There is a clear market trend to offer healthier, more sustainable and environmentally friendly products. We observe how organic products, without preservatives, without palm oil, without excess fat, etc., occupy more and more space on supermarket shelves.
Changes in ingredients, changes in the manufacturing process, changes in the formulation of the product are made to meet these consumer desires, but let us not forget: the product must still satisfy the consumer organoleptically.
This is where the importance of knowing how well the new formulation will be accepted by consumers comes into play.
With an Acceptance and Preference Test we will be able to obtain information about both the current product and the new product and to know:
– Degree of acceptance of both products
– Strengths and weaknesses
– Those attributes of the new product that could be improved (if any).
– Preference between products (vs. current product and/or vs. competition).
It is highly advisable to complement the organoleptic study with a Concept Test where we will be able to evaluate:
– Relevance of the change of recipe/change of ingredient for the consumer.
– Relevance of whether or not the product contains a certain ingredient.
– Importance given to the nutritional information that appears on the label.
– Whether it adds value whether or not the product contains a particular ingredient
– How much more a consumer is willing to pay for a given benefit provided by the product.
It is well known the influence that certain elements have on the overall acceptance of a product by consumers: the brand, the benefits highlighted on the packaging, its ingredients -or lack of them- With a complementary concept test we can study this influence and have an overall assessment of the product, and not only from the organoleptic point of view.
Xandra Torrent – (xandra.torrent@mxns.com)
Sensory Analysis Department