Abstract:
Brazil is the second largest coffee consumer in the world, however, the participation of the young public in this market is not very expressive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of non-sensory (packaging color, information, and images) and brewing methods (hot or cold extraction) on the acceptance of cold coffee beverages by young consumers. A coffee:water ratio of 1:10 (w:v) and infusion during 4 min and 24 h was used for both hot and cold extractions, respectively. Hot extraction was performed at 95 °C, then cooled in a refrigerator and served at 6 to 10 °C, the same temperature that the cold extraction was performed and served. The beverages were characterized by composition and extraction yield. The packaging of the beverages was designed aiming to appeal to the young Brazilian public (15 to 24 years old), and it was used for the Expectation Evaluation. The type of extraction (hot or cold) produced beverages with differences in composition but with similar acceptance. Except for pH (average value of 5.1), the beverages differed in all the studied parameters. Hot-extracted beverages (iced coffees) had higher contents of caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and melanoidins (92.9, 258.2, and 360.8∙10-6 kg 100 mL-1, respectively); they also presented higher acidity (3.4 mL of NaOH 20 mL-1) as well as higher yield compared to the cold-extracted beverages (cold brews). The use on product labels of brown and black colors, coffee bean images, and the inclusion of information regarding the bever ages (extraction method, consumption temperature, non-addition of sugar) generated a positive expectation that was assimilated by the young public. In conclusion, both proposals of cold coffee beverages (by hot or cold extraction) were well accepted considering their sensory and non-sensory aspects.
