## 3 Results and Discussion
### Purchase Intention  
For this part of the experiment, and considering that this is a preliminary study, participants were asked to grade their product as consumers, which means that in this case, intention might be the primary predictor of behavior [42]. Cheeses were tested to understand consumers' purchase intentions according to their cultural differences. For example, in Table 3, we can observe that the opinions of buying Requeson and Parmesan cheese differ significantly between judges from the US and Mexico. It is interesting to note that 80% of American judges are interested in purchasing Requeson, which is a whey cheese [43], but there is no similar intention among judges from Mexico. This is surprising because judges form Mexico are highly familiar with this type of cheese. In Mexico, Requeson is often enjoyed with crackers or as an accompaniment to some Mexican dishes [44]. Therefore, judges from Mexico are more used to eating this cheese with something else rather than by itself, which could lead to participants from Mexico finding its unique texture to be different from what they are used to, contributing to the lack of interest in purchasing it. Meanwhile, a total of 100% of participants from the US indicated they would acquire Parmesan cheese, while only 40% of judges from Mexico expressed the same intent. As we discussed earlier, judges from the US seem to be more familiar with Parmesan cheese than participants from Mexico. In fact, exports of Parmesan cheese to the US have increased  
Figure 6: Differences of overall liking ratings for each cheese by judges from Mexico and the US, where *** refers to a significant difference (\(p=0.0008\)).  
over the last decade [45]. In the systematic study performed by [PERSON] et al. [44], where market trends in the US are discussed, it should be considered that (1) the most commonly available cheeses variety are cheddar, Mozzarella, and Parmesan, (2) cheese sales are increasing in the US due to the introduction of new flavors, and we could add the use of different dairy products, and (3) consumers are prioritizing convenience over product development. We also analyzed consumers' purchase intentions when buying different cheese types without the cultural component. In general terms, there is no clear difference in purchase intentions between American- and Mexican-made cheeses, indicating that neither type has a clear advantage in terms of purchase intention among the group being studied (Figure 7). However, if we look closer, we can see a possible tendency of the lowest purchase intention for Gouda and Oaxaca cheeses. A study conducted among consumers in the United States revealed significant variation in Gouda cheese preferences. Most participants favored mild Gouda, while others preferred the aged variety. Gouda cheese possesses diverse sensory characteristics. Therefore, depending on the variety, people choose one or another [46]. It is worth noting that the interactions within the group during this project might have led to a halo effect, potentially causing participants to rate cheeses in a similar manner. However, it is important to consider that the fact that they were semi-trained participants might have helped to mitigate this potential effect.  
As the demand for Hispanic-style cheeses increases in the US, and Mexico and the US are trading partners in the cheese market, it is essential to define and understand the sensory attributes of cheeses and the influence of cultural content from both countries. This understanding could provide valuable guidance to cheese manufacturers, enabling them to explore new production methods and develop innovative cheese concepts.