Modification of Consumer Perception when Sous-vide Technology is Applied to a Fish-based Product

Valeria Berrondo^1, and Adriana Gámbaro¹

¹Sensory Evaluation Area, Food Science and Technology Department, School of Chemistry, Universidad de la República (UdelaR). General Flores 2124, 11800, Montevideo, Uruguay

Cite this paper:
Valeria Berrondo and Adriana Gámbaro. Modification of Consumer Perception when Sous-vide Technology is Applied to a Fish-based Product. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 2023; 11(3):223-231. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-11-3-7

Abstract

Two studies were conducted using projective techniques due to the need to increase fish consumption in some populations and consumer demand for convenience foods. The first study explored the perception of 156 consumers of fish, meat, chicken, and lentil burgers using the Word Association projective technique. The second study used the Dialogue Completion technique to explore the perception of 162 consumers of fish burgers with vacuum cooking (sous-vide). In both studies, the fish burger received a low number of like mentions (18 and 24%), but 14% of consumers were interested in tasting the burger with vacuum cooking due probably to the perception of practicality. The price did not show to be a barrier to purchasing the product. The smell that at first could appear as a motive for the dislike of fish burgers (31%) in the study of the Word Association, disappeared when the product is prepared with vacuum cooking and therefore there was no reason for rejection. In the Word Association study, there is 25% of mentions regarding the benefits to health linked to the fish burger, but then in the second study, it disappeared due probably to the lack of confidence regarding fish freshness and the perception of some consumers that this product has preservatives and other additives. At the time to introduce a novel product in the market such as fish burgers with vacuum cooking, it is necessary to take into account the negative associations that consumers have regarding the product. Therefore, it is necessary to find an effective information strategy that remarks the practicality, nutritional benefits, and absence of additives as well.

Keywords:
sous-vide burger fish Word Association Dialogue Completion projective acceptability

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