The effect of health/hedonic claims on consumer hedonic and sensory perception of sugar reduction: Case study with orange/passionfruit nectars.

Sugar reduction in beverages can contribute to reduce consumption of this nutrient and to improve the health status of the population. However, such reduction can negatively affect consumer perception. Label information can be an effective tool to increase consumer interest in sugar-reduced products. In this context, the aim of the present work was to study the influence of health/hedonic claims on consumer hedonic and sensory perception of sugar reduction in orange/passionfruit nectars under expected and informed conditions. Sugar-reduced orange/passionfruit nectars (20% and 40% reduced in added sugar) featuring different claims (none, health claim or hedonic claim) were evaluated, together with a control product without reduction. Following a between-subjects experimental design, 206 participants evaluated the nectars under two experimental conditions: (a) expected, looking at the packages, and (b) informed, looking at the packages and tasting the nectars. In each experimental condition, participants evaluated their overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale and answered a check-all-that-apply questions related to the sensory characteristics of the nectars. Results showed that although consumers did not have negative expectations about sugar-reduced nectars, the sensory characteristics of the products were the main determinants of consumers' hedonic reaction towards the nectars. The influence of claims on consumers' perception was modulated by their hedonic sensitivity towards sugar-reduction. The hedonic claim increased overall liking of those consumers with low hedonic sensitivity towards sugar reduction, whereas it had the opposite effect on the most sensitive consumers. Results from the present work suggest that although hedonic claims hold potential for a consumer segment, care must be taken to avoid the generation of unrealistic expectations about the sensory characteristics of sugar-reduced products.