Virgin olive oil sensory properties: Comparing trained panel evaluation and consumer preferences

•Consumers were interested in locally produced oil.•Participants were segmented for preferred intensity of bitter-pungent and fruity.•Consumers confirmed their declared preference for bitter-pungent but not for fruity.•Recognizing bitter-pungent as a clue of oil quality does not affect hedonic judgement.

This study investigates consumer attitude towards local virgin olive oil production and examines associations between consumer preference and sensory evaluations carried out by a trained panel. The panel evaluated four extra virgin olive oils in terms of descriptors such as bitter, pungent and fruity. Consumers demonstrated a high level of interest in locally produced oil and expected it to score low for bitterness and pungency. Participants were segmented into clusters, having first been asked to declare their liking-drivers, choosing between low- or high-fruity intensity and low- or high-bitter-pungent intensity. Having tasted the oils, consumers were requested to provide hedonic scores and to judge oil quality. Those consumers who expressed a preference for olive fruitiness did not generally score in accordance with its intensity, as assessed by the expert panel. The bitter-pungent attribute appears be a more suitable characteristic for determining consumer preference. These results may prove useful in orienting local production towards the real expectations and preferences of consumers.