Sensory & Consumer Research: Helping manufacturers to reformulate successfully

Dr Tracey Hollowood There is a wealth of information pointing to as the new villain.

WHO tells us that to be healthy, dietary intake of sugar must be significantly reduced BUT…… …on the other hand, consumers don’t really trust artificial sweeteners and the need to maintain sweetness is at odds with a desire for natural, additive free that are also perceived to be more healthy. The Push and the Pull

Consumers believe that: • No additives are better (Bredahl, 1999; Dickson-Spillman et al 2011) • You can trust natural

• Natural is good and artificial is bad (Varela & Fiszman 2013) • Natural is more healthy, will ‘taste’ better and will be a higher quality (Evans, de Challemaison, & Cox, 2010; Green, Draper, & Dowler, 2003; Hauser, Jonas, & Riemann, 2011; Renn, 2006; Rozin, Fischler, & Shields-Argeles, 2009, 2012) • Packaging tells you if its natural

• Preference for natural is ideational as well as healthful (Rozin et al 2004) • Consumers want cleaner products generally How can Sensory Science help?

Sensory Science is a scientific method used to evoke, measure, analyse, and interpret those responses to products as perceived through the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing (Stone & Sidel 1993). Trained Sensory: Sensory Consumer Sensory: Objective & Science Subjective & Analytical Methods Emotional So how can Sensory Science help? …...In a nutshell

Does the Sweetener perform technically?

What is the consumer perception of the Sweetener? Does it taste as Do consumers like Do we beat the sweet? it? competitor?

Expectation from Does it taste Is it stable over ‘Natural different? time? Sweetener’

How does it What is the Does ‘Natural’ compare to flavour profile? evoke emotion? standard?

What sensory How is What is the effect claims can I flavour/sweetness of pack? make? released? Context

Discrimination Matching Sensory Implicit measures Tool Box

Consumer reaction: -Like/dislike Sensory -Emotion Performance: -Sensory characteristics -Delivery Discrimination Testing: Can a change be detected?

Examples of Difference Tests:

• Paired comparison • Triangle • Same/different • Tetrad How much should I add? Sucrose Equivalence Value (SEV’s)

Amount of Stevia required in a beverage to match sugar sweetness

Panel of 20 trained tasters compare sweetness of pairs of sugar reference and different concentrations of stevia in a beverage (in duplicate) Descriptive Methods: How does my new product compare to the std?

Descriptive Sensory Methods:

• Generate descriptive terms & define (Lexicon) • Create protocol • Rate intensity of each term • Compare data Sugar Reduction: Partial Replacement by Stevia in Apple Drink Achieving a 35% sugar reduction by using DouxMatok as an alternative to Stevia Sweeteners: Taste Release Profiles of lemon flavour in a dessert

Sample 1 = sugar

Sample 4 takes longer to reach max intensity (Tmax) and has lower I max

Sample 3 has lower I max with Consumers: What it tells you

How much is a Which product is How likely are product liked? preferred? people to buy it?

What aspects of What is the ideal product need profile? Too improving? sweet

Not Too enough thin mango Consumer Product Testing: Some considerations…

Who? Where? How many? • √ Target consumers - • In sensory booths • 100 + for launch demographic or purchase • At central location (halls, decisions behaviour hotels) • 30+ for product • X Sensory panellists - no • In home screening • ? Staff – sometimes (for • In consumption situation • 6-10 bench screenings screening) (restaurant, bar etc.)

Taste preferences can change over time due to internal and external factors such as adaptation and new product launches Understanding liking: Preference Mapping…

Integrates objective sensory data with subjective consumer preference data to: ‹ Direct and focus concept development. ‹ Guide product development. ‹ Inform launch decisions .

Used extensively by major multinationals when moving into new markets.

How is preference segmented? What are the drivers of preference? What is the sensory profile of the ideal product? Preference Mapping… how it’s done

Select 8 or more products that span your sensory universe

Sensory profiling

Consumer research to collect hedonic data

Co-analysis of the two data sets using a range of modelling techniques to understand their relationships.

The product space is defined by the consumer liking data and explained by the sensory detail. Preference Mapping of 28

Orange Drinks Cluster 3: 18% of consumers PC2 (23%)

A C Cluster 1: 42% of Liquorice flavour consumers L B P Direction of liking Mouthdrying M for the average Bitter consumer Delayed sweetness K Sugar Bitter aftertaste N Orange juice Ace - K J PC 1 (55%) Thickness Orange peel D I Whole orange O Orange aftertaste H Sweetness build G Cluster 2: 30% of F consumers Sweet

Sweet aftertaste Consumers cluster into 3 groups according to differences in the drinks that they like Drivers of liking for each cluster

Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3

Orange juice Sweet Positive Thickness aftertaste Orange juice Drivers Whole orange Orange Liquorice flavour flavour

Bitter Negative Liquorice Orange Peel Sweet Drivers Orange Peel aftertaste Mouth drying

Model “ideal” profile for each segment or “ideal” profile for total population Preference Mapping will help…

• Understand how sensory attributes drive preference • Identify positive and negative product attributes and so guide reformulation • Define the sensory target by modelling the “ideal” profile • Identify potential gaps in market • Define the potential segment of the market your product appeals to and the products against which it will compete Summary…the sensory tool kit for product reformulation

Discrimination Tests • Can people tell the difference?

Sensory Profiling • How are the sensory properties changed by ingredients/flavours/formulation variables • Tracking progress to target

Consumer Liking • How much do people like the products?

Preference Mapping • How is preference segmented? • What are drivers of liking? • What is the profile of the ideal product? [email protected]