Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of ready‐to‐drink vanilla protein beverages

Ready‐to‐drink (RTD) protein beverages are growing in popularity in the US market. Protein beverages vary in protein amount and source and as such, have substantially different sensory experiences. This study applied descriptive analysis and consumer acceptance testing to identify sensory properties and drivers of like and dislike in vanilla RTD protein beverages. A category survey with 33 beverages were conducted by a trained panel. Ten representative beverages were evaluated by vanilla protein beverage consumers (n = 150) for overall and specific liking attributes. Twenty sensory attributes were identified. The drivers of liking for vanilla RTD protein beverages included cooked/milky, caramelized, and vanilla/vanillin flavors, sweet and salty tastes, and viscosity, while the drivers of dislike were green pea and cereal/grainy flavors. Consumer clusters were differentiated by preferences for vanilla flavor intensity, viscosity and their tolerances for bitter taste and astringency. Consumer clusters were also distinguished by preferences for natural label, protein type, carbohydrate content, and sweeteners. Practical applications The ideal vanilla ready‐to‐drink (RTD) protein beverage for all consumers is a sweet and viscous beverage with intense milky and caramelized flavors with high protein content. This study adapted a lexicon for vanilla RTD beverages, demonstrated the intrinsic drivers of liking for vanilla RTD protein beverages and provides insights on consumer preferences to guide further product development of RTD protein beverages.