Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese
Reliance on animal foods must be reduced to improve planetary and human well-being. This research studied plant-based cheese alternatives (PBCA) relative to dairy cheese in a consumer taste test with 157 consumers in New Zealand. A case study approach used cream cheese (commercially available) as th...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/4/567 |
| _version_ | 1797298291996622848 |
|---|---|
| author | Sara R. Jaeger David Jin Christina M. Roigard |
| author_facet | Sara R. Jaeger David Jin Christina M. Roigard |
| author_sort | Sara R. Jaeger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reliance on animal foods must be reduced to improve planetary and human well-being. This research studied plant-based cheese alternatives (PBCA) relative to dairy cheese in a consumer taste test with 157 consumers in New Zealand. A case study approach used cream cheese (commercially available) as the focal product category (2 PBCA, 2 dairy) and implemented a multi-response paradigm (hedonic, sensory, emotional, conceptual, situational). “Beyond liking” insights were established, including drivers of liking (sensory, non-sensory) and sensory drivers of non-sensory product associations. Two consumer segments were identified, of which the largest (<i>n</i> = 111) liked PBCA and dairy samples equally (6.5–6.7 of 9). In this <i>PBCA Likers</i> cluster, the key sensory drivers of liking were ‘creamy/smooth mouthfeel’, ‘dissolves quickly in mouth’, and ‘sweet’, while a significant penalty was associated with ‘mild/bland flavour’. The non-sensory data contributed additional consumer insights, including the four samples being perceived as differently appropriate for 9 of 12 use situations, with PBCA being regarded as less appropriate. In the limited confines of this case on cream cheese, the findings show that PBCA need not be inferior to their dairy counterparts despite a general narrative to the contrary. Of note, the results were obtained among participants who were open to eating a more PB diet but were not vegetarian or vegan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:32:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a32ac816917d4e659f9f2b53e3cf1ef0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:32:50Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-a32ac816917d4e659f9f2b53e3cf1ef02024-02-23T15:16:26ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582024-02-0113456710.3390/foods13040567Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream CheeseSara R. Jaeger0David Jin1Christina M. Roigard2Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, DenmarkThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, 120 Mount Albert Road, Auckland 1025, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, 120 Mount Albert Road, Auckland 1025, New ZealandReliance on animal foods must be reduced to improve planetary and human well-being. This research studied plant-based cheese alternatives (PBCA) relative to dairy cheese in a consumer taste test with 157 consumers in New Zealand. A case study approach used cream cheese (commercially available) as the focal product category (2 PBCA, 2 dairy) and implemented a multi-response paradigm (hedonic, sensory, emotional, conceptual, situational). “Beyond liking” insights were established, including drivers of liking (sensory, non-sensory) and sensory drivers of non-sensory product associations. Two consumer segments were identified, of which the largest (<i>n</i> = 111) liked PBCA and dairy samples equally (6.5–6.7 of 9). In this <i>PBCA Likers</i> cluster, the key sensory drivers of liking were ‘creamy/smooth mouthfeel’, ‘dissolves quickly in mouth’, and ‘sweet’, while a significant penalty was associated with ‘mild/bland flavour’. The non-sensory data contributed additional consumer insights, including the four samples being perceived as differently appropriate for 9 of 12 use situations, with PBCA being regarded as less appropriate. In the limited confines of this case on cream cheese, the findings show that PBCA need not be inferior to their dairy counterparts despite a general narrative to the contrary. Of note, the results were obtained among participants who were open to eating a more PB diet but were not vegetarian or vegan.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/4/567plant-basedcream cheeselikingsensorynon-sensoryconsumer |
| spellingShingle | Sara R. Jaeger David Jin Christina M. Roigard Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese Foods plant-based cream cheese liking sensory non-sensory consumer |
| title | Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese |
| title_full | Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese |
| title_fullStr | Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese |
| title_short | Plant-Based Alternatives Need Not Be Inferior: Findings from a Sensory and Consumer Research Case Study with Cream Cheese |
| title_sort | plant based alternatives need not be inferior findings from a sensory and consumer research case study with cream cheese |
| topic | plant-based cream cheese liking sensory non-sensory consumer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/4/567 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sararjaeger plantbasedalternativesneednotbeinferiorfindingsfromasensoryandconsumerresearchcasestudywithcreamcheese AT davidjin plantbasedalternativesneednotbeinferiorfindingsfromasensoryandconsumerresearchcasestudywithcreamcheese AT christinamroigard plantbasedalternativesneednotbeinferiorfindingsfromasensoryandconsumerresearchcasestudywithcreamcheese |