Mapping consumer perceptions of creaminess and liking for liquid dairy products

Consumer ratings of overall liking and creaminess were compared using internal preference mapping for a range of liquid dairy products. Two dimensions were found to explain ratings of overall liking. The first dimension was related to dairy flavour notes and the texture attributes of mouthcoating, oily/greasy, slipperiness and viscosity and the second dimension was related to the sweet and sour taste of the products plus a number of off-flavours. The same two dimensions were found for creaminess ratings although dimension two had far less significance. A wide variation in consumer liking was found and four segments were identified through cluster analysis. In contrast, there was a consensus in consumer ratings of creaminess, which was related to the fat content of the products tested.