Supercritical CO2 processing modifies the technological, chemical, functional, and sensory characteristics of tamarind juice: consumer responses across product and packaging evaluations

Emerging nonthermal technologies can preserve technological properties, such as physical stability and viscosity, and functional properties, such as phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, while offering sensory advantages over thermal processing. Consumer responses vary by evaluation context, including direct product experience and packaging-based assessment. This study evaluated the impact of supercritical CO 2 (SC-CO 2 ) processing on the physicochemical, functional, technological, and volatile characteristics of tamarind juice compared with non-processed and pasteurized products and included blind consumer evaluation of the processed juices and a separate packaging-based consumer evaluation. Compared with pasteurization, SC-CO 2 reduced 24-h sedimentation (6.32 vs 16.40%) and viscosity (190.8 vs 253.9 cP), while increasing ascorbic acid (7.93 vs 6.74 mg/100 mL), ORAC activity (4.49 vs 3.64 mg/g), and limonene content (23.14 vs 5.89 μg/L). In a blind sensory evaluation, it received higher liking for flavor, texture, aroma, and overall impression, and was associated with tamarind and refreshing aromas and tastes. Furthermore, 80% of consumers selected it for purchase, and 72% considered it healthier. When packaging information was presented, expected liking and sensory and emotional profiles did not differ among formulations. However, when consumers chose among the packaging concepts, pasteurized juice showed higher selection proportions for purchase and perceived healthiness than SC-CO 2 -treated juice. Overall, SC-CO 2 treatment was associated with favorable technological, functional, volatile, and sensory characteristics of tamarind juice and greater liking and purchase selection in the blind evaluation. In the packaging-based evaluation, consumer responses differed, with higher selection of the pasteurized concept for purchase and perceived healthiness than the SC-CO 2 concept.