Consumer evaluation of milk authenticity explained both by consumer background characteristics and by product sensory descriptors

Summary

Consumer authenticity tests were used to elicit consumer response to the influence of fodder and storage time on the flavor of cow milk. A panel of professional tasters was used to provide a descriptive profile of the sensory characteristics of the milk. Consumer background characteristics were collected through a questionnaire concerning demographic and consumption pattern variables as well as assessments using two attitude scales: a modified food neophobia questions and a set of milk xenophobia questions. A multivariate data analytical method (L-shaped partial least squares regression) was used to model the variation in the authenticity evaluation simultaneously from two different sources: the storage/feed effects as described by the sensory panel and the consumer background variables. Results showed that milk samples with storage/feed characteristics were evaluated as "foreign" (not Danish) by some segments of the consumers. Very small differences in a food product, here milk, sometimes cannot be discerned by standard sensory methods. The test in this article - authenticity test - is able to assess such differences. In this article, it is studied whether there are influences of the consumer on the results of the authenticity test, to see if this test is broadly applicable. With respect to milk, a number of effects appear that have an effect on the acceptance of milk as a result of fodder and storage time. These factors can be of use for milk producers, and the differences in the acceptance of the products between the consumers may help milk producers to aim products to consumer segments.