Hedonic Ratings of Reduced-Fat Food Products

Attitudes and beliefs of consumers and sensory characteristics of foods affect acceptance of reduced-fat food products. Because dieting and excessive weight preoccupation are prevalent among adolescent and adult females, acceptance of reduced-fat food products by college-age students was examined. One hundred and two students (51 females, 51 males) used nine-point hedonic scales to indicate how much they liked the following reduced-fat products: turkey luncheon meat, white bread, and tortilla chips. Results indicated that more females than males considered themselves overweight, were trying to lose weight, and reported frequent use of reduced-fat foods. Both females and males reported frequent use of reduced-fat dairy products and snack foods. Gender had a minor effect on hedonic ratings of the food products. Action regarding weight control and frequency of use of reduced-fat foods significantly affected hedonic ratings for tortilla chip and bread, suggesting that these factors are important to acceptance of reduced-fat foods by college-age students.