Experimental gluten‐free biscuits with underexploited flours versus commercial products: Preference pattern and sensory characterisation by Check All That Apply Questionnaire

Acceptability and the sensory profile of experimental and commercial gluten‐free biscuits were evaluated using a consumer test. Experimental biscuits contained flours little employed in commercial gluten‐free products (buckwheat, sorghum and lentil) and without rice and maize flours and starches. Liking scores, answers to a Check All That Apply questionnaire and responses to a dietary habits survey were collected from consumers. Consumers were clustered through Hierarchical Clustering of Principal Components and CLUSCATA. Interestingly, the cluster that, based on dietary habits survey, was more used to the consumption of wholemeal biscuits preferred experimental formulations. On the contrary, liking scores expressed by consumers that consumed less often wholemeal biscuits were below the threshold of acceptance. Different groups of consumers had a diverse perception of the products and different drivers of liking and disliking. The information achieved in this study confirms the importance of consumers’ data.