EFFECT OF REDUCED-FAT INFORMATION ON EXPECTED AND ACTUAL HEDONIC AND SENSORY RATINGS OF SAUSAGE

The effect of information about fat content on expected and actual sen sory and hedonic ratings of regular-and reduced-fat Bologna sausages w as studied using 115 young men. All the subjects rated the expected pl easantness, juiciness, saltiness and fattiness of ''Bologna''. Subsequ ently, a sub-group of subjects (''No information'', N=54) rated the un labelled samples after tasting. Another sub-group (''Information'', N= 61) rated the expected and actual pleasantness and attribute intensiti es of samples labelled as ''Regular type of Bologna (20% fat)'' and '' Light Bologna (10% fat)''. The samples were not rated significantly di fferent by the ''No information'' group. In the ''Information'' group, ''Light Bologna'' was expected to be less fatty, less salty, less jui cy and less pleasant than ''Regular type of Bologna''. After tasting, saltiness and fattiness of ''Light Bologna'' were rated lower while pl easantness and juiciness of the samples were not significantly differe nt. Actual saltiness and fattiness of ''Light Bologna'' were assimilat ed to the low expected intensities. Even that the hedonic ratings of ' 'Light'' and ''Regular type of Bologna'' differed only slightly, low e xpected pleasantness, juiciness and other attribute intensities imply that young men would not choose the product. Other information strateg ies might result in better acceptance by this target group. (C) 1998 A cademic Press Limited.