Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2025
Keywords
cookie, emotion, gluten, gluten-free, sensory
Abstract
The demand for gluten-free products has increased significantly over the past few decades. This study aimed to determine differences in consumer acceptance, emotional responses, and purchase intent between gluten-containing versus gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Twelve commercially available chocolate chip cookie products from 11 brands were evaluated, including 7 gluten-free and 5 gluten-containing options. Eighty-nine participants without celiac disease took part in this 2-day study, evaluating six cookies per day. Participants rated sensory acceptance (appearance, flavor, texture, and overall liking) using a 9-point hedonic scale and evaluated specific sensory attributes (chocolate flavor, sweetness, chewiness, and hardness) using a 5-point just-about-right (JAR) scale. Emotional responses were measured using a circumplex-inspired emotion questionnaire, and purchase intent was rated on a 9-point scale. Results showed that gluten-free cookies received significantly lower hedonic ratings for flavor, texture, and overall impression compared to gluten-containing cookies (p < 0.05). Among gluten-free samples, 44.14%, 34.03%, 21.99%, and 43.02% of participants rated chocolate flavor, sweetness, hardness, and chewiness, respectively, as "too little," whereas 38.04% rated hardness as "too much." These deviations from ideal intensities significantly reduced overall liking for the gluten-free cookies samples (p < 0.05). Additionally, gluten-free cookies more frequently elicited negative valence-related emotions, such as "blue/uninspired," "unhappy/dissatisfied," "tense/bothered," and "jittery/nervous," and were associated with lower purchase intent scores (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings indicate that most gluten-free cookies evaluated in this study remain less favored than their gluten-containing counterparts in terms of consumer acceptance, evoked emotions, and purchase intent.
Citation
Frauenhoffer, S., Ola, E., Jervis, S., Gauch, S.E. and Seo, H.-S. (2025), Comparison Analyses of Consumer Acceptance, Evoked Emotions, and Purchase Intent Between Gluten-Containing Versus Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Products. J. Food Sci., 90: e70276. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.70276
Comments
Web of Science
Wiley