Comparison of two methods to explore consumer preferences for cottage cheese

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Analysis
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Total cottage cheese sales declined 17% over 20 years, despite growth in low-fat options.
• No recent studies address consumer preferences for cottage cheese.
• Need to understand sensory attributes driving consumer choice for cottage cheese.

Purpose of the Study:

• Define sensory characteristics of commercial cottage cheese.
• Compare traditional preference mapping with qualitative multivariate analysis (QMA).
• Identify key drivers of consumer liking and purchasing decisions for cottage cheese.

Main Methods:

• Developed a sensory language for visual, flavor, and texture attributes.
• Trained panelists evaluated 26 commercial cottage cheeses (0-4% fat).
• Conducted consumer acceptance testing (n=110) and QMA with home usage (n=12).

Main Results:

• Cottage cheese differentiation based on flavors (cooked, milkfat, diacetyl, acetaldehyde) and textures (firmness, smoothness, tackiness).
• Key drivers of liking included diacetyl and milkfat flavors, smooth texture, and mouthcoating.
• QMA highlighted brand and pricing as significant factors influencing consumer choice.

Conclusions:

• Sensory attributes like flavor and texture significantly impact cottage cheese preference.
• Both traditional and QMA methods identified similar liking drivers.
• QMA offers deeper insights into brand and price influences, aiding product development and marketing strategies.