The fermentation of food products is a transformation and preservation process in which different metabolites are generated, contributing to consumer health. In this sense, this systematic review aims to analyze the factors that guide the perception and preference for fermented foods. In addition, different perspectives are proposed based on the findings. The systematic search was carried out in four databases: Emerald Insight, Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, and Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. The keywords used were (Title/Abstract): fermented products, overall liking, purchase intention, expectations, emotions, interculturality, perception, and consumers. Ninety-two articles (n = 92) were selected and classified. The factors identified were (1) biological and physiological, (2) extrinsic product characteristics, (3) intrinsic product characteristics, (4) psychological, (5) situational, and (6) sociocultural. Intrinsic product characteristics were the most relevant, while the situational factors were the least studied. Our main contribution was a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the different factors in an integrated way, allowing a broader perspective of both products and consumers. This approach could help the reader understand consumer behavior and propose product improvements.

Purpose: This review aims to summarize some of the relevant methodologies used to study traditional foods evaluated from the consumers' perspective. The analysis provided in this review will shed light on the methods as a valuable tool to stimulate research in traditional to promote cultural and nutritional revaluation of these products.Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was performed on 60 articles related to the study of traditional foods from the consumer's perspective.Findings: Ten methodologies were found that address the study of this product category. European countries lead the research in traditional foods while research in Latin America, Africa and Asia is still incipient.Practical implications: This review shows the potential of each method to be applied in the study of traditional foods as well as the positive implications that research about these products could bring to regions/countries with a great diversity of traditional products.Originality/value: This review reveals the need to approach the study of traditional foods and encourage future research on them, which in turn, will contribute to the cultural and integral development of local communities, even to the recovery of ingredients and local raw materials.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the consumption of a traditional fermented beverage such as pulque to contribute to its promotion and to identify new opportunities for commercialization by applying and validating an extended model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB).Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 397 participants was validated. The scale of the TPB construct and our innovative approach included habit and health consciousness. The model and hypotheses were validated via partial squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) was performed to complement the analysis.Findings: The model showed an adequate fit, indicating the reliability of the results. According to the findings, intention was the factor that most influenced the consumption of pulque. However, health consciousness did not affect individuals’ intention to consume or consumption of pulque. The IPMA map revealed that encouraging pulque consumption is necessary to prioritize the habit. The consumers indicated that pulque helps maintain gastrointestinal health.Practical implications: Fermented products and beverages represent a healthy dietary alternative, and their features can be used to promote their marketing and sale. This study shows that the development of this habit must be strengthened to encourage responsible consumption.Originality/value: This is the first study in Mexico to examine pulque, a traditional fermented product with functional proprieties, using an expanded theoretical model of the TPB to predict consumption. The IPMA map facilitated the identification of variables that should be encouraged to increase consumption. The information obtained may be useful for producers and suppliers as they promote these beverages.

Odor is one of the most important attributes to determine the overall acceptance of a product. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the changes in the odor profile and the volatile compounds during thirty-three days of ripening to obtain the pattern of volatile compounds necessary to integrate the odor profile of chorizo (fermented sausage), using Partial Least Squares (PLS). The chili and pork meat odors were predominant during the first five days, vinegar and fermented odors at days twelve and nineteen days, and finally a rancid odor predominated at the end. Only the vinegar, rancid, and fermented odors could be predicted with a good fit model, with the R² coefficient above 0.5, using linear PLS, and the pork meat odor using logarithmic PLS. Each group of volatile compounds interacted in different ways; esters had a positive influence on the vinegar and rancid odors, but a negative on the fermented odor. Some volatile compounds contributed to more than one odor, such as hexanal, ethanol, and ethyl octanoate. This work allowed us to understand the pattern of volatile compounds required to generate some of the specific odors of chorizo; further studies are required to explore the effect of other food components on these patterns of odors.

Tenate cheese is a traditional Mexican pressed semi-hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk and wrapped in palm fiber. The characterization of this cheese remains scarce. This study presents an exploratory characterization of a single production batch of traditional Tenate cheese obtained from one artisanal producer, providing preliminary information on its physicochemical, microbiological, and proximate analyses, combined with consumer evaluation. The latter was analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) as an exploratory segmentation tool. Tenate cheese was characterized as a semi-hard cheese with active lactic fermentation, a lactic aroma, acidic and umami flavors, and a firm, granular texture. Microbiological analyses showed the absence of coliforms, enterobacteria, and Staphylococcus aureus among the microorganisms evaluated, whereas yeast counts exceeded the regulatory limit. As major foodborne pathogens were not included in the microbiological assessment, the overall microbiological safety of the product could not be confirmed. A total of 318 consumers from Aguascalientes (AGS, n = 149) and the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (GMA, n = 169) evaluated the product using hedonic and Just-About-Right scales. Consumers from AGS reported significantly higher liking scores than those from GMA. Penalty analysis identified insufficient softness as the main attribute associated with lower liking in AGS, whereas low flavor intensity and weak aftertaste reduced acceptance in GMA. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) identified three consumer segments in each location, revealing distinct preference patterns linked to regional expectations. The main contributions of this study are threefold. First, it contributes to the limited scientific knowledge available on Tenate cheese by providing a comprehensive characterization of the analyzed sample. Second, it shows that consumer acceptance differed between two regional markets, comparing two university-affiliated consumer groups, highlighting the value of consumer segmentation for product positioning. Third, it proposes and applies an integrated framework combining physicochemical, microbiological, nutritional, sensory, and consumer segmentation analyses that can be applied to the study of other artisanal cheeses.