Optimising acceptability of low-sugar strawberry gels segmenting consumers by internal preference mapping

Optimisation of the acceptability of a low-sugar strawberry gel using different levels of strawberry pulp (200–900 g kg−1) and of mixed kappa-carrageenan-locust bean gums (1 : 1)(5.0–11.0 g kg−1) have been performed based on response surface methodology. A group of 91 consumers evaluated the acceptability of each one of the 16 formulations. Information obtained when considering the mean acceptance scores for all consumers as a dependent variable in regression analysis was compared with that obtained when using the mean acceptance scores for each of the consumer subgroups, segmented according to their similarity of preference by internal preference mapping. Only the linear effect of fruit was significant on the mean acceptance scores for all consumers. The three first segmented subgroups accounted for about 70% of the total consumers. The rest of consumers were randomly distributed and could not be grouped. While for subgroups 1 and 3 the composition factors considered did not show a clear influence on acceptability, for subgroup 2 variance in acceptability was very well explained in terms of fruit and hydrocolloid contents (R2=0.94).