Why Sensory Testing Plays an Indispensable Role in Product Development

23 September 2024

In the food industry, there are numerous reasons to initiate a product development process. In general, there are three main reasons, which are either necessary or desirable: developing a new product, developing and manufacturing an existing product (such as a private-label product), and modifying and/or optimizing a product.

How do you ensure that your product development leads to a successful product?

Approximately 80% of all product launches in the food industry fail, resulting in products being removed from store shelves within six to twelve months. Consumers are faced with an abundance of product types and brands in the supermarket. To succeed in this highly saturated market, it is essential to position your product effectively. Given consumers’ high expectations, it is more important than ever for a food manufacturer to conduct thorough research into how consumers perceive your product during the product development process. This goes beyond simply simulating the preparation process and testing the product in your test kitchen.

What you really want to know is how consumers experience your product. By investigating this, you’ll gain insight into the actual consumer experience even before your product hits the shelves—and you’ll be able to make timely adjustments. When conducting consumer research, keep the following points in mind:

Assess the market potential

To determine market potential, you need to test your product ideas. The feedback you receive will help you set the right priorities for further product development. You’ll gain clear insight into consumers’ specific needs.

In addition, it’s important to examine how your product offers added value to consumers. After all, successful products are based on benefits for the customer. Understanding consumer perception and product usage is crucial in this regard. Consider, for example, the desired portion size and the optimal shelf placement.

Evaluate the concepts

Evaluate the developed concepts using the knowledge you’ve gained from the research you’ve conducted. Refine the concepts with the greatest chance of success, paying attention to the product contents and packaging. Then have the target audience evaluate the intended use and taste. This provides valuable insights, such as:

Which flavors appeal to consumers for the new product concept?
What color should I use for the packaging of my low-calorie product?
What design style gives my product an artisanal look?

Use the information gathered during this concept phase to determine the final product concepts.

Conduct taste tests on the developed products

Once the final concepts have been fully developed, you can begin producing the first samples. To ensure you’re on the right track, it’s important to have these evaluated by a panel. For example, is your product crispy enough or visually appealing? By having a consumer panel conduct sensory tests, you gain insight into the end user’s product requirements. Additionally, analyzing the samples for sensory aspects indicates areas for improvement in the product formulation and opportunities for process optimization.

Tip: Investigate how a consumer experiences the product at home by conducting in-home research. In this type of study, consumers prepare, consume, and evaluate your product in their home environment. The resulting report provides insights into the consumer experience and areas for improvement.

Know Your Competitors

What advantages does your product offer compared to the alternatives in the supermarket? Research shows that well-known products with a high satisfaction score are, on average, rated three times higher than new, as-yet-unknown products. It is therefore important to determine whether the newly developed product could potentially be rated higher than the current standard. Identify who you consider to be your main competitor(s) and determine the aspects on which you want to base a competitive comparison. With the information gathered, you can develop your marketing strategy and shape your sales plans for the retail sector.

The product development process is an interesting but complex journey. We’re happy to assist you throughout the entire process so that you can successfully launch your product on the market.

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Our experts are happy to brainstorm with you and help you get started quickly.

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