Consumers' segmentation based on the acceptability of meat from entire male pigs with different boar taint levels in four European countries: France, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 114; pp. 137 - 145
• Main Authors: Panella-Riera, N., Blanch, M., Kallas, Z., Chevillon, P., Garavaldi, A., Gil, M., Gil, J.M., Font-i-Furnols, M., Oliver, M.A.
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2016
• Subjects: Acceptability; Alimentació i nutrició humana; Androstenes; Androstenone; Animals; Boar taint; Clusters; Conducta; Consumer Behavior; Consumers; Consumers choice; Consumidors; Enginyeria agroalimentària; Europe; Female; Food Contamination; Humans; Indústries agroalimentàries; Male; Meat - analysis; Odorants; Skatole; Swine; Taste; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; Clusters; Skatole; Androstenone; Acceptability; Consumers; Boar taint
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.12.017

Two consumer studies were conducted to know the acceptability of pork with different boar taint levels: test 1 performed in Spain (n=126) and United Kingdom (n=146), and test 2 performed in France (n=139) and Italy (n=140). Each test had 3 types of pork: ‘Female meat’, ‘Low boar tainted meat’, and a third type was ‘Medium boar tainted meat’ or ‘High boar tainted meat’. Three main clusters were identified on the basis of ‘How delicious do you find this meat?’: 1—Pork lovers, 2—Boar meat lovers, 3—Reject boar tainted meat. Additionally, in test 2, a fourth cluster was identified: ‘Reject low tainted meat’. A group of 16.2–38.2% of consumers rejected meat from boars, and another group of 12.4–21.7% rated the meat with medium or high levels of boar taint better than the meat from females, identifying a niche for meat from medium and high levels of boar taint, and suggesting the need to select carcasses on the basis of boar taint. •Consumer acceptability of entire male pork at eating•A segment of pork lovers, regardless of the level of boar taint, has been identified.•A segment of boar meat lovers and another that rejects boar tainted meat was found.•There is a niche for meat from medium and high levels of boar taint.•Meat classification according to boar taint level is needed to better orientate it.