Consumer acceptance, consumption and sensory attributes of spreads made from designer fats1

The objectives of this study were to compare liking and consumption measurements of the acceptability of butter, margarine, and two spreads made using designer fats, and to describe the sensory attributes of the products. This study was conducted as part of a nutrition intervention study which included a 1-month baseline data collection period and three 4-week interventions. Subjects for the liking and consumption portions of the study were 33 healthy post-menopausal women. In addition, subjects for a corresponding descriptive analysis panel were students from the University of Minnesota. Products tested by both groups of subjects were: butter and margarines, a dairy spread made with cholesterol-reduced milk fat (CRAMF) and a spread made with cholesterol-reduced lard mixed with vegetable oils (Appetize® Lard). Liking and consumption were measured at normal meal times in the subjectsʹ natural eating environment. Butter was most liked and margarine the least liked spread. Butter eaters (compared to margarine eaters) accounted for the liking differences among samples; margarine eaters liked all products equally. Butter eaters ate more spreads. Liking ratings were generally unrelated to intake for the entire group of subjects and for individual subjects. Descriptive analysis showed the flavor of the two spreads made from designer fats to be more similar to margarine than to butter. The texture of CRAMF was more similar to butter; the texture of the Appetize® Lard was more similar to margarine. Thus the two designer fat spreads were as well accepted by the subjects as their regularly used margarine.