Understanding the drivers of liking for fresh pears: a cross-cultural investigation of Chinese and Korean panels and consumers.

BACKGROUND: This study identified and compared the drivers of liking for fresh pears cross-culturally, using Korean and Chinese panels and consumers. The pear samples consisted of six types of fresh pear varying in flavor and texture qualities. The descriptive panels for the two countries independently derived descriptive terms for the pears. Acceptance testing was also conducted to examine the hedonic levels of fresh pears among Chinese and Korean consumers. Multivariate analysis of variance, using a general linear model (GLM), and multiple-factor analysis were applied to the descriptive data. The consumer test data were analyzed using a GLM, correspondence analysis, and internal preference mapping. RESULTS: The results showed that the overall perceptual configurations of pears developed by the Chinese and Korean panels were similar. The consumer liking for fresh pears and the drivers of liking were also cross-culturally similar. Consumers from both countries liked crisp and juicy Asian pears but they had different perceptions of and liking for the pear with a strong fruity note and soft texture. This observation was supported by the results of the descriptive analysis, which showed that the Chinese panel considered this pear sample to be fruity and have an harmonious flavor, whereas the Korean panel - which was less familiar with the sample - considered its flavor unharmonious. CONCLUSION: Previous cross-cultural studies have often found that food acceptance levels vary markedly with the degree of familiarity with target foodstuffs. However, unlike other food categories, the difference seems relatively small for fruits that are commonly available across cultures. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of smear layer and chlorhexidine treatment on the adhesion of Enterococcus faecalis to bovine dentin.

The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effects of a smear layer and chlorhexidine (CHX) treatment on the adhesion of Enterococcus faecalis to bovine dentin. Forty dentin blocks from bovine incisors were prepared and randomly divided into four groups of 10 each. The blocks in group 1 were placed in sterile saline for 5 minutes, while those in group 2 were treated with 17% EDTA for 5 minutes. The blocks in group 3 were placed in 2% CHX for 7 days. The blocks in group 4 were treated with 17% EDTA for 5 minutes, and then placed in 2% CHX for 7 days. All the blocks were immersed in a suspension of E. faecalis for 3 hours. The bacteria adhering to the dentin surface were counted by examination using a scanning electron microscope. The most significant amount of bacteria was retained on the samples from group 1 (p < 0.05) and the smallest amount of bacteria adhered to the samples from group 4. These results suggest that a smear layer enhances the adherence of E. faecalis to the dentin, and CHX is effective in reducing the adherence of microorganisms.