Sensory product characterization by consumers using check‐all‐that‐apply questions: Investigations linked to term development using kiwifruit as a case study

Abstract Sensory product characterization is a cornerstone activity in sensory science, and increasingly it is performed by consumers. Check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) questions are popular for this purpose, and solid guidelines for many aspects of their implementation exist. However, they do not extend to term development. The present research is situated in this gap, and across 11 consumer studies ( n = 1,455) the influence of term variations (e.g., “acid” or “acidic”) and CATA list composition was explored. The description of samples and their discrimination was affected by both factors, but particularly the former. The need for terms to be readily understood and related to the vocabulary consumers commonly used for describing the test products was supported. There was some evidence supporting consumers' ability to use specific sensory descriptors, but also instances showing the opposite. Composite terms (e.g., “tangy/sour”) showed potential for providing contextualizing information regarding the focal sensory characteristic, but they were not always beneficial. CATA terms of particular relevance for consumers' sensory perception of kiwifruit were identified, to the benefit of new cultivar development efforts. Practical applications Check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) questions have become popular for sensory product characterization by consumers. However, better guidance on how to develop CATA terms is needed. This research, using kiwifruit as a case study, demonstrates that the wording of terms matters greatly for consumers' ability to characterize and discriminate between samples. The general guideline to practitioners is to include consumer‐friendly terms that intuitively relate to the focal product category. Terms used by trained assessors may not be applicable to consumers due to specificity, low applicability or apparent incongruence with the product category. Sample characterization and differentiation can also depend on the collective set of terms used in a CATA question.