抄録
The aim of this study is to clarify the factors affecting the preference of tomatoes and the structure of consumer preference related to them. A questionnaire survey was done using 602 university students (89M/513F). Sixty-three statements, such as “I like tomatoes very much” were established and rated on 7-point agree-disagree scales. The characteristics of tomatoes wanted by consumers were as follows: red and ripen but hard in texture ; rich in taste but simple, strong in umami and be full of body ; strong in sweetness but not always the sweeter the better. They wanted to make tomatoes existing at present tastier rather than to increase the kinds of tomatoes. Factor analysis with promax rotation (oblique rotation) applied to selected 20 items of statements revealed the simple structure of five factors. F1 was related to the characteristics control overall liking ; F2 was related to high-sugar-oriented. F3 was related to prefer unripe to overripe. F4 was related to weakness of smell of grass and sourness as well as the liking of tomato as sweet as the fruit. F5 was related to like for thickness, umami and body. The correlation of F2 to F1 and that of F4 to F1 were independent. Whereas F5 was correlated to F1 by 0.55, F3 was correlated to F1 by 0.27 in correlation coefficient.
