Effect of Geographical Indication Information on Consumer Acceptability of Cooked Aromatic Rice

Abstract

Geographical indication (GI) labeling is used to represent information about specific geographical origins of target products. This study aimed at determining the impact of GI information on sensory perception and acceptance of cooked aromatic rice samples. Ninety-nine participants evaluated cooked rice samples prepared using each of three aromatic rice varieties both with and without being provided with GI information. Participants rated the acceptance and intensity of the cooked rice samples in terms of appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall liking, and also reported how important the GI information was to them. The results showed that consumers rated the cooked rice samples higher in appearance and overall liking when provided with GI information. Interestingly, participants who valued “state-of-origin” information more highly exhibited increased hedonic ratings of cooked rice samples when provided with GI information, but not when no GI information was given. Participants provided with GI information rated flavor or sweetness intensities of cooked aromatic rice samples closer to just-about-right than those without such information. This study provides empirical evidence about how GI information modulates sensory perception and acceptance of cooked aromatic rice samples. The findings will help rice industry, farmers, and traders better employ GI labeling to increase consumer acceptability of their rice products.

Effects of Thickness Fraction Process on Physicochemical Properties, Cooking Qualities, and Sensory Characteristics of Long-Grain Rice Samples

“…After being cooked, the rice was allowed to sit for five min, after which the cooked rice samples were mixed and fluffed in the rice cooker, using a plastic fork to ensure homogeneity, dipped using a plastic spoon, then presented to the panelists. Each cooked rice subsample (30 g) was placed in a glass bowl (118 mL), identified with a three-digit code, covered with a glass lid, and presented at approximately 71 °C [ 18 ]. Individual panelists were asked to evaluate intensities of individual sensory attributes on a scale ranging from 0 to 15 with 0.1 increments.…”

“…Meullenet et al [ 17 ] indicated that the most important sensory characteristics influencing Asian consumers’ acceptance were appearance (esp., degree of whiteness and visual stickiness) and aroma/flavor (starchy, cooked grain, nutty, sulfur, heated oil, and metallic), and high cohesiveness, greater softness, and low stickiness were also found to be textural characteristics preferred by Asian consumers. However, it should be noted that non-sensory characteristics such as price, rice-growing location, and nutritional value are also considered to be factors that can influence consumers’ preferences and purchase decisions [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Consumer Acceptance of Brown and White Rice Varieties

“…To assess the liking and sensory perception of the rice samples before and after tasting the rice samples, participants filled out 9-point hedonic scales (1 = extremely dislike and 9 = extremely like) [28] for overall liking, aroma, colour, and texture. In addition, participants completed Just About Right scales for aroma intensity, colour, hardness, fluffiness, stickiness, and chewiness, similar to previous published research [29]. A Just About Right scale, is a bipolar labelled attribute scale [30], which has an anchored mid-point that corresponded to Just About Right for each attribute [31].…”

US Consumers’ Perceptions of Raw and Cooked Broken Rice

“…Rice preferences vary widely among consumers based on flavor, aroma, texture, functionality, and appearance [ 18 , 19 ]. Additionally, social and economic factors such as brand value, price, and country of origin all play a role in consumers’ preferences in rice [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Although some cultures eat rice as a side dish and prepare it simply with water and salt, others want or need to eat rice as a main dish, so they flavor it with other aromatics, vegetables, and sauces [ 23 ].…”