Consumers' expectations and liking of traditional and innovative pork products from European autochthonous pig breeds.

The aim of the study was to ascertain the acceptability of Traditional (T) and Innovative (IT) pork products by European consumers considering also the influence of the sensory properties. The tests were performed in Barcelona, Bologna, Toulouse and Zagreb, with products from autochthonous pig breeds Porc Negre Mallorquí (patties), Cinta Senese (dry-fermented sausages), Gascon-Noir de Bigorre (dry-cured hams) and Turopolje (dry-cured hams), respectively. The methodological approach relied on the expectancy-disconfirmation model and the assimilation theory (blind, expected and informed tests). All consumers had a similar behaviour: higher expectations of T and IT differentiating them significantly from the remaining products, except in Barcelona test, because consumers in this city were not acquainted with the production system. Innovation in T products focusing on healthy and process innovation highlighted the need to provide information about the breed and the production system, but we can conclude that the sensory quality had a significant role on the preferences of consumers.

Health Innovation in Patty Products. The Role of Food Neophobia in Consumers' Non-Hypothetical Willingness to Pay, Purchase Intention and Hedonic Evaluation.

Consumers' personality traits are key factors in understanding consumers' choice and acceptance for health innovations in food products, in particular, food neophobia (FN). The patty product as a traditional pork product (TPP) with two innovative traditional pork products (ITPP) from the untapped pig breed (Porc Negre Mallorquí) in Spain were analysed. Patties were enriched with Porcini (Boletus edulis) using the claim "enriched with a natural source of dietary fiber Beta glucans that may contribute to improve our defence system" (ITPP1) and enriched with blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) using the claim "enriched with a natural source of antioxidant that may help to prevent cardiovascular diseases" (ITPP2). Two non-hypothetical discrete choice experiments were applied to investigate the importance of FN in consumers' purchase intention (PI) and willingness to pay (WTP) before and after tasting the products. Results showed that the TPP and the ITPP2 received higher than expected PI and WTP. However, after tasting the products, consumers exhibited lower WTP for all ITPP showing the prevalence of the sensory experience on health innovation. The FN was highly related to WTP before the hedonic evaluation. However, it turned out to be non-significant, showing a homogenising role of the sensory experience in reducing the FN impact.

Effects of enrichment with polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid) on consumer liking of beef aged for 7 or 21 d evaluated at different locations.

The effect of different animal diets supplemented with linseed (source of omega-3 fatty acids: n-3) and/or conjugated linoleic acid (CON: control, LIN: 10% linseed, CLA: 2% conjugated linoleic acid, LINCLA: 10% linseed plus 2% CLA) on consumer liking of beef aged for 7 or 21 d was assessed in 3 Spanish cities. Overall, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor liking of beef were evaluated by consumers (n = 720) using 9-point scales. Hedonic scores assigned by consumers did not differ (P > 0.05) for beef from animals fed the different diets and aged for 7 or 21 d. Consumer scores showed an increasing trend in beef liking with aging time. Consumers from Pamplona assigned lower (P < 0.05) hedonic scores for beef liking than consumers from Barcelona and Zaragoza. Linseed and/or CLA can be fed to improve the fatty acid profile in beef with minimal impact on consumer liking. Consumer ratings seem to depend on regional tastes and preferences.