Use of healthier fats in biscuits (olive and sunflower oil): changing sensory features and their relation with consumers' liking

- Sensory characteristics as a function of type of fat were evaluated.
- CATA was used to determine sensory properties of biscuits.
- A decrease in acceptability was found when fat content was compared.
- Acceptability of biscuits with different fat source and content varies among consumers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer acceptability of biscuits when saturated fat was replaced by olive or sunflower oil and to determine the sensory characteristics responsible for changes in acceptability. Ninety seven consumers evaluated the acceptability of six biscuit samples varying in the fat source (dairy shortening, olive oil and sunflower oil) and fat content (10.6% and 15.6%). Using a Check All That Apply question (CATA), consumers also evaluated sensory properties of biscuits. Results indicated that the replacement of saturated fat (dairy shortening) by vegetable oils had an effect on biscuit acceptability which depended on biscuit fat content. According to biscuits' acceptability data, three different clusters of consumers were identified. By using a multiple factor analysis, the relationship among sensory CATA data and acceptability of each cluster explained the different acceptability patterns of consumers. For most of consumers acceptability was related to attributes “crispy”, “easy to chew” and “biscuit flavour” which, for one group were perceived in shortening biscuits and, for another in both olive and shortening biscuits. However, for the third group of consumers, acceptability was only related to flavour attributes like “roasted flavour” or “biscuit flavour” that were perceived in vegetable oil biscuits which were the preferred biscuits while, shortening biscuits were disliked and perceived as having an “off flavour”.