Traditional process: influence on sensory properties and on consumers expectation and liking Application to `pâte de campagne

Sensory profiling of eight `pâtés de campagneʹ, of which four were produced according to a traditional process and four produced according to a non traditional process, was performed by a trained panel. Results revealed some sensory particularities of each process but also sensory differences among the eight products which were not related to the process. Expectations created by two labels, one evoking a traditional and one evoking a non traditional process for `pâté de campagneʹ, were determined for 125 consumers. The impact of these expectations on expectation after visual examination and on liking after tasting was also studied, using the same eight products. The impact of information was greater on expectation scores given after visual examination than on liking scores given after consumers had tasted the products. When liking was based on written information and sensory characteristics perceived upon tasting, an assimilation effect was observed, and this assimilation tended to be higher after a negative disconfirmation (when the product was worse than expected) than after a positive disconfirmation.