The U.S. Consumers' Acceptability and Emotion Measures when Consuming Novel Korean Traditional Non‐Alcoholic Beverages

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine how U.S. consumers perceive 6 Korean traditional beverages (Bokbunja, Hongsaam, Korean date, Omija, Sansuyu and Yuja) and to find out the influence of extrinsic information (name, nutritional information, picture of raw material and stories related to each sample) on acceptability, liking and intensity appropriateness of sweetness and bitterness, and emotion when consuming novel beverages. Bokbunja, Yuja and Korean date were samples received high acceptability, had adequate intensity of sweetness and bitterness, and evoked positive emotions. When the extrinsic information of the samples was provided, acceptability of all six samples tended to increase. Percentage of consumers who perceived the intensity of sweetness and bitterness of products as “just about right” increased when evaluated the samples in the informed condition. Also principal component analysis (PCA) biplot of emotions revealed the influence of information during evaluation. When tested in the informed condition, samples evoked relatively positive emotion compare to samples tested in the blind condition. The disliked products showed the greater increase of acceptability from the blind to the informed conditions. Practical Applications There is not much research conducted to evaluate acceptability of Korean traditional beverages with foreign consumers. In our study, we used these traditional beverages, which were still novel to U.S. consumers, and measured overall acceptability, liking and intensity appropriateness of sweetness and bitterness, and emotion using EsSense Profile™. Among six beverage samples we used, three samples (Bokbunja, Yuja and Korean date) received positive scores for all measurements. Also by comparing the results of evaluations conducted in blind and informed conditions, importance of information when evaluating the samples was shown. Our work provided the basis of launching favored Korean traditional beverage products in the U.S. market and demonstrated importance of the information when introducing the novel products to consumers.

Dysphagia-Related Health Information Improved Consumer Acceptability of Thickened Beverages

“…The information provision had little effect on the 0% samples, whereas slight acceptability changes were found for thickened beverage samples in this study. Similarly, consumer acceptability was only significantly different in the least-liked sample with information provision including name, nutritional information, picture of raw material, and stories related to samples [17]. In our study, participants perceived the flavor of thickened beverages less as the viscosity was higher.…”

“…When extrinsic information is provided, the new information is used in relation to the person's previous experience and influences the consumption of the food [7,8]. Many studies have been conducted on the effects of extrinsic factors [3,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] and examined how the changes in consumer preference depend on extrinsic factors, such as product packaging and nutrition labeling. However, there is a lack of research on how taste and flavor perceptions are changed when information is provided about the disease and health implication of modified dietary form.…”

Effect of Different Yeast Strains on Biogenic Amines, Volatile Compounds and Sensory Profile of Beer

“…The results can be explained by the fact that beer is a traditional beverage, so the dominant “neutral” emotion could be explained by the judges being familiar with the tested beverage. Moreover, while bitterness is a characteristic by which beer is commonly characterized, it is not appreciated by all [ 50 , 51 , 52 ]. It has been reported that women usually prefer less bitterness and more complex flavours in beverages, in comparison with men [ 53 , 54 ].…”

Effect of Additional Information on Consumer Acceptance: An Example with Pomegranate Juice and Green Tea Blends

“…This indicated that providing additional information about the product can be a positive marketing approach. In previous studies, Coleman et al [7] investigated liking, emotional response, and purchase intent on prebiotic enriched breads and the impact of claims through a consumer test with identical samples with different claims. Two clusters were found: Cluster 1 was not accepting of the claims, and their purchase intent diminished when products presented claims, while Cluster 2 was the opposite, and besides being more accepting, their purchase intent increased if the product presented claims.…”

“…Previous studies have reported the influence of information on liking and purchase intent of several products, as well as consumer attitudes towards healthy food choices. Yoon et al studied liking, emotional response, and the appropriate intensity of attributes of beverages when consumers were provided with information about the beverages, including nutritional information [7]. Further, Reale and Flint studied how providing nutritional information affected the selection of products on a menu, and showed that the graphical qualities rather than the specific information were more important [8].…”