Researchers Develop New Approach to Consumer Testing of Reformulated Products

19 Apr 2013 --- A new approach to product testing in which consumers assess reformulated products in their own everyday surroundings is helping businesses to take sounder decisions. The new approach, developed by Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research in the Netherlands, is called Taste@Home Conjoint Testing.

Now that the Dutch government wants healthy products to be the standard option on the food shelves, food manufacturers are avidly reformulating their products by lowering the content of salt, sugar, and saturated fats, and incorporating more fibre. But the step to the market launch is risky; after all, how do you know what the consumer is receptive to?

Researcher Stefanie Kremer explains that the new approach it is an alternative to the standard ‘liking’ tests in which testers assess the taste of a product on the basis of just one bite. She explains: ‘In our experience, these kind of standard tests fail to deliver reliable results. After one bite, most testers express a preference for the sweetest or the saltiest option. But you need to taste products repeatedly to assess them properly.’
 
The idea behind home testing is pretty simple, says co-researcher Anke Janssen. ‘Think of it as a shopping basket filled with various types of products from different producers. The testers take the products home and eat them over the course of several weeks, as they would normally do. At the end of each day they write down their opinions.’
 
According to Kremer, the new test is much more in tune with normality than many existing consumer tests. ‘If you like to spread peanut butter on your cheese, then keep doing that. We don’t impose any kind of behaviour. The idea is that if the test fits in with the daily routine, the results will paint a more realistic picture of how people feel about a product.’
 
The researchers ask the testers to taste different variations of a product. Janssen explains that these variations can differ intrinsically, but there may also be ‘extrinsic’ differences. ‘You could, say, compare an existing cheese product with a variation that contains fifteen per cent less salt or which is organically produced. And you can also look at the effect on the assessment if you print “less salt, more taste” or “organic and locally produced” on the label.’
 
Janssen says that the results of an initial comparison between home testing and the standard liking test in the lab pointed to significant differences in the assessment of a number of products. ‘Some products were assessed more positively in a home rather than a laboratory situation, while others were not. We are convinced, however, that home testing is more reliable because people assess products in their own context.’
 
Kremer and Janssen say that quite a lot of businesses are showing an interest in home testing. Understandably so, because, as Kremer explains, there is another advantage aside from the fact that home testing is closer to the actual situation. ‘Home testing is ideal for assessing several products at the same time, so the research costs are contained for individual businesses.’
 
With the Taste@Home Conjoint Test, Food & Biobased Research adds a new method to the toolkit for testing consumer appreciation for reformulated products. The physiological and sensory testing of products in laboratories can now be supplemented by indicative consumer research among specific user groups. Ultimately, the next step is real-life testing, which will allow the actual eating patterns of the consumer to be mapped. This is taking place in the Restaurant of the Future at Wageningen UR and on location at supermarkets or care homes.