• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.763-770
• /
• 2008

A taste-testing method that accurately measures consumer-acceptance is critical during the course of the product development stage. Although various types of consumer-acceptance tests are available, the testing protocol appropriate for measuring the acceptance of ready-to-eat-meals (REM) has not yet been verified. In this study, various hedonic taste-testing methods (9-point hedonic scaling, best-worst scaling, open ended response) were compared for their efficiency and power in identifying the preferred REM menu of consumers. Forty-four consumers evaluated the acceptance of five types of REM menu samples consisting of a wide variety of flavors. Consumers initially used the 9-point hedonic rating method to choose the best and the worst sample among the 5 meals tested. Finally, consumers were asked to fill out open-ended comments where they could freely describe their liking and disliking of each sample. The results showed that the REM menu acceptance measured by the 9-point hedonic method that rated best-worst scaling exhibited a similar preference pattern. The open-ended response method could not provide a quantifiable acceptance data but was able to provide supplementary information regarding the limitations of the samples and therefore, provide a general idea of the direction of improvement during the product development.