Consumer perceptions of anticake agents on shredded Cheddar cheese

Prepackaged natural cheese shreds are a growing consumer category. Anticake agents are applied to commercial cheese shreds to assist with shelf life and ease of use. The objective of this study was to investigate consumer perception of 3 anticake agents applied at various levels to Cheddar cheese shreds. Three common anticake agents (80% potato starch/20% cellulose blend, 100% potato starch, or potato starch/corn starch/calcium sulfate blend) were applied to duplicate lots of Cheddar cheese shreds at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (wt/wt). Control Cheddar cheese shreds with no anticake were also included. Sensory properties (appearance, flavor, texture, and hot texture) were documented using a trained sensory panel (n = 8), and 3 consumer acceptance tests were also conducted. In test 1, consumers (n = 110) visually evaluated liking of cold shred appearance. In test 2, consumers (n = 100) evaluated melted shreds on a flour tortilla for overall liking and appearance, flavor, and texture liking. In test 3, consumers (n = 49) participated in a home usage test. Two-way ANOVA (anticake × anticake application rate) was used to interpret the collected data from each test. Visual appearance of shreds was the primary attribute influenced by anticake application and anticake agent. Trained panel evaluation demonstrated that the 100% potato starch anticake had minimal effects on visual appearance. The other 2 agents (80% potato starch/20% cellulose blend and potato starch/corn starch/calcium sulfate blend) showed increases in visible powder at >3% (wt/wt). Consistent with results from trained panelists, higher application rates decreased consumer appearance and color liking for Cheddar shreds with 80% potato starch/20% cellulose and potato starch/corn starch/calcium sulfate blends at >2 or 3% (wt/wt), respectively. Appearance liking of melted shreds decreased with increased anticake application percent but decreased the most for 100% potato starch anticake at greater than 1% (wt/wt) application. Overall liking, flavor liking, and texture liking attributes for melted shreds were negatively affected at >3% (wt/wt) application regardless of anticake agent used. In general, anticake agents can be applied to Cheddar cheese shreds at up to 3% (wt/wt) with minimal effect on consumer perception.     

Consumer perception of natural hot-pepper cheeses

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.     

Consumer perception of smoked Cheddar cheese

Consumer perception of smoked cheese was evaluated through focus groups, surveys, and central location testing. Three focus groups (n = 29) were conducted with consumers of smoked cheese. Subsequently, 2 online surveys were conducted. The purpose of the first survey (n = 1,195) was to understand types of smoked cheeses consumed and if consumers associated specific wood smokes with smoked cheese. Next, an adaptive choice-based conjoint (n = 367) was designed to evaluate consumer perception of different attributes of smoked cheese. Maximum difference scaling and familiarity questions were also included in the adaptive choice-based conjoint survey. Following the surveys, a central location test (n = 135) was conducted with cheeses smoked with 3 different woods at a low and high intensity (6 cheeses total). Hierarchical Bayesian estimation, 1-way ANOVA, agglomerative hierarchical clustering, and 2-way ANOVA (smoke type × intensity level) were used to interpret the collected data. Results from the focus groups indicated that smoked cheese was perceived as an artisan, high-end product and that appearance and price were strong purchase factors. In general, consumers were not aware of how smoked flavor was imparted to cheese, but when informed of the processes, they preferred cold-smoked cheese to the addition of liquid smoke flavor. Results from both surveys confirmed focus group observations. Consumers perceived flavor differences among different wood smokes and smoked products. Method of smoking, smoke intensity, type of wood, and type of cheese were the most important attributes for purchase of smoked cheese. When tasting, consumers differentiated smoke aroma and flavor among cheeses and preferred cherry wood smoked cheeses over apple wood or hickory smoked cheeses. Understanding consumer perceptions of smoked cheese will give insight into the desired experience that consumers expect when purchasing smoked cheese.     

Moderately High Hydrostatic Pressure Processing to Reduce Production Costs of Shredded Cheese: Microstructure, Texture, and Sensory Properties of Shredded Milled Curd Cheddar

ABSTRACT: Short and moderate hydrostatic pressure (MHP) treatments accelerated the shredability of Cheddar cheese. Both MHP (345 MPa for 3 and 7 min) and higher pressure (483 MPa for 3 and 7 min) treatments applied to 1-d milled curd Cheddar cheese induced immediately a microstructure resembling that of ripened cheese. Unripened pressure-treated Cheddar cheese yielded shreds with visual and tactile sensory properties similar to those obtained from untreated 27-d-old Cheddar cheese. All pressure treatments reduced the presence of crumbles, increased mean shred particle length, improved length uniformity, and enhanced surface smoothness. Sensory evaluations showed that shredded samples of 1-d MHP-treated cheese and 27-d untreated cheese had similar sensory attributes. Pressure treatments did not affect mechanical properties of ripened cheese and milk protein proteolysis was not inhibited. These results showed that MHP would allow processors to shred milled curd Cheddar cheese immediately after block cooling with expected refrigerated storage savings of more than $30 US/1000 kg cheese and could simplify the handling of cheese for shredding. Shreds from unripened milled curd Cheddar cheese can thus be produced with high visual acceptability and improved tactile handling using moderate levels of hydrostatic pressure.     

Influence of three non-sensory factors on consumer choice of functional yogurts over regular ones

To better understanding the consumer choice of functional foods, a choice-based conjoint study was carried out to investigate the influence of three non-sensory factors on consumer choice of functional yogurts over regular ones. Four attributes were considered in the conjoint study: type of yogurt (regular, enriched with antioxidants and enriched with fibre), brand (national familiar, national unfamiliar, and foreign familiar), price (low, regular and high) and claim (with and without ‘reduced disease risk’ health claim). Eighteen choice sets, each composed of three stimuli (regular yogurt, enriched with antioxidants and enriched with fibre and varying the brand, price and claim levels) were evaluated by 103 consumers. For each choice set, consumers had to indicate which yogurt would normally buy. A questionnaire on consumer attitude towards health and nutrition was answered by participants after the choice task. Brand, price and health claims highly significantly affected consumer choice of functional yogurts. The relative importance of brand was similar to that of type of yogurt. Therefore, results suggested that non-sensory factors such as brand and price could have an important impact on consumer perception of functional foods. The impact of brand, price and health claims was affected by consumer interest in health issues.     

Effect of moderate pressure treatments on microstructure, texture, and sensory properties of stirred-curd cheddar shreds

A moderate high-pressure processing (HPP) treatment is proposed to accelerate the shredability of Cheddar cheese. High pressure processing (345 and 483 MPa for 3 and 7 min) applied to unripened (1 d old) stirred-curd Cheddar cheese yielded microstructure changes that differed with pressure level and processing time. Untreated and pressure-treated cheese shredded at d 27 and 1, respectively, shared similar visual and tactile sensory properties. The moderate (345 MPa) and the higher (483 MPa) pressure treatments reduced the presence of crumbles, increased mean shred particle length, improved length uniformity, and enhanced surface smoothness in shreds produced from unripened cheese. High-pressure processing treatments did not affect the mechanical properties of ripened cheese or the proteolytic susceptibility of milk protein. It was concluded that a moderate HPP treatment could allow processors to shred Cheddar cheese immediately after block cooling, reducing refrigerated storage costs, with expected savings of over 15 US dollars/1000 lb cheese, and allowing fewer steps in the handling of cheese blocks produced for shredding.     

Identification and characterization of fluid milk consumer groups

Consumption of fluid milk has steadily declined over the last few decades. Understanding the attributes of fluid milk products that are attractive to specific consumer groups may provide a sound basis for education and marketing to encourage increased dairy consumption and reverse the downward trend. The objective of this study was to identify the attributes of fluid milk that specific consumer groups find attractive and attributes that suggest a higher purchase likelihood. An adaptive choice-based conjoint (ACBC) survey was designed to assess attributes of fluid milk. The ACBC survey included Kano, importance, labeling identification, and beliefs questions to determine the key attributes that dictated consumer purchase and consumption. Self-reported purchase habits and attitudes for organic food products were also collected. Attributes in the ACBC exercise included fat content, package type, shelf life, and label claims. Maximum difference scaling was used to rank the importance of attributes in fluid milk that affected purchase. Maximum difference scaling was also used to rank qualities and issues associated with organic milk that were most motivating for those who identified as organic milk consumers. Results were analyzed by univariate and multivariate statistics. A total of 1,163 fluid milk consumers completed the survey, and of those, 434 were regular purchasers of organic milk. The ideal fluid milk from conjoint analysis was 2% milkfat, organic, packaged in a plastic jug, conventionally pasteurized, and contained no additives or label claims. The belief that “organic milk is healthier” was the most important motivator for purchases of organic milk, followed by the beliefs that “organic milk production encourages ethical treatment of animals” and “organic milk production supports local farms and farmers.” Conjoint importance scores of all fluid milk consumers showed that milkfat content was the most important attribute, followed by flavor, package size, and price. For all milk consumers, designation as organic was ranked as the 8th most important of 14 attributes. Evaluation of these results on both aggregate and individual levels suggest that fluid milk consumers are not a homogeneous consumer group and that underlying consumer groups are led to purchase decisions by specific product features or expectations.     

Investigating individual preferences in rating and ranking conjoint experiments. A case study on semi-hard cheese

Stated preference conjoint experiments and self-explicated measures based on rating and ranking approaches were conducted to investigate Norwegian consumers’ choices among healthier and organically produced semi-hard cheeses. In the conjoint experiments, one group of participants (n = 114) performed a rating task of eight cheeses whereas the other group (n = 105) performed a ranking task of the same cheeses, all based on pictorial stimuli only. Then, all participants performed self-explicated rating and ranking evaluations of the cheese attributes. Conjoint rating data were analysed by mixed model ANOVA, while conjoint ranking data were analysed by mixed logit. The different approaches are compared in terms of data analysis methodologies, outcomes and practicalities for the experimenter as well as for the respondents. Rather than average population effects, focus is brought on individual preferences and consumer segmentation. Findings reveal that the two conjoint experiments lead to similar population effects and consumer segments. Consumers on average prefer cheeses of new (healthier) fat composition, organic production and lower price to cheeses of regular fat composition, conventional production and higher price. Two consumer segments are investigated. Consumers in the New fat segment are health-conscious, whereas consumers in the Regular fat segment are attracted by conventional cheese and lower prices. Self-explicated ratings of the cheese attributes corroborate these findings.     

Influence of packaging information on consumer liking of chocolate milk

Chocolate milk varies widely in flavor, color, and viscosity, and liking is influenced by these properties. Additionally, package labels (declared fat content) and brand are some of the extrinsic factors that may influence consumer perception. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of packaging labels and brand name on consumer liking and purchase intent of chocolate milk. A consumer acceptance test, conjoint analysis survey, and Kano analysis were conducted. One hundred eight consumers evaluated 7 chocolate milks with and without brand or package information in a 2-d crossover design. A conjoint analysis survey and Kano analysis were conducted after the consumer acceptance test. Results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and multivariate analyses. Declared fat content and brand influenced overall liking and purchase intent for chocolate milks to differing degrees. A subsequent conjoint analysis (n = 250) revealed that fat content was a driver of choice for purchasing chocolate milk followed by sugar content and brand. Brand name was less important for purchase intent of chocolate milk than fat or sugar content. Among fat content of chocolate milk, 2 and 1% fat level were most appealing to consumers, and reduced sugar and regular sugar were equally important for purchase intent. Kano analysis confirmed that fat content (whole milk, 1, or 2% fat chocolate milk) was an attractive attribute for consumer satisfaction, more so than brand. Organic labeling did not affect the purchase decision of chocolate milk; however, Kano results revealed that having an organic label on a package positively influenced consumer satisfaction. Findings from this study can help chocolate milk producers as well as food marketers better target their product labels with attributes that drive consumer choice of chocolate milk.     

杭州市超市内国产预包装食品营养标签标示现状调查

目的了解杭州市超市内预包装食品营养标签的标示现状。方法自行设计《预包装食品评价表》,抄录超市预包装食品的营养成分表、营养声称和营养成分功能声称,并判断其规范性。结果共调查国产预包装食品5390种,其中标有营养成分表、营养声称和营养成分功能声称的分别为1407种(26.1%)、653种(12.1%)、94种(1.7%)。营养成分表中能量、蛋白质、脂肪、碳水化合物和钠全部标示的预包装食品为605种(43.2%),标有营养成分参考值百分比的有557种(39.7%)。7种(7.2%)预包装食品的营养成分功能声称存在明示或暗示治疗疾病的问题。结论超市内预包装食品的营养标签的标示率较低,部分营养标签不符合规范,营养标签标示工作亟待加强,以便为大众营造健康的膳食营养环境。     

Consumer perception of ice cream and frozen desserts in the “better-for-you” category

The consumption of ice cream and frozen desserts in the “better-for-you” (BFY) category has grown rapidly over the past few years, even as traditional ice cream sales remain stagnant. To better understand consumer preferences within the BFY category, an online survey (n = 1,051) was conducted with ice cream and frozen dessert consumers, followed by consumer acceptance testing of commercial BFY frozen dairy desserts. Consumers of BFY frozen desserts (n = 578) completed an adaptive choice-based conjoint survey and MaxDiff exercise to identify the attributes that drive purchase of BFY frozen desserts. MaxDiff exercises were also used to determine which attributes all frozen dessert consumers (n = 1,051) perceived to make a frozen dessert BFY and which stabilizers or emulsifiers were most attractive on an ice cream or frozen dessert label. Subsequently, a consumer acceptance test (n = 186) was conducted using 4 commercial vanilla-flavored frozen dairy desserts made with different sweetening systems (sugar, sucralose + acesulfame K, monk fruit + allulose, and stevia + erythritol). Half of consumers were primed or informed with the sweeteners and basic nutritional information for the frozen desserts before tasting, and the other half of consumers evaluated samples blinded, where they were only informed that they were tasting a vanilla-flavored frozen dessert. Sweetener type and base (dairy vs. plant) were the most important attributes to BFY consumers when selecting a BFY frozen dessert (n = 578). For all ice cream and BFY dessert consumers (n = 1,051), sweetener-related claims (naturally sweetened, reduced sugar, no added sugar), along with “all natural” and a short ingredient list, were the top attributes that contributed to perception of a “healthier” frozen dessert. When BFY frozen desserts were tasted by consumers, purchase intent decreased after tasting, suggesting that frozen desserts made with natural non-nutritive sweeteners did not meet consumer expectations. Flavor of BFY frozen desserts remains more important than perceived healthiness. Consumers perceive frozen desserts, even those in the BFY category, as an indulgence. Frozen dessert manufacturers should focus on naturally sweetened, dairy-based desserts with minimal sweetener-related flavor defects when designing products for the BFY category.     

Consumers’ attitudes towards alternative grains: a conjoint analysis study

Recently, alternative grains (millet, quinoa, sorghum) have been used to produce several food products common to North Americans. The objective of this study was to identify the attributes that drive consumers liking of alternative grains. A literature review and two focus groups were conducted. Four attributes were identified as being important to consumers when purchasing alternative grains. These attributes included grains, product type, flavour and claims. A choice- based conjoint analysis survey was created and administered to 346 individuals who live in Atlantic Canada. Product type and flavour were the most important attributes to consumers. Sweet and nutty flavours, products made from quinoa, or products with claims indicating they were a source of fibre, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes or reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, had a positive effect on consumer liking.     

河南省预包装食品营养标签标示现况调查

目的了解河南省预包装食品营养标签、营养声称、营养成分功能声称的标示状况。方法采集预包装食品标签图片,建立数据库进行数据录入,依据国标判定其正确和规范性,用SPSS 17.0软件进行统计学分析。结果共调查9类1 031份预包装食品,标示营养标签的有970份,标示率为94.08%;进行营养声称的有49份,营养声称率为4.75%,声称频次较高的营养素是钙、铁、锌、膳食纤维、维生素。结论河南省预包装食品大部分都能按照《预包装食品营养标签通则》要求标示营养标签,但标示准确度和规范性还不够。有关部门应继续加强营养标签的监管和宣教工作。     

An attribute prioritization-based segmentation of the Chinese consumer market for fruit juice

Despite the enormous opportunity that the Chinese market provides for exporting companies in the food and beverage industry, little research has considered Chinese consumer decision making processes surrounding these products. This study provides an empirical investigation into how Chinese consumers prioritize extrinsic product attributes (brand, nutrition content claim, ingredient label, shelf-life, price, and manufacturing country) when making their fruit juice purchase decisions. The study illustrates that consumer decision making processes are culturally embedded by presenting a comparison of the study’s findings with the more prevalent Western-based literature on consumer decision making processes.A choice-based conjoint survey was administered to 645 Chinese participants in Hangzhou, China using the internet-based software 1000Minds. Three consumer segments were identified through cluster analysis: Health Conscious, Premium Product, and Long Product Shelf-life. The Health Conscious segment wants natural and nutritious fruit juices that have a well-known brand. The Premium Product segment is willing to pay higher prices for imported fruit juices. Compared to the other two segments, the Long Product Shelf-life segment prefers lower priced and extended shelf-life fruit juices that are more convenient to store and consume. While the three clusters were similar in their preferences for the fruit juice attributes and levels, they differed in the rank order of the attributes. These findings highlight the importance of how extrinsic product attributes are traded off by Chinese consumers when making their fruit juice purchase decisions.The identification of these Chinese consumer segments provides juice manufacturers better knowledge on the market opportunities in China and strategic guidance for effective positioning, packaging, labeling, and pricing of fruit juices. This attribute prioritization-based segmentation for the Chinese consumer market is novel and thus provides strong implications for the fruit juice industry. In addition, this paper also makes a novel academic contribution to the Chinese consumer decision making literature on food and beverage products.     

An approach to improve the baking properties and determine the onset of browning in fat-free mozzarella cheese

Compared with low-moisture part-skim mozzarella and mozzarella cheese, bake performance of low-fat and fat-free mozzarella on pizza has a lot to desire. We hypothesized that a water-soaking pretreatment step of low-fat and fat-free cheese shreds before baking would improve pizza baking performance. The study also examined the correlation of the onset of cheese browning with the rate of moisture loss, changes in cheese surface temperature, and 3-dimensional (3D) plot L* a* b* CIELAB color analysis. The pretreatment of soaking cheese shreds in water improved the baking properties of fat-free mozzarella cheese on pizza. Compared with the control sample, which demonstrated significant shred identity, poor shred melt, fusion, and stretch during a pizza bake with fat-free mozzarella, the soaked cheese (SC) sample demonstrated satisfactory cheese melt, fusion, and stretch. In addition, the SC sample had desired browning as opposed to the control sample's excessive browning. The additional moisture from the soaking pretreatment aided in delaying the onset of cheese browning in the SC sample when compared with the control sample. For both the control and SC samples, there was a strong correlation between the onset of cheese browning with the peak of moisture-loss rate, and an increase in cheese surface temperature (>100°C). The color analysis of the 3D plot confirmed the relationship between the onset of cheese browning and the shift in L* (lightness), a* (red-green color), and b* (blue-yellow) values. According to the study's findings, soaking cheese shreds before baking can help improve bake performance on pizza. Furthermore, 3 measurement tools used in the study, (1) moisture-loss rate, (2) cheese surface temperature, and (3) 3D plot CIELAB color, were useful in determining the onset of cheese browning and can be applied to different intervention strategies to control cheese browning during pizza baking.     

Impact of nutritional claims on consumer preferences for bread with varied fiber and salt content

High consumption of bread provides a lot of salt, but it can also provide a lot of fiber to the diet. The use of labels on bread could encourage consumers to choose bread with improved nutritional value, i.e., with reduced salt and increased fiber content. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of the different nutritional information on preferences regarding bread (wheat plain roll) with reduced sodium content and bread enriched with fiber. The survey was carried out among a group of 330 adult consumers in 2015 in the southern part of Poland. The conjoint analysis design included four product attributes – two nutritional claims (“Low salt content” and “Source of dietary fiber”), fiber content, and salt content. The mean part-worth utilities of individual product attributes and the relative importance of attributes within the sample were calculated using SAS procedures. Next, cluster analysis, based on the individual utilities, was undertaken to identify groups (clusters) of consumers with similar preferences. Salt content had higher relative importance for the participants in comparison with both claims, while the relative importance of dietary fiber content was the lowest. The relative importance of both nutritional claims was almost equal, namely 25.5% for the fiber claim and 25.4% for the salt claim. The results of cluster analysis showed strong heterogeneity in consumer reactions to the attributes of the tested product. To conclude, providing information about the salt and fiber content of bread is necessary to encourage a healthy choice, but the claims placed on bread packaging seem to be insufficient as they contribute to the avoidance of the product. Increasing consumer awareness of nutrition claims of foods is required.