The existing methodologies for determining thresholds generate unreliable estimates of the point at which the intensity of a stimulus begins to compromise acceptance or result in sensory rejection of a product. Thus, a new methodology was proposed for determination of two new sensory thresholds: the compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and the rejection threshold (RT). In this new methodology, increasing or decreasing series of stimulus intensity are measured together with a standard stimulus (control sample) by means of acceptance tests. In the present study, the CAT and RT were determined for sucrose concentrations in grape nectar, demonstrating that when reducing the sucrose concentration of grape nectar form 9.00% (w/v) to 6.87% there begins to occur impairment of product acceptance (CAT), and when reducing the sucrose concentration from 9.00% to 3.83% there begins to occur sensory rejection (RT) of the product. When compared to existing threshold determination methodologies, the proposed methodology permitted for calculating, with greater reliability, the points at which compromise of acceptance (CAT) and sensory rejection (RT) of the product begin to occur. In addition to the case study presented, the proposed methodology has a wide range of applications in science and in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade tecnológica e sensorial do uso da farinha de aveia em mistura com farinha de trigo (0, 15, 30 e 45% de adição) na elaboração de bolos. A farinha de aveia apresentou maior granulometria que a de trigo, de modo que maior quantidade dessa farinha nas formulações eleva a retenção de partículas nas peneiras utilizadas. Foi observado pela análise farinográfica que a absorção de água e o tempo necessário para formação de massa homogênea e estável às condições de mistura aumentaram com o incremento no teor de farinha de aveia. A densidade das massas cruas aumentou com a adição da farinha de aveia, sendo o oposto observado para o volume do bolo. A análise sensorial revelou que as formulações com 0% e 30% de farinha de aveia foram as mais aceitas pelos consumidores. O emprego de 30% de farinha de aveia não modificou a aceitação dos atributos sabor, textura e impressão global do bolo, sendo viável a utilização dessa porcentagem para substituição parcial da farinha de trigo na elaboração de bolos.

Concerns for health can lead to healthier food choices, especially if the consumer is well informed. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of package and health-related claims on Brazilian consumers' acceptance of snack bars. In order to evaluate package attributes, in focus groups discussions, 19 consumers chose the most important factors that influence their purchase decisions. Next, 102 consumers evaluated six commercial brands of snack bars in a three-session acceptance test: the first with no information about the product, the second containing the product package and the third with information on health-related claims associated with consumption of the bar. In general, package attributes, price and flavor were the most important factors that influence the purchase of snack bars. Health claims positively influenced consumer acceptance, but information concerning the absence of gluten and lactose did not significantly alter sensory acceptance. The presence of omega-3s, sugars, preservatives, flavorings and colorings have the potential to improve acceptability, because they were able to raise the acceptance of the seed bar, removing it from the rejection region. Protein and nut bars are not well known to the general public and the lower mean acceptance of the seed and protein bars demonstrated the need for sensorial improvement.

The compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) indicates the intensity of a stimulus from which product acceptance is significantly altered. This new affective threshold is determined by hedonic threshold methodology (HTM). The levels of analytical performance associated with precision (repeatability, intermediate precision, and reproducibility), accuracy, and robustness of CAT results were investigated. The methodology met the pre-established criteria, being accurate in assessments carried out consecutively (repeatability), in tests separated by a certain period of time as well as with different consumer panels (intermediate precision), and in tests carried out in different facilities (reproducibility). The methodology presented suitable accuracy, though slightly conservative, which may be desirable. The methodology was also shown to be robust as it allowed the reduction of panel members from 150 to 70 consumers. In this context, the methodology-which presented reliable results as well as high precision, accuracy, and robustness-was validated. Practical applicationsThe need for showing the quality of sensory measurements is being increasingly recognized and required for the acceptance of new methodologies within the scientific community, given that unreliable analytical data may lead to dreadful decisions as well as long-lasting financial losses.Results from the present work show that the data obtained through the hedonic threshold methodology/compromised acceptance threshold methodology met all criteria of the evaluated analytical indexes. Thus, one may conclude that this methodology has suitable precision (repeatability, intermediate precision, and reproducibility), accuracy, and robustness (by reducing consumer panel size) levels and is efficient in providing reliable results. Hence, this method can be applied for the intended purpose.

The hedonic thresholds methodology was recently proposed which allows for determination of two new sensorial thresholds, the compromised acceptance threshold and the hedonic rejection threshold (HRT). For a new methodology to be accepted by the scientific community, its ability to produce reliable results must be demonstrated. Thus, this study sought to validate this new methodology when used to calculate the HRT. In order to do so, the analytical performance indices of precision (repeatability, intermediate precision, and reproducibility), accuracy and robustness for the results for the HRT calculation were measured. The results of seven experiments demonstrated that the methodology possesses high repeatability, intermediate precision and robustness, and satisfactory accuracy and reproducibility. It was therefore concluded that the HRT determination methodology satisfactorily met the analytical performance criteria evaluated, therefore generating reliable results. Practical applications The hedonic thresholds methodology (HTM) has numerous applications, including the application of a more severe thermal treatment to obtain greater microbial or enzymatic inactivation, the determination of food shelf life based on its sensory acceptance, the reduction of specific, expensive ingredients in food formulations, reduction of ingredients that are harmful to health when consumed in excess (e.g., sucrose, sodium, and fat), determination of the maximum “defect” threshold that may be present in food and others. The HTM is a recently proposed methodology; therefore, the reliability of the values of the hedonic rejection threshold must be validated, calculated via the HTM. Reliability of the HRT results was confirmed when HTM validation was performed. Thus, the methodology can undoubtedly be applied for the intended purpose.

ResumoO efeito de algumas características da embalagem de café orgânico sobre a intenção de compra do consumidor foi avaliado, utilizando-se a conjoint analysis. Quatro características, cada uma com dois níveis, foram manipuladas: preço do produto (alto e baixo), cor da embalagem (vermelha e verde), marca (conhecida e desconhecida) e informação sobre orgânicos (com e sem os dizeres "produto isento de agrotóxicos" e "não agride o meio ambiente"). Dezesseis embalagens hipotéticas foram criadas seguindo o delineamento fatorial completo e avaliadas por 144 consumidores, de acordo com a intenção de compra. O modelo clustering segmentation foi utilizado para a análise dos dados. A marca conhecida afetou positivamente a intenção de compra de 93% dos consumidores. Embalagens possuindo preço alto conferiram impacto negativo na intenção de compra de todos os participantes. A cor da embalagem teve pouco impacto na avaliação. As informações adicionais sobre orgânicos afetaram positivamente a intenção de compra de 79% dos participantes, demonstrando que consumidores gostam de encontrar informações sobre o produto descritas na embalagem. Palavras-chave: consumido; conjoint analysis; embalagem; intenção de compra. AbstractThe effect of some of the characteristics of organic coffee packaging on the consumer's intention to purchase was studied using conjoint analysis. Four factors, each having two levels, were chosen and considered, namely: price (high and low), color of the packaging (red and green), brand name (familiar and unfamiliar), and information about organic foods (with and without the terms "environmental-friendly product" and "free of agrotoxic chemicals"). Sixteen hypothetical organic coffee bags were created following a complete factorial design, which were then evaluated by 144 consumers based on their intention to purchase. The data were analyzed using the clustering segmentation model. The familiar brand name positively affected the intention to purchase of 93% of the consumers. High-priced organic coffee packaging had a negative impact on all the participants' intention to purchase. The color of the packaging had little impact on the consumers' evaluation. Printed information about organic foods positively affected the intention to purchase of 79% of the participants, demonstrating that consumers want to find information about the product printed on its packaging. Keywords: consumer; conjoint analysis; packaging; intention to purchase. Pesquisas na área de análise sensorial com produtos orgânicos são bastante recentes; pouco se conhece sobre as características sensoriais dos orgânicos, até mesmo se apresentam características tão diferenciadas em relação ao produto convencional 6 . Estudos envolvendo a atitude do consumidor, refletida no seu mecanismo de escolha, compra, consumo e aceitação de produtos orgânicos, são ainda mais escassos.Segundo CARDELLO et al. 1, o estudo do comportamento do consumidor tem se baseado em duas classes de variáveis dependentes: as variáveis atitudinais e as comportamentais. Em rela...

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Quando se fala em consumo nacional de bebidas, a cerveja está em segundo lugar no ranking, perdendo apenas para os refrigerantes (CERVEJA, 2006). "Mania nacional", a cerveja é a bebida alcoólica mais consumida no Brasil. O país é o quinto maior produtor e consumidor de cerveja, em termos de volume. Segundo o SINDICERV (Sindicato Nacional da Indústria da Cerveja) (SINDICATO, 2006) A cerveja é uma das bebidas mais delicadas e lábeis, possuindo um complexo, mas moderado, e aroma e sabor que são atributos sensoriais responsáveis pela aceitação e qualidade da bebida (CERVEJA, 2006). A cerveja do tipo Pilsen nasceu em Pils, na ex-Tchecoslováquia, em 1842, e é a mais conhecida e consumida no mundo. De sabor delicado, leve, clara e de baixo teor alcoólico (entre 3 e 5%), é também a preferida dos brasileiros. No Brasil, o consumo da Pilsen chega a 98% do total, ficando o restante para as cervejas do tipo Bock, Light, Malzebier e Stout (SINDICATO, 2006).No entanto, a escolha do consumidor é influenciada por outras informações e atributos não sensoriais, tais como: identificação do produto, situação de compra e consumo, experiências anteriores com o produto, origem, segurança e propriedades nutricionais, além da marca e hábitos pessoais do consumidor (ARAÚJO; SILVA; MINIM, 2003;DRANSFIELD;ZAMORA;BAYLE, 1998;SIRET;ISSANCHOU, 2000;TUORILA;CARDELLO;LESHER, 1994).Como a qualidade é um instrumento fundamental para se obter vantagens no mercado competitivo, pois ela influencia AbstractNine Brazilian commercial brands of Pilsen beer were studied to evaluate the influence of packaging on their acceptability. The brands were separated into three groups, based on the Top of Mind/2005 research. Brands number 1, 2, 3 and 4 (group a) are the most recognized by national consumers; brands number 5 and 6 (group b) have intermediate recognition and brands number 7, 8 and 9 (group c) are considered regional. This study was separated in 3 stages: blind test, test with labels and test with information. The tests were applied to 54 consumers under laboratory conditions, using a nine-point hedonic scale. The results were analyzed using ANOVA and the Tukey test (p ≤ 0,05). In the blind test, brand 1 was significantly different from brands 4, 7 and 8, being the less accepted. In the test with labels, the situation was inverted, since brand 1 was the most accepted, along with brands 3, 4 and 9; and brand 7 was the less accepted. On the other hand, in the test with information, Group A beers and brand 8, which is regional, were the most accepted. The results indicate that the labels can often influence and modify the acceptability of some beers. Keywords: brand; blind test; sensory analysis; information. ResumoForam estudadas nove marcas de cervejas comerciais brasileiras tipo Pilsen, com o objetivo de avaliar a influência da embalagem na aceitação das mesmas. As amostras foram separadas em três grupos e baseadas na pesquisa Top of Mind/2005. As marcas 1, 2, 3 e 4 (grupo a) foram as mais citadas pelos consumidores nacionais; as 5 e 6 (grupo b) tive...