Sensory Appeal Research Articles

Impact of thermosonication processing on the phytochemicals, fatty acid composition and volatile organic compounds of almond-based beverage

Consumers are demanding not animal-derived food products produced by clean technologies. An almond-based functional beverage enriched with coconut oil, xylooligosaccharides, and natural blue colorant was processed by low-frequency ultrasound combined with mild heat treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of thermosonication treatments on the phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity, fatty acids stability, volatile organic compounds, and color attributes of the plant-based beverage. Thermosonication treatments were carried out at 50 °C using three levels of acoustic power (4.6, 8.5, and 14.5 W) and holding time (5, 10, and 15 min). The acoustic energy increased the working temperature up to 25 °C beyond that provided by the external heat source. However, thermosonication treatments did not affect the antioxidant capacity of the beverage. These promoted the release of some bioactive compounds that were bound. Likewise, the degradation of others that were free. Higher acoustic powers and longer holding times degraded stearic and palmitic fatty acids. The thermosonication treatment at 14.5 W for 15 min degraded ethyl esters of the samples modifying the natural flavor of the beverage. Additionally, all thermosonication treatments intensified the blue color of the almond-based beverage maintaining its sensory appeal concerning color attributes.

FORTIFICATION OF PASTA WITH AMARANTH LEAF POWDER AND DEFATTED SOY FLOUR: EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL, COOKING AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS

Natural nutritional resources like cereals, legume, fruits and vegetables contains plenty of nutrients as antioxidants, vitamins, dietary fibres, minerals, proteins and phenolic compounds. Incorporation of these nutritional resources in staple foods like pasta increases nutritional as well as functional value for health improvement or disease prevention. Amaranthus and Soy has been traditionally considered as an important functional component in ancient meals, and are also popular crops due to its high nutritional value and easy availability which suggests their incorporation in main stream meals and snacks to fight malnutrition. In the current study, an attempt has been made to fortify the pasta with varying proportion of Amaranth Leaf Powder (ALP) and Defatted Soy Flour (DSF) alone and in combination with Control pasta to improve the nutritional components. Since, the fortification may affect the different properties of pasta, therefore the sensory, cooking and physical properties (flours) of the Control and fortified pasta were studied. Results of this study indicated that the Control pasta fortified with DSF (16%) and ALP (6%) alone and in-combination {Control: DSF (16%): ALP (6%)} scored highest sensory acceptability in comparison to other combinations. Control pasta with DSF (16%) shown the maximum bulk density and swelling capacity. The maximum gluten content was found in Control pasta as compared to other groups. There was minimum gruel loss observed in case of Control: DSF in comparison to other fortified groups. Taken together, the current study suggested that the fortification of pasta with DSF and ALP could be one of the potential approaches for enhancing the nutritional value with the highest acceptability of staple food like pasta particularly in respect of ease of preparation, sensory appeal, long storage capability and cost effectiveness.

Evaluation of the Food Choice Motives before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of 1232 Adults from Croatia.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic brought changes to almost every segment of our lives, including dietary habits. We present one among several studies, and the first on the Croatian population, aiming at investigating changes of food choice motives before and during the pandemic. The study was performed in June 2021 as an online-based survey, using a 36-item Food Choice Questionnaire applied for both the periods before and during the pandemic. The final sample consisted of 1232 adults living in Croatia. Sensory appeal was ranked as the number one most important food choice motive before, whereas health was ranked as the number one most important food choice motive during the pandemic. Ethical concern was reported as the least important food choice motive both before and during the pandemic. In women, natural content (p = 0.002), health, convenience, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern (all p < 0.001) became more important during the pandemic, while price (p = 0.009), weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern (all p < 0.001) became more relevant for men. All together, these can be considered favorable changes toward optimal diets and may result in beneficial influences on health and lifestyle. Education strategies and efficiently tackling misinformation are prerequisites for informed food choice, which will ensure long-lasting positive effects of such changes.

The food choice determinants and adherence to Mediterranean diet in Iranian adults before and during COVID-19 lockdown: population-based study

PurposeDuring the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes in dietary intake were observed. However, the determinants of food choice and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in this period were not studied so far for Iranian adults. This study aimed to assess the food choice determinants changes and Adherence to the MD of Iranian adults.Design/methodology/approachThis study was a cross-sectional study that was conducted from April 2019 to May 2020, based on the snowball sampling, and a total number of 2,540 adults from all the regions of Iran participated. The Food Choice Questionnaire was used to analyze food choice determinants, and the validated ten-item MD adherence screener was used to assess the adherence to the MD.FindingsBefore the COVID-19 quarantine, sensory appeal and price were the most important factors in Iranian food choice (with the highest scores), but during the COVID-19 pandemic the important food choice determinants were health and weight control. Consumption of vegetables (71.85% vs 40.07%), fruits (60.70% vs 38.74%), legumes (24.72% vs 12.38%) and nuts (14.33%) increased significantly after the outbreak of quarantine.

Application of the analytic hierarchy process in the selection of traditional food criteria in Vojvodina (Serbia)

Vojvodina Province (Northern Serbia) represents a multicultural area inhabited by around thirty nations and national or ethnic groups with their authentic tradition and culture. The gastronomy of Vojvodina has been forming as a reflection of geographic characteristics—natural conditions and social events in this area. The life numerous nations share on this fertile soil of Vojvodina has initiated mutual impact of various customs, which contributed to the creation of a unique and specific Vojvodina cuisine. In this paper, mixed-method research approach was applied. The application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was preceded by a survey research on the sample of 289 guests in the restaurants on the territory of Vojvodina. The aim of the research was to define the key motives when choosing a traditional Vojvodina dish. In the second stage, AHP model was used for ranking factors significant for choosing traditional food by 29 experts in the field of hospitality and gastronomy. The result shows that Sensory appeal is the most important criterion for choosing traditional food in restaurants by the experts, followed by Health concern, and Familiarity.

Designing for Curves

Designing for Curves

Electrohydrodynamic drying: Can we scale-up the technology to make dried fruits and vegetables more nutritious and appealing?

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying is a promising technology to better preserve the nutritional content and sensory appeal of dried fruits and vegetables. To successfully scale up this technology, we need to rethink the current EHD dryer designs. There is also a significant potential to further enhance the nutritional content and sensory quality of the dried products by optimizing EHD process parameters. This study particularly highlights the current bottlenecks in scaling up the technology and improving nutrient retention and sensory appeal of the dried products. We discuss plausible future pathways to further develop the technology to produce highly nutritious dried products. Particular emphasis has been given to quantifying the residual nutritional and sensory properties of EHD dried products, and possible EHD dryer configurations for farmers and the industry. Concerning the nutritional content, EHD drying preserves vitamins, carotenes, and antioxidants significantly better than convective air drying. From the sensory perspective, EHD drying enhances the color of dried products, as well as their general appearance. With respect to scalability, placing the fruit on a grounded mesh electrode dries the fruit much faster and more uniformly than the grounded plate electrode. Future research should be directed toward simultaneous measurements of multiple food nutrients and sensory properties during EHD drying with a grounded mesh collector. Quantifying the impact of the food loading density on drying kinetics and energy consumption of the EHD drying process should also be a future research goal. Research comparing EHD drying with commercially available drying methods such as freeze-drying, microwave-drying, and infrared drying should also be carried out. This study gives promising insight toward developing a scalable novel thermal drying technology tailored to the requirements of the current and future society.

Rationalisation of meat consumption in New Zealand adolescents.

This study aimed to describe meat consumption rationalisation and relationships with meat consumption patterns and food choice motivations in New Zealand adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study of adolescents from high schools across New Zealand. Demographics, dietary habits, and motivations and attitudes towards food were assessed by online questionnaire and anthropometric measurements taken by researchers. The 4Ns questionnaire assessed meat consumption rationalisation with four subscales: 'Nice', 'Normal', 'Necessary' and 'Natural'. Nineteen secondary schools from eight regions in New Zealand, with some purposive sampling of adolescent vegetarians in Otago, New Zealand. Questionnaires were completed by 385 non-vegetarian and vegetarian (self-identified) adolescents. A majority of non-vegetarian adolescents agreed that consuming meat was 'nice' (65 %), but fewer agreed that meat consumption was 'necessary' (51 %). Males agreed more strongly than females with all 4N subscales. High meat consumers were more likely to agree than to disagree that meat consumption was nice, normal, necessary and natural, and vegetarians tended to disagree with all rationalisations. Adolescent non-vegetarians whose food choice was motivated more by convenience, sensory appeal, price and familiarity tended to agree more with all 4N subscales, whereas adolescents motivated by animal welfare and environmental concerns were less likely to agree. To promote a reduction in meat consumption in adolescents, approaches will need to overcome beliefs that meat consumption is nice, normal, necessary and natural.

Effect of pretreatments on drying of red dacca in a single slope solar dryer

AbstractPretreatment of fruits normally increases moisture loss and reduces the overall drying period. The combination of pretreatments and drying assures the least color difference, excellent preservation, and better antioxidant activity. Pretreatment of Red Dacca is soaked in four different solutions, namely honey, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and ascorbic acid, for 10 min. The best solution for pretreatment is investigated among the selected samples. The results indicated that dipping the red dacca in ascorbic acid and lemon juice had a higher impact on moisture loss. The moisture content of the red dacca control samples reduced from 74 to 14% on a wet basis within 8 hr, whereas pretreated red dacca reaches an equilibrium moisture content of 14% within 6 hr. The ascorbic acid dipped samples have shown the best drying rate. The lemon juice samples have the best sensory appeal, whereas honey samples have the best taste over the other samples. The effect of pretreatment on drying characteristics is experimentally investigated on a single slope dryer in both natural and forced convection mode. Pretreated red daca drying is investigated for the first time and the enhancement in performance is compared with three kinds of drying modes.Practical applicationsDue to a lack of processing facilities, the farmers have to sell their products at very low prices. Red dacca is a popularly consumed fruit and it contains various nutritional and health benefits to humans. The drying process is playing an important role in heat‐sensitive product dehydration. Solar drying is a better choice to reduce the loss and produce good quality red dacca after harvesting. In this research, the best drying and pretreatment method for red dacca is identified from existing literature. The finding obtained from this research work will help to increase the shelf life of food samples by reducing the overall drying time without altering the dryer design.

Food Preferences and Food Choice Determinants in a Polish Adolescents' COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study.

Food preferences are within the most important determinants of food choices; however, little is known about their complex associations, and no studies were conducted in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between food preferences and food choice determinants in adolescents aged 15–20 years within the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study. The PLACE-19 Study included a random quota sampling conducted in the whole of Poland and covered a population-based sample of 2448 secondary school students. The food preferences were assessed using a validated Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ), and the food choices were assessed using a validated Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ). The statistical analysis comprised k-means clustering and linear regression adjusted for sex and age. Four homogenous clusters of respondents were defined based on the food choice motives—“healthy eaters” (health as the most important determinant of food choices), “hedonists” (convenience, sensory appeal, and price as the most important determinants), “indifferent consumers” (low significance for all determinants), and “demanding consumers” (high significance for all determinants). The preferences for all food categories differed when comparing between clusters presenting various food choice determinants (p < 0.001). The “healthy eaters” were characterized by the highest preference for vegetables; the “hedonists” preferred meat/fish, dairy, and snacks; the “demanding consumers” had a high preference for all food categories, while “indifferent consumers” had a low preference for all food categories. All preference scores were positively associated with mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, and price (p < 0.05). The results confirmed the association between food preferences and food choice determinants in adolescents, as well as allowed adolescents to be clustered into segments to define various needs and motives among the identified segments. For public health purposes, it may be crucial to educate “hedonists,” with a high preference for meat/fish, dairy and snacks, accompanied by convenience, sensory appeal, and price as the most important determinants of their food choices.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a Portuguese Immigrant Community in the Central Valley of California.

The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is a healthy eating pattern associated with a better quality of life among older adults and reduced risk of non-communicable diseases. Little is known about the MedDiet in immigrant communities from countries in which the MedDiet is a settled cultural heritage. Thus, we examined MedDiet adherence and perceived knowledge, benefits, and barriers to the MedDiet in a Portuguese immigrant community in Turlock, California. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 208 participants in Turlock and Livermore, California, which was used as a reference population. Univariate, multivariable, and logistic regression models were used for data analysis. Compared to the Livermore group, the Turlock group was younger and less educated, but had a higher average MedDiet score and active adherence to a MedDiet (p < 0.001 for both). In the Turlock group, convenience, sensory appeal, and health were observed to be significant barriers to the MedDiet (p < 0.05), while health, weight loss, natural content, familiarity, price, sensory appeal, and mood were significant benefit factors (p < 0.05). In conclusion, participants in Turlock had greater MedDiet adherence despite lower education attainment. Furthermore, the perceived benefits of the MedDiet were key factors in MedDiet perception and adherence in a Portuguese immigrant community.

Alberto Blest Gana and the Sensory Appeal of Wealth

AbstractThis essay explores sensory stimuli inLa aritmética en el amor[Arithmetic in Love/Economics of Love] (1860) as they relate to the consumer preferences (for clothing, furniture, jewellery) and purchasing practices of nineteenth-century Santiago, Chile. The novel presents detailed descriptions, for example, of fine fabrics, emphasising the sounds that the wearers of such fabric reproduce as they move about. Wealthy or not, people feel the pressure to present themselves in their best garments, but the “best noise” is made by the rich, who transmit the affect of opulence to the less fortunate. Overall, to radiate a sensory appeal, characters frequent the city of Santiago and patronise the finest clothing stores. From our very first encounter with the protagonist Fortunato Esperanzano, he is dressed accordingly, engaging with Santiago and showing in his persona that he shops only for nice clothes and the best cigars. From a Lefebvrian perspective, Fortunato represents how Chile’s modernisation transforms the capital’s “marketplace” as a social space where a new luxury economy flourishes and a traditional, rigid social order is maintained.

Food Choice Questionnaire and PLS‐Path modeling as tools to understand interest in low sugar products

AbstractThe objective of this research was to develop a model using Partial Least Squares‐Path modeling (PLS‐PM) to explain the whole set of relationships between Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) constructs of interest in low sugar products being mediated by the construct Health. The results showed Sensory appeal as the most important construct for consumers, followed by Price and Health. PLS‐PM revealed the constructs Weight control, Natural content, and Mood, when mediated by Health, as having a direct effect on the importance given by consumers to foods low in sugar. This study also confirms differences in interest in low sugar products among consumers due to gender. Linking to the PLS‐PM, it can be concluded that women (all ages) give more value to foods low in sugar and are concerned about their bodies, food composition and the influence of food on their emotions.Practical applicationsSugar consumption has increased worldwide significantly over the past 50 years, which is related to the increase in numerous chronic non‐communicable diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends reducing the consumption of free sugars throughout life. The Brazilian government announced an agreement with the national food industry to reduce sugar in industrialized food products by 2022. It seems to be a viable and low‐cost solution to quickly reduce the consumption of sugar in a population. Understanding the reasons related to food choices can be a useful tool for understanding the eating behavior of a population, helping to develop interventions and communication campaigns to promote healthier diets. In addition, the use of PLS‐PM arose as an important tool to explain relationships between FCQ constructs.

A technological review on processing of sugarcane juice: Spoilage, preservation, storage, and packaging aspects

AbstractSugarcane juice is a proven health‐promoting drink having a substantial amount of polyphenols, antioxidants, and functional nutrients known to prevent several ailments. Owing to its perishable nature, sugarcane juice is mostly consumed fresh postextraction. Prior to juice extraction, the pretreatment of canes is felt vital and is generally adopted to minimize subsequent postcrushing destructive changes in juice quality. The application of processing techniques to sugarcane juice is crucial, primarily to enhance its shelf‐life and for value‐addition to meet consumers' demand. This review focuses on critical aspects encountered during sugarcane juice processing, which are of prime importance to food scientists. This addresses pretreatment of sugarcanes; physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characteristics of sugarcane juice; its microbiological and biochemical spoilage; processing techniques for enhancing its shelf‐life and/or quality characteristics, and finally its packaging and storage. The understanding of juice characteristics and spoilage has resulted in the introduction of novel processing, packaging, and storage technologies leading to juice products with higher retention of nutritional and quality characteristics. Implementation of such technologies for industrial‐scale processing of sugarcane juice is not only advantageous over the conventional ones but also useful in the development of additive‐free, high‐quality processed juice with natural, and fresh sensory appeal in packaged form. Such an attempt would promote entrepreneurship in sugarcane juice processing and would be useful for the commercialization of shelf‐stable sugarcane juice in packed form.Practical applicationsWith the increasing consumer demands for natural and healthy foods, significant efforts are being made for manufacture and supply of food products which retain valuable nutrients and quality attributes after the processing and packaging operations. Realizing that sugarcane juice is one such food product, which is highly nutritive and is known to prevent several ailments, it is highly required to comprehensively describe several aspects about its shelf life extension and storage stability. To study the effects of processing on sensitive sensory qualities of juice is of utmost importance. The highlights of novel processing technologies reviewed are expected to be useful for food process engineers and industrialists to manufacture shelf‐stable packaged sugarcane juice.

Addition of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato and Iron-Rich Beans Improves Sensory, Nutritional and Physical Properties But Reduces Microbial Shelf Life of Cassava-Based Pancake (Kabalagala) Designed for Children 2-5 Years Old

ABSTRACT Innovative use of locally available food resources to develop products of enhanced nutritional quality is one of the strategies believed to alleviate deficiencies of essential micronutrients such as vitamin A and iron that are endemic among children 2–5 years in developing countries such as Uganda. New cassava-based pancake (kabalagala) formulae composed of orange-fleshed sweet potato, iron-rich beans, cassava and sweet banana were developed to target vitamin A and iron needs of children 2–5 years in Uganda. The new products had better sensory appeal and nutrient density, had better physical properties during storage, were stable to oxidative rancidity but had lower microbial shelf-life compared to the original pancake formula (composed of cassava and sweet banana). Notwithstanding bioavailability constraints, theoretical nutritional computation revealed that serving 100 g (approximately four pieces) of the new products would contribute approximately 99–102% of vitamin A and 110–119% of iron requirements of the targeted children.

Understanding meat consumption in later life: A segmentation of older consumers in the EU

Protein intake is important for the maintenance of health, independence, and quality of life especially for older adults, yet the expanding older population is at risk of not consuming adequate levels. Notwithstanding its importance in terms of health, dietary protein choice has major ramifications for the state of the environment and for climate change, with meat holding the most weight in the environmental impact of diets. To support older consumers in making environmentally sustainable dietary protein choices, this study aims to gain deeper understanding of older consumers’ meat consumption behavior by profiling older consumer segments on the basis of their meat consumption and liking. Results were obtained through a 2019-survey among 2,500 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or above in Finland, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Three segments of older consumers were identified by means of a two-step cluster analysis: heavy meat consumers, medium meat consumers, and light meat consumers. The segments differed significantly in several socio-demographics and background characteristics, appetite, protein intake, attitudes towards meat and plant-based ‘meat’ substitutes, and liking of protein sources other than meat. Health and sustainability food choice motives were important determinants for being classified as a medium or light meat consumer compared to a heavy meat consumer whereas food fussiness, sensory appeal, and familiarity were important determinants for being classified as a heavy meat consumer compared to a light meat consumer. Understanding older consumers’ meat consumption behavior has important implications for designing dietary strategies to meet older consumers’ protein needs in an environmentally sustainable way.

An integrated framework to explain consumers’ purchase intentions toward green food in the Chinese context

The present study aims to explore an appropriate framework for explaining consumers’ purchase intentions toward green food in the Chinese context. An integrated green food purchase intention (IGFPI) model was designed based on various cognitive and affective variables extracted from the amended theory of planned behavior (A-TPB) and modified stimulus-organism-response (M-SOR) models. An online survey was conducted among Chinese consumers with 1,412 usable responses. Research data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to evaluate the strength of the relationship between constructs and compare the model fit among three models (i.e., A-TPB, M-SOR, and IGFPI). The findings reveal that three models present reasonable fit and the IGFPI model provides a better explanatory power than the other two independent models. In summarizing the results of hypotheses tests among the three models, the variables of perceived behavioral control, face consciousness, group conformity, utilitarian and hedonic attitudes have significant effects on purchase intentions toward green food. Consumers’ perceptions of nutritional content and price attributes of green food have strong effects on utilitarian attitudes, while the sensory appeal and price attributes strongly influence hedonic attitudes. Interestingly, the strength of the association between confidence, personal characteristics and purchase intention, as well as between ecological welfare and utilitarian attitudes vary within the independent and integrated models respectively. This study provides insight for stakeholders and future research in better understanding the framework and factors that influence purchase intentions of consumers toward green food products in the Chinese context.

Sensory Acceptability and Proximate Composition of 3-Blend Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives.

Limitations of plant-based dairy alternatives as sustainable foods are their relatively low protein content and low sensory appeal. In this study, we used a consumer-led product development approach to improve the sensory appeal of existing prototypes of 3-blend dairy alternatives produced from melon seeds, peanuts and coconut. We used Relative Preference Mapping (RPM) and consumer acceptance testing using the 9-point hedonic scale to respectively identify innovative flavours and deduce the effect of ingredient components on consumer sensory appeal. Mixture design was used as the formulation tool to obtain optimized prototypes of the 3-blend dairy alternatives. Proximate analysis of the new prototypes, instrumental color assessment and consumer testing provided a basis to select a sustainable 3-blend dairy alternative. This prototype had a relatively high protein content (2.16%), was considered innovative by target consumers and also had a moderate liking score (6.55 ± 1.88) on the 9-point hedonic scale. Prototypes with higher protein content had low sensory appeal and were not considered innovative. Other prototypes with innovative sensory appeal had low protein content. By combining different plant raw materials and utilizing different sensory testing methods, we were able to design sustainable plant-based dairy alternatives which can be further optimized.

Role of Sensory Appeal, Nutritional Quality, Safety, and Health Determinants on Convenience Food Choice in an Academic Environment.

The present research aims to investigate the extent to which sensory appeal, nutritional quality, safety, and health determinants influence purchase intention, consumption, and satisfaction of consumers towards convenience food. The non-probability purposive sampling approach was adopted for the recruitment of consumers. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from 501 consumers. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were adopted to analyze the data. Factor loading, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, and correlations estimate of constructs revealed good internal consistency and reliability of scale items as well as convergent and discriminant validity of the constructs. The path analysis of structural model demonstrated positive relationship between sensory appeal, nutritional quality, safety attributes, healthiness, and purchase intention of convenience food. Further, the path analysis of structural model revealed that purchase intention with consumption as well as consumption with satisfaction were positively associated for convenience food. Sensory appeal was the key determinant influencing purchase intention, consumption, and satisfaction of consumers towards convenience food. The good taste, pleasant appearance, nice smell, and appealing texture within sensory appeal were the most important factors influencing purchase intention, consumption, and satisfaction of consumers towards convenience food. Further, the consumers in emerging economies such as India focus more on sensory appeal in convenience food choice.

Experiential Value in Multi-Actor Service Ecosystems: Scale Development and Its Relation to Inter-Customer Helping Behavior.

Interactions in service ecosystems, as opposed to the service dyad, have recently gained much attention from research. However, it is still unclear how they influence a customer’s experiential value and trigger desired prosocial behavior. The purpose of this study is to identify which elements of the multi-actor service ecosystem contribute to a customer’s experiential value and to investigate its relation to a customer’s interaction attitude and inter-customer helping behavior. The authors adopted a scale development procedure from the existing literature. Service, brand, retail and tourism management research as well as expert feedback is used to generate a pool of 33 items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. The scale was validated based on more than 468 responses to a CASI at one of the world’s largest trade shows. Scale-development procedure was followed by structural equation modeling. CFA supports that experiential value in multi-actor ecosystems comprises five dimensions. The functional value of personnel (professionalism), the perception of other customers’ appearance (similarity), the perception of other customers’ behavior (suitable behavior), multisensory stimuli (sensory appeal), and a customer’s enjoyment (playfulness). Experiential value positively and directly relates to a customer’s interaction attitude and inter-customer helping behavior. Furthermore, the effect of experiential value on inter-customer helping behavior is partially mediated by interaction attitude. Managers interested in getting more out of interactions with customers will develop an understanding for the interplay between the physical environment and individuals within a multi-actor ecosystem. Social scientists and managers can use the scale to assess experiential value, encourage a customer’s interaction attitude and utilize the customers’ influence on their peers. This paper synthesizes insights from existing research on experiential value, from various fields, in one scale. This holistic approach is the first to simultaneously account for a customer’s interactions with the multisensory physical environment, personal interactions with employees and interactions between customers in a multi-actor service ecosystem.