This study aimed to investigate the sensory characterization of commercial and organic extra virgin olive oils by the Check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) and emotional responses methodologies. The samples were evaluated for viscosity and yellow color by 120 consumers using CATA, acceptance test, purchase intention test, emotional responses, and ideal scaling, allowing the construction of two External Preference Maps aimed to associate the results from the overall impression with the terms from CATA and the emotional responses. The samples Conventional 2 and Organic 2 presented greater proximity with positive descriptors and emotions, while the samples Conventional 4 and Organic 4 were correlated with negative descriptors and emotions, which was also observed in the acceptance and purchase intention tests, showing the consumers' preference for softer products.
Practical application
The results of this study showed that most consumers do not like the bitterness and piquancy present in olive oils. For them, the oil should be sensorially smooth. In return, they want to buy olive oils of the highest nutritional quality. This demonstrates that, most consumers are laymen and do not know that the greater the bitterness and spiciness the greater the presence of bi‐active compounds present in the products. This study makes it evident that we must inform consumers about how the sensory part is related to physical–chemical aspects of products. With the end of the study, it would be interesting for future studies, to identify the bioactive compounds present in the studied samples and to interrelate with the available sensory results.
Evaluation of nanoparticles obtained from starch is still on a laboratory scale and many challenges need to be overcome up to the industrial scale. In this review, information about the study and development of nanostarches are reported based on a discussion of concepts, production methods, as well as physico-chemical and technological characterization, safety and applications. The usual methods of producing nanostarches (such as acid hydrolysis, enzymatic pretreatment, high pressure homogenization and ultrasound) are discussed in this review, as well as the advancement of applications in the food industry (as in Pickering emulsion, carriers, films and nanocomposite production). Due to the wide variety of data, a protocol for the analysis of starch nanostructures is suggested. However, methods for quantifying starch nanoparticles are based on yield by weight, and no quantification method has yet been presented for processed products. All reports present a promising future for several areas, both in research and industrial applications, as they are considered as open doors to the many challenges on this research area.
ABSTRACT
The present study evaluated the effect of visual characteristics of six packages of extra virgin olive oil using the focus group research method. The samples were evaluated by 24 consumers in three sessions, with the presence of a moderator who made the questions, and an assistant who recorded the information discussed. The results showed that the package material, color variety, design, and clear and distributed information were the visual characteristics that most influenced the purchase intention of olive oils. Moreover, it is also concluded that consumers do not know the correct definition of extra virgin olive oil and acidity index, thus it is necessary to improve the interactions between consumers and products to provide a better understanding of food labels.
RESUMEN
El presente estudio evaluó el efecto de las características visuales de seis envases de aceite de oliva virgen extra mediante el método de investigación de grupo focal. Las muestras fueron evaluadas por 24 consumidores en tres sesiones, con la presencia de un moderador que realizó las preguntas, y un asistente que registró la información discutida. Los resultados mostraron que el material del envase, la variedad de colores, el diseño y la información clara y distribuida fueron las características visuales que más influyeron en la intención de compra de los aceites de oliva. Además, también se concluye que los consumidores desconocen la definición correcta de aceite de oliva virgen extra y de índice de acidez, por lo que es necesario mejorar las interacciones entre los consumidores y los productos para proporcionar una mejor comprensión de las etiquetas de los alimentos.
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