Sensory drivers of liking and consumer emotional responses to plant-based fish vs fish

Aim: Today, the demand for alternative seafood is rapidly increasing. Plant-based breaded fish fillets and fingers are highly popular imitations, yet little is known about consumer experiences with these products. This study aimed to: a) explore sensory, liking, and emotional responses to commercially available plant-based breaded fish alternatives; and b) categorize consumers using an innovative clustering method based on cata and liking data (CLUSCATA-liking). Method: The present research explored plant-based/animal-based breaded fish product category using a multi-variable research strategy where 104 consumers (52% Female; 27.7±8.9 y.o.) tasted samples for degree of liking/disliking and described their perceived sensory characteristics using check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions. A product-specific questionnaire was developed to evaluated the emotional response associated with the product consumption. Results: GLM results showed a significant effect of samples on overall liking (F=22.0; p<0.0001). Although animal-based samples were the most liked, samples formulated with dehydrated rice flakes, rice or texturised wheat protein were well accepted (Ls-mean=53.6-62.1). In contrast, samples made with soy and rice protein were disliked (<50) due to perceived bitterness, legume and vegetable odour and off-flavours. The differences among the samples were further emphasized based on the associated emotions. Animal-based samples were associated with emotions of satisfaction and happiness, while plant-based samples elicited negative emotions such as disappointment, disgust and indifference. Only the sample containing textured wheat protein evoked positive emotions (surprise, curiosity, novelty). Preliminary consumer segmentation using Cluscata-liking identified two distinct clusters with differing preferences for plant-based samples. Further analyses are in progress to characterise them in terms of the sensory and emotional responses. Conclusion: These findings show that incorporating the measurement of implicit variables such as emotions alongside liking leads to enhanced product differentiation. Through the multi-response approach adopted in this study, it was possible to obtain a comprehensive product characterisation, contributing to a better understanding of the factors driving the liking of plant-based fish alternatives, valuable for product development and marketing strategies.