Effect of product properties and context on the perception of sweetness and liking: a case study with butter cookies

Abstract

Consumption context has been shown to significantly contribute to food acceptance, probably because of affecting food attributes’ perception. The present study investigated the influence of multisensory reformulation on the acceptance and perceived sweetness of butter cookies in two contexts (Central Location Test, CLT vs. Home Use Test, HUT). The objective was to determine whether the use of some natural aromas could trigger a sweet-taste-like emotional response in a confectionery product, and if consumption in a real context could aid in masking the reformulation. Results showed that a 40%-reduction in sugar content did not affect overall liking in the at-home context (HUT), unless a ‘low in sugar’ message was shown in the sample. Reformulation was perceived in the CLT: the ‘sugar-reduced’ sample was less liked, but the ‘Sugar-reduced+vanilla’ sample was as liked as the original sample. These results demonstrated that a multisensory approach could contribute to reformulation even when perceived by consumers.