SENSORY EXPECTATIONS OF CHILDREN FROM DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD INCOMES FOR A BRANDED CONFECTIONARY PRODUCT

The influence of brand and price on the sensory acceptability of alfajor (an individual cake covered in chocolate) among children from different household incomes was measured. Two brands of alfajores, “cheap” and “expensive,” were used. A total of 120 children, half from low‐income households (LI) and half from medium‐ to high‐income households (M–HI), participated in the study. They tasted the alfajores in three conditions: blind, package‐alone and package + product. The LI children were not influenced by brand. For the M–HI children, an assimilation effect was observed. The findings highlight the importance of socioeconomic factors in sensory expectation. In the blind condition, if the price is very high, no matter how much a child likes an alfajor he/she will not buy it. If the price is low, the overall liking will highly influence the choice. Implications of results for manufacturers, money providers and nutritional education agencies are discussed.