title: Survival analysis: A consumer-friendly method to estimate the optimum sucrose level in probiotic petit suisse.
abstract: For years, just-about-right (JAR) scales have been among the most used techniques to obtain sensory information about consumer perception, but recently, some researchers have harshly criticized the technique. The present study aimed to apply survival analysis to estimate the optimum sucrose concentration in probiotic petit suisse cheese and compare the survival analysis to JAR scales to verify which technique more accurately predicted the optimum sucrose concentration according to consumer acceptability. Two panels of consumers (total=170) performed affective tests to determine the optimal concentration of sucrose in probiotic petit suisse using 2 different methods of analysis: JAR scales (n=85) and survival analysis (n=85). Then an acceptance test was conducted using naïve consumers (n=100) between 18 and 60 yr old, with 2 samples of petit suisse, one with the ideal sucrose determined by JAR scales and the other with the ideal sucrose content determined by survival analysis, to determine which formulation was in accordance with consumer acceptability. The results indicate that the 2 sensory methods were equally effective in predicting the optimum sucrose level in probiotic petit suisse cheese, and no significant differences were detected in any of the characteristics related to liking evaluated. However, survival analysis has important advantages over the JAR scales. Survival analysis has shown the potential to be an advantageous tool for dairy companies because it was able to accurately predict the optimum sucrose content in a consumer-friendly way and was also practical for researchers because experimental sensory work is simpler and has been shown to be more cost effective than JAR scales without losses of consumer acceptability.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil 13083-862. Electronic address: erick.almeida@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Esmerino
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil 13083-862.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Paixão
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20260-100.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Evaluación Sensorial de Alimentos, Instituto Superior Experimental de Tecnología Alimentaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina 6500.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garitta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Evaluación Sensorial de Alimentos, Instituto Superior Experimental de Tecnología Alimentaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina 6500.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hough
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil 13083-862.
authors.forename: H M A
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Bolini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis*; D003116:Color; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000032:analysis*; D013649:Taste; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013395:Sucrose
keywords: just-about-right scale; optimum sucrose level; petit suisse cheese; survival analysis