Experimenting with the Senses

© 2009 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Isabelle LesschaeveVineland campus seminar May 6 2010

Product= Extrinsic + Intrinsic attributes

Extrinsic: presentation, brand/variety name, information, price, etc.

Intrinsic: appearance, smell, texture, taste, nutritional benefits

Deliza and MacFie, JSens Stud 11,103, 1996

Information and Experience

Product: label, package, ads,

price

Expectations

raisedPrior Expectations Expectations

lowered

Expectationshighlow

acceptancerejection

Shopping 101

Product Use

Sensory properties

Confirmation or disconfirmation of expectations

Positive Negative

selection

Repeated Use Rejection

Model for Illustrating the effects of expectations on product selectionand evaluation. Deliza and MacFie, JSens Stud 11,103, 1996

Our Research Focus

• Understand factors affecting consumer interest, purchase and repeated use– Non sensory

– Sensory

Methods

• Measure consumers’ hedonic responses

• Measure sensory attributes

• 2 “instruments”– Consumer panel

– Trained sensory panel

What is a sensory panel?

• A group of individuals, selected and trained to perform sensory tasks

Why do we need a sensory panel?

• Large variation in sensory acuity among individuals– Sensory detectors need to cover a large spectrum

of sensations and have a normal detection threshold

• Ability to describe perceptions

• Being available

• Not involved in the companyScreening

Sensory panel

• At the end of the training:– Panellists are not naïve consumers anymore

– They are calibrated to provide objective, accurate and repeatable measurements

– Panel is similar to a high tech analytical tool

Sensory Panel’s roles

• Determine if products are perceived as being different:– Variety comparison

– Wines produced using different process

– Produce with different nutritional content

• If there is a difference:– How big is it? On which attributes?

Sensory practices

Vineland panel

• Vinelanders are invited to participate to short sessions– Difference tests

– Pilot test questionnaires for consumer tests

385 279 897

Consumer panel

• Vineland database– N=300+

– Active panel recruitmentin Niagara and Ontario

• On-line panel of 3rd parties

• Objective by 2012: – Vineland database include representative samples

of Canadian hort consumers

Sensory preference

1 10

1112

14

16

18

3

5

6

7

9

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

F2 (1

2.27

%)

F1 (35.91 %)

Observations (axes F1 and F2: 48.18 %)

Liking

77%14%

9%

Smooth

Sweet

Lychee

Floral

Petroleum

Peas Pepper

Oak

Burning

IdeaMap: Concept testing

How likely are you to CHOOSE this product? on a 9 point scale: 1 = Not at all likely ... 9 = Very Likely

How much would you SPEND on this product (per pound)? on a 5 point scale: 1= $1.50 or less 2 = $1.51 - $3.00 3 = $3.01 - $4.50 4 = $4.51 - $6.00 5 = $6.01+

© 2010 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Role of consumer panel

• In-store test

© 2009 Vineland Research and Innovation Centre