Studying consumer behaviour related to the quality of food: A case on vegetable preparation affecting sensory and health attributes

• Domestic preparation influences health and sensory attributes of vegetables.
• Vegetable preparation by consumers is controlled mainly via perceivable sensory changes.
• Mathematical modelling is a tool to estimate and optimise sensory and health attributes.
• Transdisciplinary approach from consumer's perspective, an input for these models.

The domestic preparation of vegetables induces a significant change in their sensory and health attributes. The preparation of vegetables by consumers is likely to be controlled by assessing perceivable (sensory) quality attributes such as colour and texture because other quality attributes, including the phytochemical content (health), cannot be directly assessed. ‘Consumer-Oriented Food Technology’ is introduced herein as a research approach for the ‘multi-criteria optimisation’ of vegetable quality after domestic preparation. Mathematical modelling for ‘multi-criteria optimisation’ is proposed as a tool to meet consumer sensory preferences while optimising health benefits. This approach is valuable for consumer-based strategies for healthy, tasty vegetables.