Acceptability of three convenience chicken products

Three convenience products--frozen, precooked chicken apple fritters, chicken breast fillets, and chicken patties--provided by one processor were subjectively evaluated by two taste panels of older adults, ranging in age from the sixties to middle eighties. The panelists represented a middle-income group maintaining private homes and a low-income group living in public housing. Both panels rated each product above "good" (score=4) or "fair" (score=3) on four acceptability factors and the overall score. Although mean scores of the low-income taste panel on all factors were generally higher for all products, the only significant difference (P less than .01) pertained to the appearance factor. Both panels indicated willingness to buy all three products.