LAUSR

BACKGROUND External Preference Mapping (PREFMAP) is a powerful tool to explain consumer preference or rejection. Combining the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) multicriteria analysis with rapid descriptive techniques can improve PREFMAP results. This study was conducted to compare the PREFMAPs generated with rapid descriptive Flash Profile (FP), Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and Napping® versus PREFMAPs constructed with FP-TOPSIS, CATA-TOPSIS and Napping®-TOPSIS. RESULTS Only the 38.46, 63.66 and 42% of sensory attributes initially generated by FP, CATA and Napping techniques were considered for the determination of their weight (W) and allocation as positive (+) or negative (-) in the TOPSIS technique. The PREFMAPs constructed with FP-TOPSIS, CATA-TOPSIS and Napping®-TOPSIS presented a better explanation of the preference and rejection compared to the PREFMAPs directly generated with rapid sensory techniques. The results of the Multiple Factor Analysis and coefficient Rv indicated similarities in the sensory vocabularies used after the TOPSIS technique. CONCLUSION The combination of the TOPSIS technique with rapid sensory techniques is a reliable alternative for the construction of PREFMAPs in order to identify the sensory attributes responsible for preference and rejection of food products. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.