DESCRIPTIVE EVALUATION OF SAUCES WITH CONSUMERS

The rapid development of the sauce industry, a widely spread product class, and recent innovations to satisfy expectations related to health aspects and sensory characteristics have demanded more information about consumers of these products. In this context, an evaluation form was elaborated for the application of the sensory test CATA (Check all that apply) using descriptive terms of sauces taken from the literature and raised through focus groups with consumers of sauces in general. The form was applied through a virtual platform to characterize consumers of sauces and determine which sensory, emotional and contextual characteristics are considered adequate to describe this class of products. There were 72 responses from untrained evaluators, 69.4% female and 29.2% male, 84.7% of these evaluators were aged between 18 and 24 years and 86.1% had incomplete higher education. Participants who consume sauce 1 to 2 times a week totaled 45.8% and those who like sauces a lot, 48.6%. The most consumed types of sauces are ketchup (83.3%), mayonnaise (61.1%), and barbecue sauce (45.8%). As for the occasion of consumption, 69.4% consume it in snacks and 48.6% in main meals. Among the 21 attributes presented in the form, consumers consider the terms suitable to describe sauce, considering the frequency of indication: delicious (80.6%), intense color (63.9%), pleasant acidity (62.5%), smooth texture (59.7%) and shiny (56.9%), the attributes considered less suitable to describe sauces were astringent flavor (5.56%), floral aroma (8.33%) and texture with pieces (11 .11%). The study made it possible to form a consumption profile and to know which attributes are most identified by consumers in sauces.