Understanding the factors affecting the acceptance for fermented soybean products

The main objective of this study was to understand the factors affecting the acceptance of fermented soybean products. Seventy-six consumers rated the acceptance and perceived intensity of 4 types of Korean and 4 types of Japanese style fermented soybean products. The consumer's food variety seeking tendency and the general attitude toward various fermented soybean products were measured. Ten descriptive analysis panelists evaluated the sensory characteristics of the 8 samples. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were applied to the data sets. Fermented soybean products consisting of sweet and moist sensory characteristics were preferred the most. The variety seeking tendency was not an effective predictor for understanding the acceptance of the products tasted in the experiment. K-means cluster analysis identified 3 sub-consumer segments sharing a common preference pattern for the 8 samples within each group. These 3 groups somewhat differed in the consumption frequency, acceptance, and familiarity of various fermented soybean products in general.