Psychometric Properties of the Preference for Intuition and Deliberation in Eating Decision-Making Scale among Brazilian Adult Women.

The Preference for Intuition and Deliberation in Food Decision-Making Scale (E-PID) was developed to evaluate both intuitive and deliberative food decision-making within a single instrument. However, its psychometric properties have only been assessed among German-speaking participants. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate evidence of validity and reliability of the E-PID among 604 Brazilian adult women. Exploratory (n = 289) and confirmatory factor analyses (n = 315) were conducted to evaluate the factor structure of the E-PID. Convergent validity was assessed correlating the E-PID with measures of eating behaviors (Tree-Factor Eating Questionnaire-18), intuitive eating (Intuitive Eating Scale-2), and a measure of beliefs and attitudes towards food (Food-Life Questionnaire-SF). McDonald's Omega coefficient (ω) was used to test the internal consistency of the E-PID. Results from an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure with seven items. We found good internal consistency (McDonald's ω = 0.77-0.81). Furthermore, the E-PID demonstrated adequate convergent validity with measures of intuitive, restrictive, emotional and uncontrolled eating, and beliefs and attitudes towards food. Results support the use of the E-PID as a measure of intuition and deliberation in food decision-making among Brazilian adult women, expanding the literature on eating decision-making styles.

Influence of qualitative menu labeling on diners' food choices: A controlled quasi-experiment in self-service buffet restaurants.

Menu labeling is a strategy to promote healthier food choices in restaurants. This study aimed to analyze the influence of a qualitative menu labeling on the healthfulness of diners' food choices in self-service buffet restaurants. A controlled quasi-experiment comparing parallel groups at baseline and intervention periods was conducted in a control restaurant and an intervention restaurant. Qualitative labels provided information on the name and ingredients list of the dish, highlighting the use of organic vegetables. The same food menu was served in both restaurants. Menu labeling was implemented at the intervention restaurant for six dishes each day, three considered healthier and three less healthy. Dishes were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the service to estimate the average portion size (g) of diners, during five consecutive days at baseline and intervention. Diners who had lunch at the intervention restaurant were invited to participate in a survey on the use of menu labels. Of the 153 interviewed diners, 31% reported noticing menu labels. Of these, 57% said menu labeling had influenced their food choices at the restaurant. No changes in portion sizes were observed between baseline and intervention periods within control and intervention restaurants. However, it was found that the provision of qualitative menu labeling sparked the interest of restaurant managers in improving meal quality and modifying recipes to eliminate ultra-processed ingredients. Thus, the implementation of the proposed menu labeling model can promote healthier food choices through the reformulation of culinary recipes. However, it is essential to adopt strategies to enable its direct impact.

Food Neophobia in Children: A Case Study in Federal District/Brazil.

A reluctance to eat and/or avoidance of novel foods is characterized as food neophobia (FN). FN restricts the diet to familiar foods when, in fact, it should be much more varied. FN can be a barrier to healthy foods, affecting the quality of diet, and impairing children's growth and development. Therefore, according to their caregivers' perceptions, this study aimed to evaluate FN in children from Federal District/Brazil. The Brazilian Children's Food Neophobia Questionnaire (BCFNeo), a specific instrument developed and validated in Brazil, was answered by caregivers of children aged 4 to 11 y/o. Sampling occurred through snowball recruitment, being convenient and non-probabilistic. The Health Sciences Ethics Committee approved the study. The analysis evaluated FN in total (BCFNeoTot) and in the following domains: general (FNgen), for fruits (FNfru), and for vegetables (FNveg). FN scores were compared between sex and child's age and categorized according to three ordinal levels. FN levels were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. The Friedman test, followed by the Wilcoxon test with Bonferroni correction, was performed to analyze differences in FN according to the environment. Of the caregivers' answers for their children, 595 answers were included, because 19 were out of age. The prevalence of high FN was 42.9%. The domain with the highest prevalence of high FN was vegetables (48.6%). Children aged 8 to 11 y/o had a higher mean FN in two domains (FNgen p = 0.047 and FNveg p = 0.038) when compared to children aged 4 to 7 y/o. Boys were more neophobic in all domains (FNgen p = 0.017; FNfru p = 0.010; FNveg p = 0.013; BCFNeoTot p = 0.008), and FN tends not to decrease with age. The results showed that the children of the FD are more neophobic than Brazilian children in general, highlighting the importance of additional studies in FN determinants in this population and nutritional education interventions to reduce FN among FD children.

Consumers' familiarity level shapes motives and contexts for preparing and consuming dishes.

Consumers' familiarity with foods influences their expectations and experiences upon consumption. Familiarity has mostly been assessed using perceived familiarity when studying single foods. However, foods are often combined to create dishes, complex compositions eaten at various mealtimes. Hence, this paper aimed to study if and how the level of consumers' dish familiarity shapes their motives and preferred contexts for home cooking and consuming three dishes: one traditional dish, one adopted ethnic dish, and one mainly unavailable and unknown ethnic dish. First, we describe the operationalization of familiarity into the qualitative "consumer's dish familiarity index" (CDFI) used to determine participants' familiarity level to the dishes. CDFI includes four indicators (perceived availability, consumer's knowledge, preparation, and consumption). In-depth interviews (n = 27) were conducted with Dutch and Chilean women, as the countries have contrasting levels of immigration and globalization, which are expected to shape their inhabitants' familiarity level with ethnic dishes. Most experienced consumers (high familiarity) mentioned more dishes and individual-related motives to prepare and consume a traditional or an adopted ethnic dish. Social- and individual-related motives were salient when a dish was unknown and/or not previously consumed. Consumers' familiarity level also guided their preferred social context and location when consuming the dishes. A dish barely available will likely be first consumed in a restaurant to try a new dish that is perceived as appetizing to eat. Results showed that convenience, wanting to eat comfort foods, and showing affection to others are important motivators to facilitate the adoption of dishes to be home cooked. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This paper provides a novel approach to assess consumer familiarity to dishes. The qualitative consumer's dish familiarity index (CDFI) can be used in future investigations to assess and classify consumers into different dish familiarity levels by using four indicators. The outcomes of this study suggest consumers' familiarity level could serve as a reference for designing and/or improving (ethnic) foods and creating marketing campaigns to introduce them into (foreign) countries.

Using the Theory of Perceived Value to Determine the Willingness to Consume Foods from a Healthy Brand: The Role of Health Consciousness.

Eating low amounts of healthy foods leads to high rates of diet-related diseases. How can we control and reduce the increase in these diseases? One of the recommendations is to improve nutritional competence, which means greater health consciousness. The objective of the present study is to determine the influence of health consciousness on the dimensions of perceived value and their impact on the willingness to consume foods from a healthy brand. Through a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and explanatory study, the responses of 518 participants (men and women) who confirmed being consumers of the healthy brands of food were analyzed. The study included adults aged from 18 to 58 years recruited using non-probability sampling. Data was collected using a self-report form and statistically analyzed using Smart PLS. The findings support that health awareness positively and significantly influences perceived quality value, perceived financial value, perceived social value, and perceived emotional value; contrary to this, it was detected that the perceived financial value does not influence the willingness to consume foods from healthy brands. This study contributes significantly to health science by showing how the theory of perceived value predicts the intention to consume healthy brands, with health consciousness intervening in this prediction. Therefore, it is concluded that the study population that consumes healthy foods has experienced the positive impact of perceived value and reports that the factors that comprise it influence their intention to consume healthy foods.

Effects of front-of-package nutrition labelling systems on objective understanding and purchase intention in Panama: results from a multi-arm parallel-group randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of different front-of-package labelling (FOPL) schemes on the objective understanding of the nutritional content and intention to purchase products, in Panama. DESIGN: Single-blinded multi-arm parallel-group randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Supermarkets across Panama. Participants were exposed to two-dimensional images of fifteen mock-up products presented at random and balanced orders. Participants assigned to the intervention groups were exposed to mock-ups featuring one FOPL scheme: black octagonal warning labels (OWL), traffic-light labelling (TFL) or guideline daily amounts (GDA). The control group was not exposed to any FOPL scheme. PARTICIPANTS: Adult supermarket shoppers (n 1200). Participants were blinded to group assignment. RESULTS: A similar number of participants were randomised and analysed in each group: OWL (n 300), TFL (n 300), GDA (n 300) and control (n 300). The odds of choosing to purchase the least harmful or none of the options more often was the highest in the OWL group. Compared with the control group, these odds were two times higher in the OWL group (OR 2·13, 95 % CI 1·60, 2·84) and 57 % higher in the TFL (1·57, 1·40-2·56), with no changes in the GDA (0·97, 0·73-1·29). OWL also resulted in the highest odds for correctly identifying the least harmful option and for correctly identifying a product with excessive amounts of sugars, sodium and/or saturated fats. CONCLUSIONS: OWL performed best in helping shoppers to correctly identify when a product contained excessive amounts of nutrients of concern, to correctly identify the least harmful option and to decide to purchase the least harmful or none of the options, more often.

Factors of food choice and nutritional intake of Brazilian older adults according sociodemographic and health characteristics.

The rapid demographic transition in developing countries has always posed a challenge for the social and economic policies of these nations. The increase in longevity poses new challenges for understanding dietary consumption among different age groups at the old age population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reasons for food choice and the composition of nutritional intake of older adults and its relationship to individual characteristics. Community-living older adults aged 60 and older were interviewed in their homes at the southeastern region of Brazil, between December 2021 and February 2022. The Food Choice Questionnaire and a Food Frequency Questionnaire were administered to obtain data on the reasons for food choice and nutritional intake. A structured interview was employed to gather information on individual characteristics. 168 older adults (mean age of 72.6 ± 8.9; 69.6% women) participated. The reasons for food choice differed significantly, with weight control being one of the least important and health being one of the most important. But older adults aged 80 and over valued the health criterion less than younger participants (60-69 years old). The intake of macronutrients and energy were below nutritional recommendations. Carbohydrate consumption was positively correlated with the mood motive. There was a relationship between the reasons for choosing food and/or the components of nutritional intake with: gender, age, living with a partner, self-report of depression/anxiety, self-perception of health and nutritional status anthropometric. The results are important to be considered in prevention policies and clinical-nutritional management, with special attention to the oldest-old.

Relaxed minds for healthier food choice at school: A field experiment in southern Mexico.

Stress leads to unhealthy food choices since the school-age stage. Yet, there is limited evidence particularly in low- and middle-income countries regarding the impact of stress-reduction strategies on school-age children's food choices. Such aspects were crucial during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated psychological distress and unhealthier food choices among children. Two years after the pandemic began, we conducted a field experiment in southern Mexico to assess the impact of stress-reduction strategies on the food choices of over 1400 children aged 9-12. Half of the school-classes in the sample were randomly assigned to a stress reduction strategy namely meditation, which comprised six audios with basic relaxation techniques and intuitive messages to guide food choices. Additionally, all participants received information signalling that an amaranth snack was nutritious (i.e., the healthy snack), which was paired with a chocolate bar (i.e., the unhealthy snack) as part of a snack choice experiment. Students that practiced meditation were slightly more likely to choose the healthy snack than those in the control group, but the effect was not statistically significant. Upon collecting their snack, students had the chance to exchange their original choice for the other snack. Students that meditated were more likely to exchange their originally chosen "unhealthy snack" towards the healthy snack than students in the control group. The meditation program effectively reduced chronic stress among treated children. The effect was larger among students attending schools in lower-income areas. Our study sheds some light on the challenges to translate an improved psychological well-being into healthier food choices at school.

Fruitful changes? Exploring household fruit purchase decisions following comprehensive food policy regulations in Chile.

Changes in unprocessed healthy food purchases associated with the implementation of comprehensive food policy remain understudied. This study analyzes whether, following the announcement, modification, and implementation of Chile's Food Labeling and Advertising law targeting highly processed food (occurring in 2012, 2015, and 2016, respectively), households improved their fruit purchase decisions: purchase participation (i.e., buying likelihood) and purchase quantity. Expenditure data from a representative sample of Chilean households were employed, covering two consecutive survey waves conducted in 2011/2012 and 2016/2017. After controlling for socioeconomic factors (e.g., prices and income), results indicate that only purchase participation increased, providing weak support for positive spillover effects of a comprehensive food policy on fruit purchases. Subsample analyses reveal that this increase was driven by college-educated, childless, and low-income households and was stronger for sweeter and more convenient fruits. Considering that households in Chile do not meet health recommendations for daily fruit intake, additional policy efforts targeting healthy, unprocessed food consumption could be considered.

Instruments to Evaluate Food Neophobia in Children: An Integrative Review with a Systematic Approach.

Food neophobia (FN), a frequent disorder in childhood, profoundly impacts the quality of a diet, restricting the intake of nutrients to maintain proper nutrition. Therefore, using the appropriate tools to assess FN in children to promote healthy eating habits is essential. The study aimed to develop an integrative review with a systematic approach to identify the instruments to measure FN in children and analyze their differences. The included studies (n = 17) were more concentrated in Europe, demonstrating the possible lack of dissemination of the topic at a global level. Among the 18 tools, 6 were represented by adaptations of the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and the Children's Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS), and one was the CFNS itself, demonstrating the relevance of these pioneering tools. The need to meet mainly cultural and cognitive criteria led to the creation of other instruments (n = 11). A diversity of approaches concerning the respondents, age range, items, scales, and validation methods was revealed. Modifications to the tools in some nations highlighted their adaptability and effectiveness in addressing regional variations. The instruments can contribute to additional research to help us better understand the prevalence of FN in children, resulting in their health and well-being.

Relationships Between Three Eating Behaviors and Nine Motives for Food Choices Among Brazilian Adults: A Structural Equation Model.

We examined the relationships between three eating behaviors and nine motives underlying food choices made by Brazilian adults. Using participant responses to the short version of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire and the Food Choice Questionnaire, we investigated eating behaviors (cognitive restriction, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating) and motives for food choices (health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern). We used a structural equation model to test relationship pathways (ß), with eating behaviors as independent variables and motives for food choices as dependent variables. Participants were 1297 individuals (69.5% female) with a mean age of 25.0 years (SD = 5.8). We confirmed the validity and reliability of the questionnaires in this sample. Restrictive eating behavior was significantly related to motives of health (ß = .415), mood (ß = .127), natural content (ß = .364), weight control (ß = .681), and ethical concern (ß = .161). Emotional eating behavior was related to motives of mood (ß = .277), health (ß = -.137), and natural content (ß = -.136). Uncontrolled eating behavior was related to motives of convenience (ß = .226), sensory appeal (ß = .121), price (ß = .153), and familiarity (ß = .090). We believe these findings can now help design future research and clinical interventions for managing people's risky eating behaviors and promoting beneficial food choices.

Influence of poverty concerns on demand for healthier processed foods: A field experiment in Mexico City.

Living in poverty can present cognitive biases that exacerbate constraints to achieving healthier diets. Better diets could imply food choice upgrades within certain food categories, such as electing processed foods with an improved nutritional profile. This study evaluated the influence of monetary and health concerns on the willingness to pay (WTP) for healthier processed foods in a low-income section of Mexico City. We employed priming techniques from the scarcity literature, which are applied for the first time to healthier food purchasing behaviours in low-income settings. Our predictions are based on a dual system framework, with choices resulting from the interaction of deliberative and affective aspects. The WTP was elicited through a BDM mechanism with 423 participants. Results showed that induced poverty concerns reduced the valuations of one of the study's healthier food varieties by 0.17 standard deviations. The latter effect did not differ by income level. The WTP for a healthier bread product but one with relatively high sugar and fat content was reduced by induced poverty concerns only among certain consumers without bread purchasing restrictions (78% of the sample). Potential mechanisms were assessed through regression analysis and structural equation modelling. The relationship between poverty concerns and WTP was mediated by increased levels of stress. While we could not rule out impact on cognitive load, it was not deemed a mediator in this study. Our findings signal that improvements in economic and psychological well-being among low-income consumers may aid to increase their demand for healthier processed foods.

Qualitative exploration of the reasons for not using nutritional warnings after policy implementation in Uruguay.

Nutritional warnings have gained popularity, particularly in the region of the Americas, to facilitate the identification of products with excessive content of nutrients associated with non-communicable diseases and encourage healthier food choices. Although warnings have been shown to be effective, an in-depth understanding of the reasons why some consumers do not use them is still lacking. The aim of the present work was to explore self-reported use of nutritional warnings and to identify the reasons for not considering nutritional warnings for making food purchase decisions after policy implementation in Uruguay. A non-probabilistic sample of 858 Uruguayan participants was recruited using an advertisement on Facebook and Instagram. Through an online survey, self-reported use of nutritional warnings was asked using a closed-open ended questions. Participants who reported not considering warnings to make their purchase decisions were asked to explain the reasons why using an open-ended question. Responses were analysed using deductive coding, based on the Behavioural Drivers Model. Thirty seven percent of the participants stated that the warnings had not influenced their purchase decisions. Motives for not being influenced by the warnings were related to lack of interest, attitudes, lack of perceived self-efficacy, cognitive biases and limited rationality when making purchase decisions. In addition, structural barriers, such as availability, cost and trust in the food industry also emerged from participants' responses. Strategies to encourage the use of warnings should include communication campaigns and policies to address structural barriers related to the perceived availability and affordability of healthy foods.

Front-of-package nutrition labeling as a driver for healthier food choices: Lessons learned and future perspectives.

This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of front-of-package nutritional labeling (FOPL), identify and characterize the major existing FOPL systems, examine the impact of FOPL systems on consumer behavior, and discuss future perspectives. The searched databases were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and papers in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French were considered. The integrative review method was used, comprising 68 papers. The FOPL system from more than 47 countries from North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia was included in this study. The two main ways to characterize FOPL are the level of interpretation and the type of information provided. Interpretive schemes (such as warning labels, multiple traffic lights, and Nutri-Score) appear to lead to better consumer understanding and support healthier food purchases. However, due to the differences among the results and the specificity of the contexts in which they are used, it is impossible to define one FOPL interpretation scheme superior to the others. Some potential factors that influence the effectiveness of FOPL on consumer attitudes have been identified, such as food taste, as a major intrinsic factor. Extrinsic factors, such as price, food category, cultural diversity, politics, and economics, were also relevant. The lack of availability of similar alternatives, lack of understanding of the importance of FOPL, and lower levels of income and education were also some cognitive and social aspects impairing FOPL effectiveness. Prospects for the United States, Europe, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina were discussed.

Meat with edible coating: Acceptance, purchase intention and neophobia.

The acceptance of a new product depends on its sensory quality and consumers' physiological and psychological aspects. The fear of consuming foods processed by new technologies is an example. This study aimed to investigate the overall acceptance and purchase intention of chitosan-coated beef and lamb meat in blind and informed conditions and to estimate the psychometric properties using the Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS). Beef and lamb meat samples were evaluated for overall acceptance (1 = extremely disliked, 9 = extremely liked) and purchase intention (1 = certainly would not buy, 5 = certainly would buy). A questionnaire containing the Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS) was applied, and sociodemographic data were collected, and 297 consumers participated in this study. For beef, chitosan-coated in the informed condition was the most accepted. In contrast, for lamb meat, the overall acceptance values of control and chitosan treatments in the blind condition were higher than the samples in the informed condition. However, cluster analysis indicated three clusters of consumers with different perceptions for both types of meat. The original FTNS showed factorial invariance, and the abbreviated scale (AFTNS) was used. The final AFTNS model showed good adjustment index (λ = 0.41 - 0.73; χ2 / gl = 3.5; CFI = 0.93; TLI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.09) and had 8 items. For most consumers in this study, an absence of neophobia was observed (71.1%), indicating that the chitosan-coated meat would potentially be commerced.

Late effects of early weaning on food preference and the dopaminergic and endocannabinoid systems in male and female rats.

Early weaning (EW) is associated with obesity later in life. Here, using an EW model in rats, we investigated changes in feeding behavior and the dopaminergic and endocannabinoid systems (ECS) in the adult offspring. Lactating Wistar rats were divided into two groups: EW, dams were wrapped with a bandage to interrupt suckling during the last 3 days of breastfeeding; CONT; dams fed the pups throughout the period without hindrances. EW animals were compared with CONT animals of the same sex. At PN175, male and female offspring of both groups could freely self-select between high-fat and high-sugar diets (food challenge test). EW males preferred the high-fat diet at 30 min and more of the high-sugar diet after 12 h compared to CONT males. EW females did not show differences in their preference for the palatable diets compared to CONT females. Total intake of standard diet from PN30-PN180 was higher in both male and female EW animals, indicating hyperphagia. At PN180, EW males showed lower type 2 dopamine receptor (D2r) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dorsal striatum, while EW females had lower tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental area and NAc, D1r in the NAc, and D2r in the prefrontal cortex. In the lateral hypothalamus, EW males had lower fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase, whereas EW females showed lower N-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase-D and increased FAAH. Early weaning altered both the dopaminergic and ECS parameters at adulthood, contributing to the eating behavior changes of the progeny in a sex-dependent manner.

Going beyond sensory and hedonic aspects: A Brazilian study of emotions evoked by beef in different contexts.

For deeper insight into beef consumer experiences during consumption, sensory descriptions seem to be insufficient, and exploration of emotions evoked by this product are required. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the emotions evoked by beef consumption in different contexts. To that end, this work was structured as follows: 1) Emotional vocabulary development; 2) Selection of beef cuts; and 3) Emotional profiling of beef cuts. The emotional vocabulary was useful for characterizing emotions evoked by two beef cuts with different sensory profiles, in different contexts, considering a within-subjects design. Rump cap samples showed the highest liking and were associated with positive emotions, while outside flat samples were less liked and characterized by negative emotions. The evoked context had no effect on hedonic and emotional intensities, but increased the number of emotions elicited by consumers. The correlation of sensory, hedonic and emotional information indicated that tenderness and internal color of beef were correlated with positive emotions and higher liking scores.

Estrategias de marketing en sitios web de marcas de alimentos y bebidas consumidos por niños, niñas y adolescentes en la Argentina / Brand website marketing strategies for foods and beverages consumed by children and adolescents in Argentina

Internet permitió expandir la promoción de alimentos/bebidas a diferentes medios. El objetivo del estudio fue identificar las estrategias de marketing en sitios web de marcas de alimentos y bebidas consumidos por niños/as y adolescentes, y clasificarlos según las recomendaciones de las Guías Alimentarias para la Población Argentina.Se seleccionaron los alimentos/bebidas más consumidos por la población infantojuvenil según la Encuesta Alimentaria Nutricional de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Se identificaron las páginas web de las marcas; se analizaron las estrategias de marketing y se clasificaron los alimentos/bebidas promocionados según las Guías.Se encontraron 80 páginas web, donde las estrategias más frecuentes fueron identificación de la marca, beneficios y declaraciones, y vínculos a páginas web y/o redes sociales. El 30 % de los sitios estaban dirigidos a niños/as/adolescentes, donde el 75 % de los alimentos/bebidas promocionados correspondieron al grupo de dulces y grasas, que incluye aquellos de bajo valor nutricional.

The Internet has allowed the expansion of food and beverage advertising in different media. The objective of this study was to identify the marketing strategies used in brand websites of foods and beverages consumed by children and adolescents, and classify them based on the Food Guidelines for the Argentinean Population.The foods and beverages most commonly consumed by the child and adolescent population as per the Survey on Nutritional Food Intake of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires were selected. Brand websites were identified; marketing strategies were analyzed and marketed foods and beverages were classified based on the Guidelines.A total of 80 websites were found; the most common strategies were brand identity, benefits and claims, and links to websites and/or social media. Also, 30 % of sites were aimed at children and adolescents, and 75 % of marketed foods and beverages corresponded to the group of sweets and fats, including those of low nutritional value

Influence of expectations on the level of liking of a local coffee in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, coffee activity is mainly carried out in indigenous zones, involving almost one million people. However, local national coffee consumption is low. This article focuses on the analysis of the effect of consumers' expectations as well as some sociodemographic characteristics on the level of liking of Mexican local coffee. Four coffees from three indigenous zones of Hidalgo, Mexico were evaluated using a nine-point hedonic scale. The samples were evaluated under three conditions: (i) blind, no information given to the consumer; (ii) expected, only information given to the consumer; and (iii) informed, giving information and product to the consumer. RESULTS: The difference observed between expected and blind condition was significant (P < 0.005) for the three local coffees evaluated, indicating a negative disconfirmation. The local coffees were less appreciated than expected, since the information about the samples created high hedonic expectations among the consumers. The level of education and the place of residence of consumers had a significant influence on their level of liking. Based on demographic characteristics, three segments were found presenting a different pattern of liking. CONCLUSIONS: Consumers had positive expectations towards the local coffee. The sociodemographic characteristics and aspects related to consumption, particularly the experience with the product, are decisive in the expectations concerning the local product. This investigation can be useful to generate marketing strategies according to the demands and needs of the market, making local products to be valued. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Integrating consumer perception in the selection of purple-skin sweet potato cultivars.

BACKGROUND: Sweet-potato breeding programs need to integrate sensory characterization and hedonic perception to provide global markets with widely accepted products. The present work aimed to characterize a series of purple-skin sweet potatoes differing in flesh coloration (from pale yellow to slight orange) from a sensory and physicochemical perspective. Uruguayan consumers' perceptions of the genotypes were also explored. Special focus was placed on the influence of flesh color on consumers' expectations and hedonic perception of purple-skin sweet potatoes. RESULTS: Sensory characterization based on projective mapping showed that the evaluated genotypes largely differed in their sensory characteristics in terms of flavor, texture, and color. Soluble solids and the concentration of individual sugars were not good predictors of sensory quality. In the appearance evaluation, consumers associated orange flesh with positive expected sensory characteristics and stronger liking. Flavor (sweetness and typical flavor) and texture (creaminess) were identified as key characteristics influencing consumers' liking and description of sweet-potato samples. Among purple-skin ('criollo or boniato' type) genotypes, INIA Cambará was identified as the closest to the ideal sweet potato and was described with the terms sweet, tasty, creamy, and characteristic flavor. CONCLUSION: Flesh color was identified as a key driver of consumers' sensory and hedonic expectations. Results showed that Uruguayan consumers positively value traditional purple-skin sweet potatoes with orange flesh, as it drives positive sensory expectations. However, after tasting, flesh color does not seem to have a relevant influence on consumer liking.