## 2 Results and Discussion
### Profiling of Montespertoli EVOO
#### 2.2.3 The Profile of EVOO and the Consumer Preferences  
To assess whether the defined EVOO profile aligns with current consumer preferences, chemical, sensory, and nutritional data were compared with results from a market online survey of January 2025 involving 700 regular Italian EVOO consumers recruited by a marketing research firm. Through this survey, relevant attributes in consumer preferences were examined in terms of cognitive salience using a specific _Cognitive Salience Index_ (_CSI_).  
Seven main semantic categories emerged (Table 5), each with its own degree of consistency; even the last one, although minimally represented, still holds interpretative significance.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Semantic Category** & **CSI** & **Frequency** & **Included Terms** \\ \hline
**Taste and Flavor** & 0.5366 & 527 & flavor, taste, delicate, intense, body, good, full-bodied, \\
**Aroma and Scent** & 0.1795 & 198 & test, fragrant, smell, aroma \\
**Visual Appearance** & 0.1739 & 194 & color, green, yellow, transparency, dark \\
**Naturalness and Authenticity** & 0.1344 & 131 & natural, organic, genuine, authentic \\
**Health and Wellness** & 0.1316 & 110 & healthy, wholesome \\
**Origin and Italian Identity** & 0.0978 & 89 & Italian, local, craft \\
**Price and Value** & 0.0503 & 73 & price, expensive, good value \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 5: Cognitive salience index (CSI) by semantic categories.  
By comparing the chemical and sensory data with the CSI, a strong alignment occurred between objective analytical values and subjective perceptions, at the level of three semantic categories. The semantic category \"Taste and Flavor\" was the most salient (CSI = 0.5366; frequency = 527 mentions), including descriptors like flavor, delicate, intense, spicy, bitter, and full-bodied. These descriptors aligned closely with sensory outcomes (bitterness, pungency, aromatic intensity) and are directly supported by the high phenolic and LOX VOC content, known to elicit such retronasal sensations. Likewise, the category \"Aroma and Scent\" (CSI = 0.1795; frequency = 198) reflected the volatile profile, especially the presence of green aldehydes like (_E_)-2-hexenal. The consumers' associations are in clear agreement with the analytical data. Similarly, the cognitive salience of \"Health and Wellness\" (CSI = 0.1316) aligns with the consistent presence of phenolic compounds and tocopherols, recognized for their antioxidant and protective roles. This alignment is further reinforced by the high Nutritional Value Score (NVS \(\geq\) 80 and \(\geq\) 85 in 2023 and 2024, respectively) of the examined EVOO, which confirms its strong nutritional profile and supports the perception of the oil as a health-promoting and functional food.  
In addition to these categories, the semantic category related to the \"visual appearance\" of the product is relevant, with consumers associating an EVOO with certain colors and transparency. Significant, and directly related to the semantic category \"Health and Wellness,\" is the category \"Naturalness and authenticity\", in which product quality is linked to the terms natural, organic, genuine, and authentic. Less pronounced but still significant is the attention to the origin and typicality, especially if Italian. Finally, the last semantic category, \"Price and value\", indicates a sensitivity to price that is sometimes amply justified but other times considered too high.