The shape of creaminess: consumers expected and perceived rounded chocolates as creamier than squared. Issue 5 (7th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yudi Furukita Baptista, Iuri; Carvalho, Fabiana; Efraim, Priscilla; de Souza Silveira, Paulo Túlio; Behrens, Jorge
• Is Part Of: British food journal. Volume 124:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1697
• Page End: 1711
• Publication Date: 2021-10-07
• Subjects: Consumer perception -- Cross-modality -- Mouthfeel -- Taste -- Chocolate; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food -- Marketing -- Periodicals; Food adulteration and inspection -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; 381.456413
• DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-06-2021-0675
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-070X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: Research on cross-modal sensory interactions has shown that visual aspects of food can influence consumer's expectation and perception of taste, mouthfeel and liking. This paper aims to investigate the effects of a rounded ("bouba") and a squared ("kiki") shape on expected and perceived sweetness, bitterness, creaminess and liking of chocolates. Design/methodology/approach: Brazilian consumers ( N = 230) divided into two groups of 115 individuals each evaluated five chocolates containing 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70% of cocoa. One of the groups evaluated all formulations in the rounded shape and the other in the squared shape. Results were analysed with mixed multivariate analysis of variance (mixed-MANOVA) between shapes, repeated-measures MANOVA between pre- and post-tasting and Pearson's correlation analysis was performed between liking ratings and sweetness, bitterness and creaminess confirmation/disconfirmation. Findings: The study found significant effects ( p < 0.05) of shape on expected and perceived creaminess but not on other attributes; of cocoa percentage (30, 40, 50, 60 and 70%) on all four attributes; and time (pre- and post-tasting) on sweetness, bitterness and liking but not creaminess. Finally, it found significant negative correlations between the creaminess difference indices and the liking ratings for the 30, 50 and 60% chocolates. Originality/value: This study reports that consumers may expect and perceive chocolates as creamier in a rounded shape than in an angular shape and that if the expectation of creaminess is not confirmed by sensory perception, acceptability may be negatively affected.