Projective mapping, word association and hedonic scale as evaluating perception instruments of fish products by children from the public school system

Brazil is a country that is characterized by its low consumption of fish. With consumption records of 10.6 kg/ inhabitant/ year, it is lower than the recommended by the UN, that is 12 kg/ inhabitant/ year. The regular consumption of fish provides health gain for people and their introduction into the school feeding is an important strategy for the insertion of this food consumption habits in a population. In this context, the objective of this study was to understand the perception of fish with children from the public school system through the technical Projective Mapping (MP) and Association of Words (AP); and evaluate the acceptability of fish derivative in school meals. In the first instance with the intention to better understand the perception of children from different ages about the fish-based products, Projective Mapping techniques were applied through the use of food figures and word association. A total of 149 children from three public schools from Pato Branco, Paraná State, Brazil, took part in this study. Three groups of children aged 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 years old were interviewed individually by six monitors experienced in applied sensory methods. Ten figures with healthy foods drawings (sushi, salad, fruit, fish, chicken), and less healthy foods (pizza, pudding, cake, hamburger, fries) were distributed to the children, who were asked to paste the figures in A3 sheet, so that the products they considered similar stayed near each other, and the ones considered very different stayed apart. After this, the children described the images and the image groups (Ultra Flash Profile). The results revealed that the MP technique was easily operated and understood by all the children and the use of images made its implementation easier. The results analysis also revealed different perceptions came from children from different ages and hedonic perceptions regarding the fish-based products had a greater weight in the percentage from older children. AP technique proved to be an important tool to understand the perception of fish by children, and strengthened the results previously obtained by the MP. In a second step it was evaluated the acceptance of fish burger (tilapia) in school meals. For this task, the school cooks were trained to prepare the hamburgers. For the evaluation of acceptance, the hedonic scale was used with 5 facial ratings (1 = disliked very much to 5 = liked a lot). Students from both genders, between 5 to 10 years old (n = 142) proved the burgers at lunchtime, representing the protein portion of the meal. The tilapia derivative products shown to be foods with important nutritional value and low calorie value. For the application of the multinomial logistic regression analysis there was no significant effect from the age and gender variation in the acceptance by children. However, statistical significance was determined in the interaction between these two variables. With 87 % acceptance rate there was potential for consumption of fish burgers in school meals.CNPqO Brasil é um país caracterizado pelo baixo consumo de pescado. Com registros de consumo de 10,6 kg/habitante/ano, encontra-se abaixo do recomendado pela ONU de 12 kg/habitante/ano. O consumo regular de pescado propicia ganho em saúde para as pessoas e sua introdução na alimentação escolar é estratégia importante para inserção do hábito de consumo desse alimento em uma população. Dentro desse contexto, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi compreender a percepção de pescado com crianças da rede pública de ensino por meio das técnicas Mapeamento Projetivo (MP) e Associação de Palavras (AP); e avaliar a aceitação de derivado de pescado na alimentação escolar. Em um primeiro momento com a intenção de melhor entender a percepção de crianças de diferentes idades com relação a produtos à base de pescado, aplicaram-se as técnicas MP através do uso de figuras de alimentos e AP. Um total de 149 crianças de três escolas públicas da cidade de Pato Branco, estado do Paraná, Brasil, participaram deste estudo. Três grupos de crianças com idades entre 5-6 anos, 7-8 anos e 9-10 anos foram entrevistados individualmente por seis monitores com experiência nos métodos sensoriais aplicados. Dez figuras adesivadas com desenhos de alimentos saudáveis (Sushi, Salada, Frutas, Pescado, Frango), e alimentos menos saudáveis (Pizza, Pudim, Bolo, Hambúrguer, Batata frita), foram distribuídas para as crianças, as quais foram orientadas a colar os adesivos em folha A3, de modo que os produtos que elas considerassem parecidos ficassem próximos uns dos outros, e aqueles alimentos que fossem considerados muito diferentes ficassem distantes. Após, as crianças descreveram as imagens e os grupos de imagens (Perfil Ultra Flash). Os resultados revelaram que a técnica MP foi operada e compreendida facilmente por todas as crianças e que o uso das imagens facilitou a sua implantação. A análise dos resultados revelou também diferentes percepções vindas de crianças com diferentes idades e que percepções hedônicas com relação aos produtos à base de pescado tiveram um peso maior no percentual das crianças mais velhas. A técnica de AP provou ser ferramenta importante para entender a percepção do pescado pelas crianças, e reforçou os resultados obtidos previamente pelo MP. Em um segundo momento avaliou-se a aceitação de hambúrguer de pescado (tilapia) na alimentação escolar. Para isso merendeiras escolares foram capacitadas à elaboração dos hambúrgueres. Para a avaliação da aceitação utilizouse escala hedônica com 5 classificações faciais (1 = desgostei muito à 5 = gostei muito). Estudantes de ambos os gêneros, entre 5 e10 anos de idade (n = 142) provaram os hambúrgueres em horário de almoço, representando a porção proteica da refeição. Os derivados de tilápia elaborados revelaram ser alimentos com importante valor nutricional e baixo teor calórico. Pela aplicação da análise de regressão logística multinomial verificou-se efeito não significativo das variáveis idade e gênero na aceitação pelas crianças. Entretanto, significância estatística foi apurada na interação entre essas duas variáveis. Com índice de aceitação de 87% verificou-se potencialidade de consumo de hambúrgueres de pescado na merenda escolar

Check all that apply (CATA) as an instrument for the development of fish products

Abstract The objective of this paper is to develop a fish-based product. Through the innovative sensorial check all that apply (CATA) technique, employed in two stages of the development of the product – market research and the sensorial and hedonistic characterization of the final product – the aim was to develop a fish by-product that could respond to the needs of the consumer market. Results showed that the CATA technique is an important instrument for researching the consumer market and indicated the kind of fish by-product to be developed and its desired features. Nugget was the resulting by-product. The second application of CATA made possible the sensorial description of the by-product as being crisp, with little fish odor, light in color, well-seasoned and tasty. Therefore, the CATA technique proved to be an important research instrument in the fish consumption market as well as a quick technique for the complete description of fish nuggets

Projective mapping with food stickers: A good tool for better understanding perception of fish in children of different ages

The objective of this study was to better understand the perception of fish products among school children of three different age groups, 5–6 years, 7–8 years and 9–0 years. In order to do so, we used Projective Mapping (PM) with food stickers and a word association task (WA). A total of 149 children from three public schools in the state of Parana, Brazil, have participated on this study. The age groups were interviewed (on 1–1 basis) by six monitors qualified to apply the sensory methods used. Ten stickers with drawings of healthy foods (sushi, salad, fruit, fish, chicken), and less-healthy foods (pizza, flan, cake, hamburger, french fries) were given to the children. They were then asked to stick them on an A3 sheet, in a way that the products they considered similar should be positioned close to each other, and those they considered very different should be kept apart. Afterwards, they were asked to described the images and group of images (ultra flash profile). The PM was easily used and understood by all children, and the use of images may potentially have eased its application. Result analyses showed different perceptions from the different age groups. Hedonic perceptions in relation to fish products had a higher weight in the perceptual spaces of older children. WA technique proved to be an important tool to understand fish perception by children, and reinforced the results previously obtained by PM. These results may imply that there could be a window of opportunity in which younger children will be more open to eat fish.acceptedVersio

Projective mapping with food stickers: A good tool for better understanding perception of fish in children of different ages

The objective of this study was to better understand the perception of fish products among school children of three different age groups, 5–6 years, 7–8 years and 9–0 years. In order to do so, we used Projective Mapping (PM) with food stickers and a word association task (WA). A total of 149 children from three public schools in the state of Parana, Brazil, have participated on this study. The age groups were interviewed (on 1–1 basis) by six monitors qualified to apply the sensory methods used. Ten stickers with drawings of healthy foods (sushi, salad, fruit, fish, chicken), and less-healthy foods (pizza, flan, cake, hamburger, french fries) were given to the children. They were then asked to stick them on an A3 sheet, in a way that the products they considered similar should be positioned close to each other, and those they considered very different should be kept apart. Afterwards, they were asked to described the images and group of images (ultra flash profile). The PM was easily used and understood by all children, and the use of images may potentially have eased its application. Result analyses showed different perceptions from the different age groups. Hedonic perceptions in relation to fish products had a higher weight in the perceptual spaces of older children. WA technique proved to be an important tool to understand fish perception by children, and reinforced the results previously obtained by PM. These results may imply that there could be a window of opportunity in which younger children will be more open to eat fish.The authors thank Capes for having provided the scholarship to Barbara Arruda Nogueira, to National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) – Brazil for financing Project No. 456102/2014-0. The authors also thank Robson Piccoli for designing the food stickers. Author Paula Varela thanks the Barn&Smak project (“Children and food preferences in the light of the Norwegian taste” – KNP Project no. 233831/E50, funded by the Research Council of Norway)

Acceptance of fish hamburgers in school meals in the Southwest Region of Paraná, Brazil

<div><p>Abstract The regular consumption of fish provides health gains for people, and its introduction in school meals is an important strategy to insert the habit of consuming this food by a population. Thus the objective of this study was to verify the acceptance of fish, presented in the form of hamburger, by children in municipal primary schools in the town of Pato Branco, Brazil, in which the school cooks had been trained to produce fish hamburgers. Acceptance was evaluated using a hedonic scale with 5 facial classifications (1 = disliked extremely to 5 = liked extremely). Students of both genders from 5 to 10 years of age (n = 142) were served the hamburgers for their midday meal, representing the protein portion of the meal. The results were analyzed by logistic regression. No effect of age or gender was observed between the children in the acceptance of the hamburgers, but the interaction between age and gender was significant. The cluster analysis was applied to distinguish this interaction using two-way joining to present the results, which showed the effect between specific age and gender situations. The acceptance index was 87% showing the potential for the consumption of this food by children.</p></div