The application of check-all-that-apply (CATA) consumer profiling to preference mapping of vanilla ice cream and its comparison to classical external preference mapping

This study was conducted to evaluate the use and efficacy of check-all-that-apply (CATA) data for the creation of preference maps, and to compare these maps to classical external maps generated from traditional sensory profiles. Ten commercial vanilla ice cream products were presented to 80 consumers. Consumers answered an overall liking question using the 9-point hedonic scale and a CATA question with 13 attributes which described the sensory characteristics of vanilla ice cream. A trained descriptive panel of 17 individuals developed a profile of 23 attributes for the vanilla ice cream products. Preference maps created by CATA counts were compared to those by descriptive profiles via multiple factor analysis (MFA). The characterization of the products by both sensory methods showed very good agreement between the methods. The MFA of map configurations showed fair agreement between the techniques used to produce the preference maps, indicating that CATA data applied to preference mapping gave similar results to external preference mapping.