Hedonic Preference Research Articles

Consumer preference for retail fat spreads: an olive oil based product compared with market dominant brands

The preference for a relatively new olive oil based spreading fat was gauged alongside a range of more market dominant yellow fat spreads by a panel of consumers ( n = 60), using a mixed design, where labelled samples (main source of the fat) were tested against a control group. Additionally, the mode of use of the hedonic linked sensory terms `buttery' and `oily' were compared. The olive oil based product had a similar hedonic preference status to that of market dominant spreads. The effect of labelling by source fat was not found to be significant between groups overall, but females between groups scored significantly higher ( p < 0.01) for labelled products, attributable to a balance between sensory and possible health concern based decisions. Internal preference mapping revealed a majority of dairy product preference in the control group and a division between dairy and olive oil labelled products in the test group, with indications of a positive effect of the olive label. The products were also differentiated to a degree by the sensory terms which were in some cases associated with specific hedonic preference categories.

Genetic Sensitivity to 6- N-Propylthiouracil (prop) and Sensory Acceptance of Soy Products and Japanese Green Tea.

LEARNING OUTCOME: Sensory acceptance of functional foods, with reputed cancer preventive properties, such as soy products and Japanese green tea, may be influenced by genetic sensitivity to the bitter taste of PROP. Subjects were 53 young women (ages 20-45 y) recruited from the University of Michigan community. Taste detection thresholds for 6- n-propylthiouracil (PROP) were determined using the method of solutions. The subjects also tasted 5 suprathreshold solutions each of PROP and NaCl. Separation of subjects into nontasters (n=14), regular tasters (n=27) and supertasters (n=12) of PROP was based on PROP detection thresholds and mean response ratios to PROP as compared to NaCl solutions. The subjects also tasted a range of soy products including tofu, miso, plain soy milk and vanilla-flavored soy milk, as well as five different concentrations of Japanese green tea presented at room temperature. The most concentrated tea sample used 2.25 g of tea per 50 ml water, infused over a 5 min period. Taste intensity ratings were recorded using 9-point category scales, while acceptability ratings were based on a 9-point hedonic preference scale. Results showed that tasters and supertasters of PROP found tofu less acceptable than did nontasters, and to the contrary, preferred sweetened vanilla-flavored soy milk. PROP tasters rated Japanese green tea as more bitter than did nontasters. Rated acceptance of green tea decreased as bitterness increased. In past studies, genetically mediated sensitivity to PROP predicted lower acceptance of grapefruit juice. Since potentially chemopreventive flavonoids in soy products and green tea also have a bitter taste, avoidance of bitter foods may alter eating habits and reduce dietary exposure to foods known to alter cancer risk. Supported by NCI grant CA61680 and funds from the Michigan Soybean Promotion Board.

Evaluation of soymilk and other soy products derived from defatted soymeal

An evaluation study was carried out on soymilk reconstituted from soymilk powder which in turn was obtained through spray-drying of soymilk formulated from defatted soymeal. The colour and stability of the reconstituted soymilk were found to be dependent on the relative levels of oil and emulsifier added to the formulation. A 2 3 factorial experiment was designed to determine the effect of protein, oil and emulsifier levels on the colour and stability of the soymilk. Using a Hedonic preference test, the acceptability of the reconstituted soymilk formulated on the basis of results from the 2 3 factorial experiment was assessed and compared with commercial samples of soymilk.

Qualitative and Quantitative Sources of Affect: How Valence and Unexpectedness Relate Pleasantness and Preference

Optimal-level theories maintain that the quality of affect is a function of a quantitative arousal potential dimension. An alternative view is that the quantitative dimension merely modulates preexisting qualitative properties and is therefore only responsible for changes in the degree of affect. Thus, the quality of affect, whether it is positive or negative, has to be treated as a separate independent variable. In an experiment to compare these alternatives, the quantitative dimension was manipulated by varying the degree of unexpectedness of endings in stories that were overall either positive or negative. Contrary to predictions of optimal-level theory, results showed that differently valenced story endings, judged the same on an expectation scale, were rated very differently in hedonic tone and preference.

A SYSTEM FOR THE PREFERENCE EVALUATION OF CYCLIC MENUS

A quantitative method to evaluate the overall preference of cyclic menus is presented. The model developed consists of two separate factors relating to menu preference rating. The first factor is the time-preference relationship for food items. From survey data, time-preference functions have been constructed which indicate how the hedonic rating of a food item varies with the time since the food was last served. The function assumes a quadratic form with entrees tending to be most time sensitive and salads and vegetables the least. The second factor is the meal component weights for the evaluaton of an entire meal based on the consumer hedonic preference values for the generic components of the meal (entree, starch, vegetable, salad, and dessert). Regression techniques have been applied to survey data to generate the set of importance factors, or meal component weights, for each component. For example, the results indicate that the entree represents about 49% of the total preference value of the meal. This approach has provided a basis for an additive linear model for overall meal preference. A general system for the overall evaluation of cyclic menus has also been developed based on application of an additive linear model. This procedure accounts for the maximum preference values for food items, the time-dependency of the food item preference values, and the meal component weighting factors and is easily adapted to the computer, as shown by a specific example. The overall system appears to offer a logical, realistic, and integrated approach which reflects time factors and the relative importances of the various components of meals in the evaluation of cyclic menus. Further research in this area is recommended to refine this model and test its validity in an operational environment.

Cream and sugar: Human preferences for high-fat foods

Sixteen normal-weight subjects rated the perceived intensity of sweetness, fatness, and creaminess of 20 different mixtures of milk, cream, and sugar, and assigned an overall pleasantness (hedonic) rating to each sample. Intensity estimates increased as power functions of ingredient concentration and no significant mixture suppression effect was observed. In contrast, hedonic responses strongly depended on the relative proportions of sucrose and fat in the samples tasted. Hedonic preference ratings first rose and then declined with increasing sucrose concentration, but continued to rise with increasing dairy fat content. The addition of sucrose greatly enhanced hedonic ratings for high-fat stimuli. Changes in hedonic responsiveness were monitored using a mathematical modelling technique known as the Response Surface Method, which allows computerized simulation of the hedonic response surface as a function of perceived ingredient levels. Overnight fasting did not affect the perception or hedonics for sweet or “fatty” tastes. The observed preference for sweetened high-fat foods may have implications for the development of dietary-induced obesity in man.