RESEARCH NOTE CONSTRUCTING THE LAM (LABELED AFFECTIVE MAGNITUDE) SCALE NUMERICAL SCALE-POINT LOCATIONS FOR

ABSTRACT In a recent paper, we described the development and application of a labeled affective magnitude (LAM) scale for assessing liking/disliking (Schutz and Cardello 2001). Here we present the exact numerical scale-point locations corresponding to the verbal labels of the scale, so that investigators can easily construct the LAM scale for use with either paper or computer-based ballots

An emotional approach to beef evaluation

The emotions associated with beef consumption, the influence of breeding system information on emotions (\u201cConventional\u201d - C vs \u201cOnly from the Italian Simmental\u201d \u2013 OIS label) and their relationship with liking were evaluated by 93 meat consumers. Respondents were asked to evaluate the same samples of Italian Simmental meat provided with the two different labels. Liking scores were obtained using a 9-point scale and the emotions from the EsSense25 list were scored on 5-point scale (1 = \u201cnot at all\u201d, 5 = \u201cextremely\u201d). A positive and significant effect of OIS information was highlighted on liking scores. Moreover, the breeding system information significantly affected 22 out of the 25 emotions. OIS label elicited higher positive and lower negative feelings about the meat than did the C label. Providing the same beef with different breeding information led to different emotions being evoked in consumers, and these differences in emotions were associated with different levels of liking for beef

The role of product familiarity and consumer involvement on liking and perceptions of fresh meat

Ninety-three meat consumers were classified on the basis of their familiarity with fresh meats. Socio-demographic differences between the clusters were found to relate to gender and age, and high familiarity (HF) consumers showed higher involvement with meat. HF consumers enjoyed consuming meat, and they associated a symbolic value to it. In addition, their liking ratings were higher than those of low familiarity (LF) consumers for both appearance and taste of three specific types of fresh meat over the course of product shelf-life. The perceived risks associated with meat consumption and product choice were similar between groups. Both consumer segments reported that the most important driver of fresh meat purchase is its appearance, while the role of extrinsic cues differed among the groups. The HF group needed more information when choosing meat. Regardless of familiarity level, liking was consistent with beef appearance as affected by storage, but the prediction of experienced sensory quality lacked consistency when the perceived intrinsic cue variation was not associated with meat freshness

Seeing a Meal is Not Eating It: Hedonic Context Effects Differ for Visually Presented and Actually Eaten Foods

A meal usually consists of several different foods presented together. This study investigates how side dishes (vegetables/starches) affect the hedonic ratings of the main food item (meat/meat substitute) when a plate of these foods is viewed and also after the meal is eaten. The main question is whether the hedonic rating of the main food item assimilates toward the hedonic rating of the side dishes or shows contrast, moving away from the hedonic rating of the side dishes. In Experiment 1, when subjects only viewed a picture of a meal consisting of an imitation chicken tender (main food item) with either hedonically positive or hedonically negative side dishes, no effect of the side dishes was seen on the hedonic rating of the main food item. In Experiment 2, when subjects ate the meal shown in the picture in Experiment 1, hedonic contrast was found. That is, the main food item was rated as less good when simultaneously presented with more hedonically positive side dishes than when presented with hedonically negative side dishes. Thus, when a meal is eaten, foods influence the evaluation of other foods on the same plate. The same is not true when foods are presented in a picture

Consumer Preference Segments for Plant-Based Foods: The Role of Product Category

A survey of willingness to consume (WTC) 5 types of plant-based (PB) food was conducted in USA, Australia, Singapore and India (n = 2494). In addition to WTC, emotional, conceptual and situational use characterizations were obtained. Results showed a number of distinct clusters of consumers with different patterns of WTC for PB foods within different food categories. A large group of consumers did not discriminate among PB foods across the various food categories. Six smaller, but distinct clusters of consumers had specific patterns of WTC across the examined food categories. In general, PB Milk and, to a much lesser extent, PB Cheese had highest WTC ratings. PB Fish had the lowest WTC, and two PB meat products had intermediate WTC. Emotional, conceptual and situational use characterizations exerted significant lifts/penalties on WTC. No penalty or lifts were imparted on WTC by the situational use of ‘moving my diet in a sustainable direction’, whereas uses related to ‘when I want something I like’ and ‘when I want something healthy’ generally imparted WTC lifts across clusters and food categories. The importance of this research for the study of PB foods is its demonstration that consumers are not monolithic in their willingness to consume these foods and that WTC is often a function of the food category of the PB food

Sensory and Instrumental Texture Properties of Flaked and Formed Beef

Four experiments were conducted to assess the sensory textural properties, consumer acceptability and instrumental-sensory correlates of flaked and formed beef steaks. In Experiment 1, the effects of additions of NaCI, TPP and soy isolate on the texture of steaks were examined using a trained texture profile panel, and the texture of these steaks was compared to that of intact muscle (ribeye) steaks. Results showed large differences between the flaked and formed samples and the ribeye steak, as contrasted to small differences among the flaked and formed samples treated with different levels of NaCI, TPP and/or soy isolate. In Experiments 2 and 3 the effect of flake size on the texture of flaked and formed beef was examined . In Experiment 2, instrumental shear data and SEM data were col lected and compared to the sensory data. In Experiment 3, a comparison was made of the texture of these products to both ribeye steak and ground beef patties. Systematic differences in a variety of textural attributes were observed as a function of flake-size. In general, the smallest flake-size produced a texture most like ground beef, whereas certain intermediate and large flake sizes produced a texture most like whole muscle steak. Simple and multiple linear regression equations were established between sensory and shear stress measures on these steaks, and these data, combined with the SEM data, suggested that tenderization of these meats is attributable to mechanical disruption of the tissue and not to an enzymatic process. In Experiment 4, a consumer test was conducted to assess the effect of flake -size on the acceptability of flaked and formed steaks, and to assess consumer perception of the similarity of the texture of these products to other beef products. Although few significant differences in the acceptability of the flaked and formed products were observed, maximal acceptability ratings were found for the intermediate flake sizes. In addition, it was found that consumers do not associate the texture of flaked and formed steaks with any one of a variety of traditional beef products