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. 2019 Oct 12;8(10):484. doi: 10.3390/foods8100484

Table 3.

Abbreviated interview guide with introduction and themes covered by the moderator in the focus group discussion.

Section Interview Guide for Focus Group Sessions
Introduction Welcome note, guidelines, and purpose
Participants introduce themselves
Opening question How often do you eat snacks in a week?
General question When you think of snacks, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
What are some of the brands that come to your mind about snacks?
What are the things you look for in snack foods to make a purchase?
What features make a snack food special from your point of view?
Texture theme What do you understand by “texture” of snack food?
How important is texture for you?
What other textures you have experienced so far?
What terms do you usually use for snacks or snack-like foods? (This question was asked to Hindi-, Mandarin-, and Spanish-speaking consumers)
What terms do you usually use for texture of snacks or snack like foods? (This question was asked to Hindi-, Mandarin-, and Spanish-speaking consumers)
Do snacking occasions impact the textures you want? If yes, how?
Are oily, waxy, and greasy the same or different in your understanding? (This question was asked to Hindi-, English-, and Spanish-speaking consumers only—it was untranslatable in Mandarin)
Texture attributes What are words you use to describe these texture terms?
(1) Firmness: The force required to bite completely through the food sample with the molar teeth.
(2) Smoothness: Degree to which the sample feels smooth and free of lumps/particulates as opposed to lumpy, rough, grainy, gritty, and/or sandy.
(3) Moistness: The perceived amount of moisture in the product.
(4) Roughness of surface: The amount of indentations/bumps and surface abrasions which can be perceived by gently manipulating one piece between the thumb & fingers, lips, palate, and/or tongue.
(5) Adhesive: The degree to which the product sticks to the hands or mouth.
(6) Cohesiveness: The degree to which the sample deforms prior to breaking apart when compressed once between the molar teeth.
(7) Crispiness: The intensity of audible sound when the sample is compressed between the molar teeth.
(8) Uniformity of bite: Degree to which the product changes from start to finish in the bite. If the force necessary to bite through the sample changes during the bite, the product is non-uniform. The more consistent the force, the more uniform.
(9) Astringency: Drying sensation on the surface and/or edges of the lips, tongue, and mouth.
(10) Oiliness: The appearance of a fat or oily coating on the surface of the product.
(11) Chew count: Number of chews required to hydrate sample and bring to a state ready to swallow.
(12) Residuals in mouth: Sample remaining in or on surfaces of the mouth after swallowing.
(13) Powdery: A measure of the dry, powdery sensation in hand or mouth.
(14) Dissolvability: Rate and degree to which product dissolves in the mouth during mastication.
(15) Heat burn: Burning sensation on the lips, in the oral cavity, and in the throat, resulting from exposure to a substance such as capsaicin or hot peppers. The sensation tends to persist after the stimulus is removed.
(16) Particle amount: The perception of small particles relatively bigger than surrounding product.
Closure When and where do you often eat your snack food?
Additional groups questions Only to English-speaking American consumers
Do you think emotions have anything to do with snack eating?
How would you design a snack food if provided an opportunity?
Only to Hindi-speaking Indian consumers
People who eat snacks at home. Why do you eat snacks at home?
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