FLAVOR DIFFERENCES IN HETEROGENEOUS FOODS CAN BE DETECTED USING REPEATED MEASURES OF CONSUMER PREFERENCES

Abstract

ABSTRACT A method in which repeated hedonic measurements are used to infer flavor differences was proposed and tested using kiwifruit. Consumers assessed kiwifruit that had been treated with 1‐methylcyclopropane (1‐MCP, SmartFresh, AgroFresh Inc., Philadelphia, PA), a product used to manage the rate of ripening of fruits. Each consumer tasted four pairs of kiwifruit represented by a 2 × 2 design (high and low sugar content by soft and firm texture), and each pair of fruit included a 1‐MCP‐treated and control kiwifruit. Significant differences in consumer liking were found for kiwifruit with higher sugar content and firmer textures (two factors that were included as positive controls for panel sensitivity). However, no significant differences in liking were found between 1‐MCP and control kiwifruit. The repeated measures of preference for pairs of kiwifruit were subjected to analysis of probability, which confirmed that preferences for and against 1‐MCP were no different from the simple probability of tossing a coin four times. It was concluded that 1‐MCP did not affect the flavor of kiwifruit, and any preference expressed by consumers for or against 1‐MCP‐treated kiwifruit was due to other factors associated with biological variability in fruit quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This consumer method is presented for consideration and further evaluation. It is recommended as a useful addition to those currently available for assessing heterogeneous foods. In addition to providing information on liking scores and consumer preferences, it allows inferences to be made about the existence of qualitative differences in flavor.