Modifying the visual-texture complexity of foods to direct consumers' attention toward more sustainable options: Turkish rice pudding 'sütlaç' as a case

The importance of visual elements and textures has been emphasized in sensory analysis studies examining consumer preferences, and these data have been used in the field of neomarketing to examine consumers' conscious or unconscious choices. This study focused on the possibility of directing consumers' attention to sustainable options by using the visual textural properties of products. This approach aimed to find solutions to problems such as carbon emissions and water pollution resulting from food production. Rice pudding, a traditional dessert, was chosen as the reference sample in this research. To create the study samples, the amount of rice pudding was halved and gradually added more sustainable plant-based products with four different textural characteristics. For visual sensory analysis, visual stimuli were prepared and loaded into the computer for two comparisons. The study was conducted in an isolated environment with one hundred randomly selected participants among university students. Descriptive analyzes and t-test were preferred to analyze the results. Participants' product preference increased from textural complexity to specific complexity. Instead of the original recipe, participants preferred a milk dessert with reduced milk and rice content, which was modified to reduce carbon emissions. In addition, with the tissue complexity, the energy value of the products decreased to a certain point. The impact of product description in menu format on consumers' preferences was also examined and observed to have an impact. With this study, the industry can direct consumers to more sustainable options for a more sustainable future.