Consumer Liking and Sensory Characteristics of Different Cod Products
K. Sveinsdóttir1, E. Martinsdóttir1, D. Green-Petersen2, G. Hyldig2, R. Schelvis3, C. Delahunty 4
1) Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories, Iceland;
2) Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark;
3) The Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research, The Netherlands;
4) Sensory Science Research Centre, Department of Food Science, University of Otago, New Zealand kolbrun@rf.is
Consumers in different countries experience seafood differently, related to traditions, availability and frequency of consumption influencing individual preferences. However, very few studies comparing consumer preferences and sensory properties of fish products have been published. Cod product market composition has changed in the last few decades. Production of wild cod has decreased while production of farmed cod has increased. The market for fresh products is growing, e.g., due to consumer demands and improved transport and storage techniques.
The aim of this study was to compare and relate sensory quality to consumer preferences of different cod products available for consumers. Eight cod products, different with regard to origin (wild/farmed), storage time (short/extended) and storage method (fresh/frozen/packed in modified atmosphere) were selected, prepared and distributed to research institutes in four European countries. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) was used by a trained sensory panel to analyse the sensory attributes of the products. Simultaneously, 378 consumers in the four countries tasted the cod products. Information on consumer attitudes and fish consumption was also collected. Attributes of good descriptive power were identified by the means of signal-to-noise analysis. Consumers were segmented by K-means clustering and extended internal preference mapping was applied to study the relation of consumer preferences and sensory characteristics.
QDA discriminated between all products. The farmed cod products were considerably different from wild cod, with more light and even colour, meaty texture, odour and flavour. On average, none of the eight cod products had very high or low preferences, but segmentation of consumers identified 5 distinct clusters with different preferences indicating different marketing possibilities for different products. Between cluster differences were observed for e.g. attitudes and fish consumption and between country differences. With easier access to buy fish and higher consumption frequency, consumers become more critical toward freshness, preferring the more fresh products. Consumers with positive attitudes and access to fish had generally higher preferences.