Résumé
Kitoza is a traditional Malagasy meat product made from beef or pork strips of 20 to 50 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide, salted and then dried and/or smoked for preservation. Kitoza sensory and consumer testing were undertaken through an international collaborative project funded by European Union “African Food Tradition rEvisited by Research” (AFTER). AFTER, aims to revisit traditional African food products, knowledge and know-how in the light of new technologies for the benefit of consumers, producers and processors in Africa and Europe. These products are widely consumed within the selected countries in Africa but do not meet EU food safety requirements. The reengineering of Kitoza seeks to overcome food safety and to improve nutritional properties of this traditional product issues to facilitate their promotion and introduction to EU markets. Kitoza samples, beef and pork, were prepared in France, using French meat. Controlled fermentation and smoking procedures were used and salt, spices and other condiments were added according the traditional process. The products were vacuum packed. For sensory profile two smoked Kitoza samples (beef and pork) and a traditional Portuguese smoked loin sausage was used for comparison. All samples were scored by a sensory panelists using Flash profiling (FP), a technique that combines individual panelist vocabulary generation through free choice profiling and attribute intensity ranking. A previous focus group session was conducted with the aim to promote attribute generation and acceptance factors for Kitoza in European context, specifically in Portugal. For the near market consumer acceptance tests for improved Kitoza products, was used a panel of a 102 consumers. Consumption attitudes were also analyzed. The sensory profile showed that there are significant differences at the following level descriptors: color tone, spices, sweetness, smoke and succulence. The results obtained for consumer acceptance showed that the hedonic results between the three samples are statistically different being the preferred sample the traditional Portuguese smoked loin sausage, followed immediately by the Kitoza pork and finally less appreciated the Kitoza beef. In terms of markets, as regards to shops and the cost of the product, due to the exotic origin, the consumers are willing to pay more for Kitoza samples than traditional Portuguese smoked loin sausage. (Texte intégral)