Deciphering consumer perceptions of Kisra prepared from biofortified and non-biofortified sorghum cultivars using the rate-all-that-apply (RATA) method

Abstract

Introduction: Micronutrient deficiency remains a significant public health challenge in developing countries, including Sudan, particularly in rural areas, where access to a well-balanced diet is limited. This study evaluated consumer sensory acceptance and quality of Kisra, a traditional Sudanese fermented flatbread prepared from a combination of biofortified and non-biofortified sorghum cultivars.

Methods: A panel of 100 assessors aged 18-75 evaluated nine Kisra products using hedonic overall liking and the rate-all-that-apply (RATA) technique.

Results and discussion: Kisra made from the biofortified Dahab cultivar received the highest overall liking scores (~8, "like very much"), whereas blends such as Dahab + Dabar and Dahab + Arfa-gadamek showed moderate sensory acceptance (~7). Hierarchical agglomerative analysis grouped the assessors into three clusters comprising 50%, 26%, and 24% of the panel. Among the demographic factors, education level had the most significant influence on overall liking (51%), followed by consumption frequency (25.5%), and age (23.5%). The RATA model demonstrated a high assessor repeatability (0.994), homogeneity (0.904), and low global error (9.617). Sensory attributes, namely porousness, thickness, and sourness, were key drivers of preferences for Kisra made from Dahab. These findings underscore the effectiveness of RATA in the product and scaling biofortified Kisra to combat malnutrition and cater to diverse consumer preferences.

Keywords: Kisra; Sudan; malnutrition; market segmentation; sensory acceptance.

Figure 1

Flowchart depicting Kisra, a fermented flatbread preparation step.

Figure 2

Internal preference mapping depicting the relationship between Kisra products and all assessors, based on overall preferences. The blue points indicate the different Kisra samples, whereas the red vectors represent the assessors.

Figure 3

Clustering of the 100 assessors based on their overall liking scores for the nine Kisra products, performed using agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis. Three groups of assessors were identified: 50%, 26%, and 24% of the total assessors, respectively.

Figure 4

(A) Biplots illustrate the internal preference mapping relationships between the Kisra products (blue points) and assessors (red points) for cluster 1 assessors (50 assessors). (B) Shows the internal preference mapping relationships between Kisra products (blue points) and assessors (red points) for Cluster 2 (26 assessors). (C) Biplots illustrate the internal preference mapping relationships between the Kisra products (blue points) and assessors (red points) for Cluster 3 assessors (24 assessors).

Figure 5

Contribution and percentage of assessors' demographic profile, namely education level, Kisra consumption pattern, and age on overall liking score.

Figure 6

Radar plot with average ratings of the RATA sensory attributes (on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 = “slightly applicable” to 5 = very applicable) of nine Kisra product samples. For more information on the sorghum cultivar, see Figure.

Figure 7

Sensory map obtained through multivariate correspondence analysis using RATA. AG-8, Arfa-gadamek; Dab, Daber; Dah, Dahab; Dah+ AG-8, Dahab and Arfagadamek blend; Dah + Dab, Dahab and Dabar blend; Dah + Wa, Dahab and Wad Ahmed blend; Koro, Korokolo; WA, Wad Ahmed.

Figure 8

Weight of each assessor participating in RATA test.