Consumer perception and use of nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica): A cross-cultural study between Mexico and Brazil.
Food Res Int
; 124: 101-108, 2019 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31466628
The objective of the present study was, in a first moment, to observe the consumers' perception, qualitatively and quantitatively, with respect to nopal through a cross-cultural study among participants from Mexico (nâ¯=â¯200) and Brazil (nâ¯=â¯200), traditional and potential consumers, respectively. And, secondly, to use a Brazilian nopal cookie to complement the perception of the Brazilians regarding the nopal, evaluating their sensory acceptance and possible commercial potential in this country through the Check All That Apply (CATA) test. The cross-cultural study using the word association task has shown that although nopal is not part of the Brazilian food culture, people are willing to accept it as food because of its functional properties. This result, coupled with the positive acceptance of Mexican nopal cookies, confirmed the primary objective of working with products made from this unfamiliar vegetable in Brazil. In this context, the use of Brazilian nopal cladodes resulted in cookies with satisfactory sensory acceptance. This acceptance was similar to the one obtained by the Mexican commercial cookies. The affective and the CATA tests constitute a potential tool to evaluate and develop innovative products made with nopal, thus increasing their commercial potential. The results obtained provide support for a better utilization of this food, mainly in the arid and semi-arid regions, where this cactus is generally abundant, considering the social and cultural context to which the nopal is inserted in each country.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Opuntia
/
Preferências Alimentares
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
/
Mexico
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Food Res Int
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Canadá