Scientific Publications with referee

Consumer evaluation of milk authenticity explained both by consumer background characteristics and by product sensory descriptors.

“Forbrukerevaluering av melk’s autentisitet forklart både ut fra forbrukernes bakgrunns karakteristika og ut fra produktets sensoriske egenskaper”.

Forbrukere (N=81) ble utvalgt til å delta i en autentisitets test ut fra kriterier at de bl.a. drakk melk daglig. Videre skulle de besvare et skjema om holdninger til nye produkter og generelt om demografiske fakta. Melkeprøvene som inngikk i forsøket, kom fra et forings- og lagringsforsøk av kumelk. Forbrukerne ble fortalt en historie om at det nå var muligheter for salg av utenlandsk melk på det danske marked. Dette satte forbrukerne i en følelsemessig tilstand, hvoretter de ble servert en rekke melkeprøver som de skulle identifisere som ”dansk melk” eller ”utenlandsk melk”. Et analytisk sensorisk panel evaluerte de samme prøver i en deskriptiv test. En multivariat data analytisk modell (L-formet partial least squares regression) ble benyttet til å finne sammenheng mellom forbrukernes autentisitetsrespons fra to kilder: fra forbrukernes bakgrunns variable og fra panelets sensoriske produkt deskriptorer. Resultater viste at melkeprøver beskrevet med lagrings/forings deskriptorer (dvs off-flavours) ble bedømt som ”utenlandske” (ikke ”danske”) av flere forbrukere.

Facts

Year 2006
Abstract Consumer authenticity tests were used to elicit consumer response to the influence of fodder and storage time on the flavor of cow milk. A panel of professional tasters was used to provide a descriptive profile of the sensory characteristics of the milk. Consumer background characteristics were collected through a questionnaire concerning demographic and consumption pattern variables as well as assessments using two attitude scales: a modified food neophobia questions and a set of milk xenophobia questions. A multivariate data analytical method (L-shaped partial least squares regression) was used to model the variation in the authenticity evaluation simultaneously from two different sources: the storage/feed effects as described by the sensory panel and the consumer background variables. Results showed that milk samples with storage/feed characteristics were evaluated as "foreign" (not Danish) by some segments of the consumers. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Very small differences in a food product, here milk, sometimes cannot be discerned by standard sensory methods. The test in this article – authenticity test – is able to assess such differences. In this article, it is studied whether there are influences of the consumer on the results of the authenticity test, to see if this test is broadly applicable. With respect to milk, a number of effects appear that have an effect on the acceptance of milk as a result of fodder and storage time. These factors can be of use for milk producers, and the differences in the acceptance of the products between the consumers may help milk producers to aim products to consumer segments.
Reference Frandsen, L.W., Dijksterhuis, G.B., Martens, H., Martens, M. 2007. Consumer evaluation of milk authenticity explained both by consumer background characteristics and by product sensory descriptors. Journal of Sensory Studies, Vol 22, pp 623-638.
Publisher Journal of Sensory Studies,

Related persons

  • Harald Martens

    Senior Research Scientist/Prof II, Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), UMB/Adj.prof. Univ of Copenhagen, Denmark

    Phone: +47 64970291

    Cellphone: +47 950 75 025

  • Magni Martens

    Senior Research Scientist / Professor of Sensory Science (h.c.) affiliated to Univ. of Copenhagen, DK

    Phone: +47 64970420

    Cellphone: +47 481 34 856