Identification of the drivers of Acceptance and rejection of new Functional and sustainable plantbased ingredients: the case of tartary Buckwheat (fagopyrum tataricum)

Food choices have an important environmental impact. Today's dietary patterns, rich in meat and high-energy foods and low in whole grains, fruit and vegetables are no longer sustainable and have serious consequences for human health. Therefore, the transition to sustainable diets, together with the promotion of plant-based, seasonal and local products, is an important open challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory characteristics of Tartary buckwheat and their impact on consumer’s overall liking once added in a food formulation. Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a gluten-free pseudocereal with health-promoting properties being rich in flavonoids. It’s a local product of the mountainous areas of Lombardy Region that has always received little attention for its complex sensory characteristics. A sample of 107 adult consumers (age > 18 years) balanced according to gender and age evaluated six samples of a corn-based gluten-free formulation enriched by the addition of increasing concentrations of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) flour and Tartary buckwheat flour (20%, 30% and 40%) for overall liking followed by JAR scale for some sensory properties. The results showed that the different formulations (F=8,45; p<0.001) and age (F=4,30; p<0.05) have a significant effect on liking. Samples were comparable with each other in terms of liking, while the 40% Tartary buckwheat sample was significantly different from the others as it was evaluated too bitter. Only for Tartary buckwheat samples, liking decreased with increasing concentration of Tartary buckwheat flour. These results showed that by keeping the concentration of Tartary buckwheat below 40%, it is possible to develop new products that are sustainable and accepted by consumers. This study was funded by Lombardy Region “Call Hub Research and Innovation”. MIND Foods Hub project