Integrating consumer perception in the selection of purple‐skin sweet potato cultivars

Abstract

BACKGROUND Sweet‐potato breeding programs need to integrate sensory characterization and hedonic perception to provide global markets with widely accepted products. The present work aimed to characterize a series of purple‐skin sweet potatoes differing in flesh coloration (from pale yellow to slight orange) from a sensory and physicochemical perspective. Uruguayan consumers' perceptions of the genotypes were also explored. Special focus was placed on the influence of flesh color on consumers' expectations and hedonic perception of purple‐skin sweet potatoes. RESULTS Sensory characterization based on projective mapping showed that the evaluated genotypes largely differed in their sensory characteristics in terms of flavor, texture, and color. Soluble solids and the concentration of individual sugars were not good predictors of sensory quality. In the appearance evaluation, consumers associated orange flesh with positive expected sensory characteristics and stronger liking. Flavor (sweetness and typical flavor) and texture (creaminess) were identified as key characteristics influencing consumers' liking and description of sweet‐potato samples. Among purple‐skin (‘criollo or boniato’ type) genotypes, INIA Cambará was identified as the closest to the ideal sweet potato and was described with the terms sweet, tasty, creamy, and characteristic flavor. CONCLUSION Flesh color was identified as a key driver of consumers' sensory and hedonic expectations. Results showed that Uruguayan consumers positively value traditional purple‐skin sweet potatoes with orange flesh, as it drives positive sensory expectations. However, after tasting, flesh color does not seem to have a relevant influence on consumer liking.

Consumer perception of purple-fleshed sweet potatoes

“…when studying the expectations raised by the appearance of SP prior to tasting (22) . Contrastingly, after tasting YFSP INIA Cambará, it was described by Uruguayan consumers as creamy and pasty, being the closest to the ideal (22) , revealing a mismatch between the expectations raised by the appearance of YFSP and the actual tasting.…”

“…when studying the expectations raised by the appearance of SP prior to tasting (22) . Contrastingly, after tasting YFSP INIA Cambará, it was described by Uruguayan consumers as creamy and pasty, being the closest to the ideal (22) , revealing a mismatch between the expectations raised by the appearance of YFSP and the actual tasting. In line with this, although Uruguayan consumers positively value orange flesh color, after tasting, the relative importance of flesh coloration decreases and flavor (sweetness and typical flavor) and texture (firmness and creaminess) attributes become the main drivers of overall liking (22) .…”

“…Considering that these characteristics are not valued by Uruguayan consumers (22)(25) , breeding programs for the selection of new purple flesh genotypes should be focused on increasing sweetness, moist and creaminess. In addition, DM (actually around 35-40%) should be reduced to values more compatible with home-preparation methods such as the ones found in yellow-fleshed types (25-30%) and positively evaluated by consumers (22) . The incorporation of sensory and consumer science as an integral part of the breeding program could contribute to reach materials with acceptable sensory characteristics (25) .…”

“…In this second task, they were asked to rate their expected liking using a 9-point hedonic scale (1= 'dislike very much', 9 = 'like very much'), and to indicate how they would feel when consuming the SP shown in the picture using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question composed of 21 emoji (20) : smiling face with smiling eyes ( ), smiling face with heart shaped eyes ( ), smiling face with smiling eyes and open mouth ( ), relieved face ( ), face with stuck out tongue ( ), winking face ( ), neutral face ( ), flushed face ( ), smirking face ( ), smiling face with sunglasses ( ), grimacing face ( ), face screaming in fear ( ), unamused face ( ), face with stuck out tongue and tightly closed eyes ( ), angry face ( ), confounded face ( ), nauseated face ( ), weary face ( ), disappointed face ( ), crying face ( ), face with cold sweat ( ). They were also asked to describe the expected sensory characteristics of the SP using a CATA question composed of 17 terms, selected based on results from previous sensory studies (21)(22) : sweet, tasty, typical SP flavor, firm, smooth, creamy, barely sweet, soft, moist, fibrous, off-flavor, tasteless, dry, pasty, tasteless, rough, bitter. The presentation order of the emoji and the sensory terms within the CATA question was balanced across participants following a Williams' Latin square experimental design.…”

Uruguayan consumers' perception of mandarins: insights for selection and marketing of new cultivars

“…These results stress the need to integrate sensory and consumer science into breeding programs in order to improve marketability of new cultivars and increase consumption of mandarins (4) (18) . Integration of sensory information through the use of novel and rapid methods has proven to be successful in the breeding programs of other crops (19)(20) (21) . Sensory studies will also provide crucial information to fulfill consumers satisfaction through different steps of the citrus commercialization chain.…”