgusted, contempt, valence, arousal). The OA was carried out by using a 10-point hedonic scale, ranging from 1 (extremely dislike) to 10 (extremely like). The obtained results showed that, among all chocolate-elicited emotions, the intensity of “happy” was the highest. In most cases, the influence of the different origin chocolate on the emotions induced for consumers was significant (except on emotions “neutral”, “scared”, and “disgusted”). Significant differences between the tested chocolates OA were not found. The origin of chocolate had a significant effect on most of the identified VC and the content of the main FAs (methyl palmitate, methyl stearate, cis,trans-9- oleic acid methyl ester, and methyl linoleate). Significant correlations between chocolate-elicited emotions and separate FAs and VC were found. Finally, this study showed that the origin of dark chocolate significantly influenced most of chocolate-elicited emotions and physicochemical attributes of chocolate, while separate FAs or VC can be used as chocolate quality indicators related to the chocolate OA, as well as chocolate-elicited emotions.
Highlights
Consumers’ satisfaction with a food product is a very important characteristic that can lead to the product’s popularity, or in contrast, unpopularity, and stimulate consumers to return or, in contrast, never choose this product again in the future [1]
Data expressed as a mean value (n = 30) ± standard deviation. a–c Means with different letters within a row are significantly different (p ≤ 0.05). In this case, only the emotion “contempt” correlated with overall acceptability, and this indicates that the facial expression analysis measures are not sensitive enough to distinguish between these emotional responses
Different fatty acid (FA) and volatile compounds (VC) profiles might lead to different emotional responses in consumers
Summary
Consumers’ satisfaction with a food product is a very important characteristic that can lead to the product’s popularity, or in contrast, unpopularity, and stimulate consumers to return or, in contrast, never choose this product again in the future [1]. It was concluded that Noldus FaceReader technology was sufficiently accurate to detect significant differences in facial expressions elicited by different samples of sugar confectionery products, such as chocolates, sweets, caramel [31] As these food products evoke emotions, particular compounds in them could correlate with the elicited emotions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different origin (Venezuela, Ghana, Peru) dark chocolates on emotions induced for consumers, and to analyse the relationships. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different origin (Venezuela, Ghana, Peru) dark chocolates on emotions induced for consumers, and to analyse the relationships among overall acceptability, emotions, and physicochemical attributes of the chocoalmatoen: fgatotvyearcaildl saaccnedpvtaoblailtiitlye, ceommoptioounnsd, sa.nd physicochemical attributes of the chocolate: fatty acids and volatile compounds. Tbhyecocmarpriaerringgatshewirasrehteenltiiuomn taimt easflwoiwth rate of 0.t9h1omseLo/f smtainnd. aTrhdse (IMndericvkid&uCalo.F,AInMc.,EKpeneialwksorwthe,rNe Ji,dUeSnAti)fi. ed by comparing their retention times with those of standards (Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA)
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