COMPARATIVE SENSORY ANALYSIS OF APRICOT YOGURTS MARKETED ON THE ROMANIAN MARKET

Abstract

The paper presents the comparative sensory analysis of three apricot yogurt varieties sold on the Romanian market – Danone Delicios, Artesana and Danone Casa Bună – using the descriptive method and the five-level scoring scale method for evaluating the main organoleptic characteristics. The results obtained indicate the existence of significant sensory differences between the analyzed products. Artesana yogurt recorded the most favorable ratings, being characterized by an intense natural apricot flavor, jam flavor and consistency specific to artisanal products. Danone Delicios assortment presented a fine curd and a yellow-orange color determined by the use of natural dyes, obtaining a good sensory profile, although inferior to that recorded by the Artesana product. In contrast, Danone Casa Bună yogurt was distinguished by a very firm curd, excessive whey separation, white-pink color uncharacteristic of the fruit and a predominantly synthetic taste, corresponding to an addition of only 2% apricot and the presence of artificial flavors, thus being the least appreciated of the varieties. The comparative price analysis highlighted the concordance between commercial positioning and perceived sensory quality: the premium product achieved the best results, and the low-cost product recorded the lowest performance. The study highlights the role of composition, manufacturing technology and labeling in determining the sensory profile of fruit yogurts.