Label Information About Fermentation Processing Affects Consumers’ Sensory and Hedonic Judgements of Specialty Coffee

Coffee label information impacts consumer choice by communicating key product attributes. This study investigated whether label information on fermentation-related post-harvest processing techniques influence specialty coffee consumers’ expectations and perception of brewed coffee. A total of 180 specialty coffee consumers participated in a within-subject tasting experiment, evaluating the same coffee paired with three labels: no processing information, ‘fermentation’, and ‘carbonic maceration’. Participants first rated their expectations of aroma, flavour, acidity, sweetness, and subsequently, their experience of those attributes on tasting the coffees, as well as rating their liking and purchase intent. Additionally, they also assessed the usual-to-exotic flavour expectation and perceived price of coffees processed with traditional and innovative post-harvest methods. Results showed that the coffee paired with the label ‘fermentation’ was expected to be the most acidic and the least liked, which was confirmed during tasting, whereas the label ‘carbonic maceration’ increased curiosity and perceived novelty towards the coffee without negatively affecting the sensory acceptance. Innovative fermentation-related terms were also perceived as more exotic and expensive compared to traditional methods. These findings demonstrate that descriptive post-harvest terms on coffee labels significantly influence consumer expectations, sensory perception, and perceived value. They also highlight the importance of carefully selecting labelling terms to balance consumer curiosity, sensory expectations, and product acceptance.