CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF FARMED CAVIAR: DOES PRODUCTION INFORMATION MATTER?

This study aimed to investigate whether consumer sensory perception and liking of farmed caviar can be influenced by production-related information. To accomplish this, a consumer study with 222 Danish participants evaluated three caviar types: Acipenser Baerii (1- and 9-month storage) and Acipenser gueldenstaedtii (9-month storage), under blinded (n = 109) and informed (n = 113) conditions. Participants rated sensory attributes and completed a questionnaire on sociodemography, consumption habits, food labeling attitudes, and seafood information interest. A general linear model analysis reveals that while production information did not impact sensory attributes ratings or overall liking (p-value = 0.221), the effect of sample type was statistically significant (p-value < 0.001), indicating the influence of intrinsic characteristics. Post hoc tests indicated that Acipenser Baerii caviar (1-month storage) had a higher score for appearance, taste, and overall liking. These findings suggest that the intrinsic quality of the product may be the main determinant of the hedonic response, while production-related information may play a role in confidence and purchasing decisions rather than sensory preference. Overall, consumers showed a high interest in food safety, sustainability, and animal welfare information. Ordinal regression results indicated significant gender effects: women tended to give higher ratings for appearance (p-value = 0.013), texture (p-value = 0.016), and overall liking (p-value = 0.039). This study indicates that consumers were interested in information about caviar even though production information might not influence their preferences. Future research should include a cross-national population with a higher caviar consumption frequency to assess possible differences in relation to consumers who are more welcome to information. • There were no significant differences in blinded and informed among the caviar types. • The product intrinsic characteristics differed significantly among the caviar types. • Acipenser Baerii one – month caviar scored highest for appearance, taste, and liking. • Consumers are very interested in food safety, sustainability, and animal welfare. • Women tended to give higher ratings for appearance, texture, and overall liking.