Cross-country comparison of pomegranate juice acceptance in Estonia, Spain, Thailand, and United States

• Expected healthiness of pomegranate juice does not guarantee liking of product.
• Products with familiar characteristics may be more successful.
• Juices that are fermented, metallic, very sour and astringent are not liked.
• Similar consumer segments may be found in different countries.

The objective of this study was to compare acceptance of different flavor combinations across countries, determine consumer clusters across countries and identify drivers of liking for a healthy product (pomegranate juice). Five pomegranate juices varying in flavor character were evaluated by consumers in Estonia, Spain, Thailand, and the United States. In this study the consumers evaluated overall acceptability and flavor, sweet, sour, fruity, and pomegranate flavor liking. Also, Just About Right (JAR) questions were answered for those same attributes. The results suggested that although some samples varied in their liking across countries, larger differences in acceptance were found between consumer clusters across countries. These data suggest that individual consumer variation is greater than country specific variation. In addition, factors such as taste sensitivity or prior exposure rather than flavor are important in acceptability of pomegranate juices.