How can you manipulate food without affecting consumer perceptions?

1 Sensory analysis

Sensory analysis is the scientific discipline that measures and evaluates the sensory attributes of food, such as appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and aftertaste. Sensory analysis can help you understand how consumers perceive and respond to your food products, and how you can modify them to meet their preferences and expectations. You can use different methods of sensory analysis, such as descriptive, hedonic, or affective tests, depending on your objectives and resources.

2 Consumer behavior

Consumer behavior is the study of how consumers make decisions and act in relation to food products. Consumer behavior can be influenced by many factors, such as personal, social, cultural, environmental, and situational variables. Consumer behavior can help you identify the needs, wants, motivations, and barriers of your target market, and how you can communicate and position your food products to appeal to them. You can use different tools of consumer behavior, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation, depending on your research questions and scope.

3 Food manipulation

Food manipulation is the process of altering the physical, chemical, or biological properties of food to achieve a desired outcome. Food manipulation can be done for various reasons, such as enhancing the nutritional value, extending the shelf life, reducing the cost, or creating new textures or flavors. Food manipulation can involve different techniques, such as fortification, fermentation, extrusion, or encapsulation, depending on your product specifications and requirements.

4 Sensory compensation

Sensory compensation is the phenomenon that occurs when a change in one sensory attribute of food is compensated by a change in another sensory attribute, resulting in a similar overall perception. Sensory compensation can help you manipulate food without affecting consumer perceptions, by adjusting the levels or types of ingredients, additives, or processing parameters that affect the sensory attributes of your food. For example, you can reduce the sugar content of your food by adding a high-intensity sweetener, or increase the protein content of your food by adding a texturizer.

5 Sensory adaptation

Sensory adaptation is the phenomenon that occurs when the sensory receptors and the brain adjust to a constant stimulus over time, resulting in a reduced or altered perception. Sensory adaptation can help you manipulate food without affecting consumer perceptions, by exposing consumers to your food products gradually or intermittently, or by changing the context or environment in which they consume your food. For example, you can introduce a lower-sodium version of your food by reducing the salt content progressively, or increase the acceptance of your food by presenting it in an attractive or familiar way.

6 Sensory expectation

Sensory expectation is the phenomenon that occurs when consumers form a mental image of how a food product will look, smell, taste, feel, or sound before they consume it, based on their previous experiences, beliefs, or cues. Sensory expectation can help you manipulate food without affecting consumer perceptions, by matching or exceeding the expectations of your consumers, or by creating positive associations or emotions with your food products. For example, you can enhance the flavor of your food by using a descriptive or appealing name, or increase the satisfaction of your food by using a premium or trustworthy packaging.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?