Consumer preferences for the development of new emulsion products based on vegetable and animal fats

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to determine consumer preferences for the acceptance of a new emulsion product containing interesterified fat based on mutton tallow and hemp oil. The survey concerned consumers’ reference to the new emulsion products as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products. On the basis of the survey, it was concluded that the hypothetical emulsion products would gain consumer acceptance. Acquisition of this knowledge forms the basis for making decisions regarding the implementation of further experimental work, the outcome of which will be the evaluation of the properties of prototype products, including a comparative assessment of the sensory characteristics of prototypes and market products. More than half of the respondents answered that they would be interested in a new emulsion product based on interesterified fat. The most important factors indicated by the respondents that would lead them to purchase cosmetic or pharmaceutical emulsions were improvement in skin condition after application and the possibility of testing a free sample in advance. In the case of a food emulsion containing modified mutton tallow and hemp oil, on the other hand, the most important factors determining a potential purchase were the opportunity to try a free sample of the product in advance and attributes such as taste and texture that corresponded to the respondents.