Aquaculture America 2020

February 9 - 12, 2020

Honolulu, Hawaii

SENSORY APTNESS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER’S WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR CONVENIENT CATFISH PRODUCTS

Nabin B. Khanal 1, U. Deb1, M. Dey2, L. Xie1, S. Adhikari1, P. Bechtel3, J. Bland3 and C. Grimm3
 
 Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries ,
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
1200 Uni versity Dr, Pine Bluff, AR 7160
khanaln8535@uapb.edu
 

Success of  a product in the marketplace is widely determined by its superior sensory attributes and price. Standardization of sensory attributes and elicitation of consumer willingness to pay (WTP) are the key steps in the product development and marketing strategies formulation. This study evaluates the  aptness of the  sensory attributes and  their influence on WTP for five convenient (ready-to-cook) catfish products . A total of 121 catfish consumers from Arkansas participated in  the sensory evaluations of five products  and elicited their WTP through Vickrey's s econd price experimental auctions.  Using Elastic Net Regularized Regression, a machine learning approach,  measured  the role of  the sensory characteristics on WTP for catfish products.  P articipants  preferred Panko Breaded Delacata Fillet (PBDF)  most  followed by Panko Breaded Standard Strips (PBSS), Panko Breaded Standard Fillet (PBSF), Sriracha Marinade Delacata Fillet (SMDF) and Sesame-Ginger Marinade Delacata Fillet (SGMDF).  Average WTP was highest for PBDF ($3.46 per packet) followed by PBSF ($2.85), PBSS ($2.84), SGMDF ($2.78), and SMDCF ($2.67). Consumers liked smell, taste and texture of all five products , but they opined that s altiness was higher for all products; crispiness was lower for PBDF, PBSS and PBSF; juiciness was lower for PBSF, SMDF and SGMDF, and oiliness was lower for SMDF. The overall liking was the most important factor affecting the consumer WTP for all products. Pruned regression tree analysis showed taste, in-mouth texture, saltiness and juiciness are significant sensory attributes affecting WTP. It may be concluded that sensory attributes determine the consumers WTP for convenient catfish products.

Keyword: Ready-to-cook  convenient product, sensory attributes, WTP