Can information affect sensory perceptions? Evidence from a survey on Italian organic food consumers

Asioli, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2274-8450, Wongprawns, R., Pignatti, E. and Canavari, M. (2018) Can information affect sensory perceptions? Evidence from a survey on Italian organic food consumers. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 3 (3). pp. 327-344. ISSN 2471-2086 doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2018.3.327

Abstract/Summary

This paper aims to investigate the influence of information on consumers’ preferences and sensory perceptions of organic food using a sample of 301 Italian organic food consumers. Consumers stated their preferences for “core organic” attributes, labels and information on food products and performed blind and informed tests on strawberry yoghurts and cookies. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results revealed that consumers appreciate “core organic” attributes, like artisanal production and variability of sensory attributes. Comparing blind and informed tests, results showed that information affects the overall liking of products and consumers’ perception of product-specific sensory attributes. However, the influence of information on sensory perceptions depends on the product category, sensory attributes and the type of information provided.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/79220
Identification Number/DOI	10.3934/agrfood.2018.3.327
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Agri-Food Economics & Marketing
Publisher	AIMS Press
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