Application of augmented reality in the sensory evaluation of yogurts

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) applications in the food industry are considered innovative to enrich the interactions among consumers, food products, and context. The study aimed to investigate the effects of AR environments on the sensory responses of consumers towards different yogurts. AR HoloLens headsets were used to set up two AR environments: (1) AR coconut view (ARC) and (2) AR dairy view (ARD). Hedonic ratings, just-about-right (JAR), check-all-that-apply (CATA) attribute terms, emotional responses, purchase intent, and consumer purchasing behaviors of three types of yogurts (dairy-free coconut, dairy, and mixed) were measured under ARC, ARD, and sensory booths (SB). The results showed that the liking scores of dairy and mixed yogurts were generally higher than the coconut yogurt regardless of the environment. The interaction effect of yogurts and environments was statistically significant in terms of appearance, taste/flavor, sweetness, mouthfeel, aftertaste, and overall liking. JAR and penalty analysis revealed that consumers penalized the coconut yogurt for being “too much” in sourness, “too little” in sweetness, and “too thin” in mouthfeel. For the CATA analysis, attribute terms positively associated with overall liking (such as “sweet”, “smooth”, and “creamy”) were selected for dairy and mixed yogurts, whereas the attribute terms negatively associated with overall liking (such as “firm”, “heavy”, and “astringent”) were only selected for coconut yogurts. Regarding yogurt-consumption behaviors, the purchase intent of dairy and mixed yogurts was higher than that of the coconut yogurt, and taste and health were considered to be the most critical factors for yogurt consumption.