On June 2, “A Healthier Week” kicks off—an initiative by the Diabetes League that challenges Flemish residents to make healthier choices for a week, with a focus on reducing added sugars. This presents a huge opportunity for food companies: consumers want to eat healthier, but their choices are still guided by taste. Reducing sugar is therefore more than just a change to the recipe. It’s a flavor-related challenge. And you can only overcome it with the help of consumers.
Sugar does much more than just add flavor. It also affects the texture, mouthfeel, and even the appearance of a product. If you remove the sugar, the entire sensory profile changes. Alternatives such as sweeteners can help, but they often come with an aftertaste or an unnatural flavor balance. These details are crucial: even subtle differences can significantly lower a product’s appeal. Sensory consumer research is therefore indispensable. Only by testing with real consumers can you discover whether a healthier version is actually well-received.
Recent research by Normec Sensory highlights just how important consumer testing is. In a comparison between a regular raspberry lemonade and a sugar-free version, test subjects provided valuable feedback:
Sensory research is essential at every stage: from developing a product that meets taste expectations to evaluating market acceptance and purchase intent at launch.
A similar consumer study by Normec Sensory on tomato ketchup proves that sugar reduction can also be successful. In this study, a variant with added sugars was compared to a version without added sugars. The result:
An important conclusion: it is therefore possible to reduce sugar content without compromising the taste experience—provided the product is properly formulated and tested.
Sensory research not only provides valuable insights for product development but also serves as a powerful foundation for marketing. You not only know that consumers appreciate your product but also why. This allows us to support any claims you make and back them up with data.
“A Week of Healthier Living” offers the perfect opportunity to highlight your healthier product line. But don’t forget: only through sensory consumer research can you create healthy products that consumers actually want to keep buying. It also helps you make informed choices during the development process and avoid surprises at launch.
Curious to see how your product scores after sugar reduction? Or where there’s still room for improvement in taste perception? Have your product tested by consumers at Normec Sensory and use the data to discover what makes the difference. That way, you’ll know exactly where to make adjustments—without compromising on taste. With our expertise and practical approach, we’ll help you successfully bring healthy, tasty products to market.
Our experts are happy to brainstorm with you and get you started quickly.
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