Application of the check-all-that-apply method (CATA) to get insights on children's drivers of liking of fiber-enriched apple purees

Developing food products for children requires their involvement since their needs differ from those of adults. Descriptive methods are helpful in defining product's sensory properties that drive consumer's liking but they are not recommended with children. Consequently, finding new approaches to develop food tailored for children is one of the biggest challenges for food companies and sensory and consumer research scientists. This study has a twofold aim: (a) to test the suitability of check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions to obtain a sensory description of fiber-enriched apple purees by children; (b) to investigate the drivers of liking of these products. Sixty-two children (8–11 years) evaluated the overall liking of six apple purees varying in appearance and texture and answered a series of CATA questions. Results showed that children were able to generate appropriate descriptive terms and to discriminate the samples according to the a priori modified sensory modalities using the CATA method. Sweet taste and a uniform texture (sandy, doughy, and floury attributes) were positive predictors of apple purees children liking, whereas sour taste, granular and crunchy texture were negative predictors. Practical applications: The check-all-that-apply (CATA) method is an appropriate, child-friendly approach to get insights on how young consumers perceive a food product and identify the most relevant sensory attributes that affect children's hedonic perception. The use of CATA technique could be useful for food products research and development to understand children's drivers of liking and to obtain effective input for products optimization that meet children's sensory expectation, assuring product's success with this specific target of consumers.