Product, taste and aroma testing

Market research plays a key role in the successful testing and development of new products, flavors and aromas.

Product testing is a process in which a company determines how well a product meets the needs and preferences of a target audience, as well as discovers weaknesses and room for improvement. When it comes to products for which the evaluation of taste and aroma is highly important, market research becomes even more important.

Taste testing begins with understanding the preferences and taste habits of consumers. Market research allows you to test products with consumers in order to understand which taste is most attractive to the target audience. This may include evaluating different recipe options, using different ingredients and consistency, as well as determining the optimal sweetness, acidity, and other taste parameters. Such studies may range from organizing blind tests in the laboratory conditions (central location test / CLT) and testing at home (home usage test / HUT) to obtain a quantitative assessment, to tasting with discussion during individual interviews or focus groups to get deeper feedback from consumers.

Aroma testing / sniff test also plays an important role in product development, especially in the cosmetics, body care and perfumery industries. Market research in this area includes the evaluation of aromatic components, the assessment of fragrance durability, as well as the study of trends and preferences in the field of fragrances among consumers. This is most often assessed through conducting blind tests in the laboratory (CLT) using specialized techniques supplemented by individual interviews or focus groups.

Various types of market research methods are used to test the product, including taste and aroma, aimed at obtaining feedback from consumers and understanding their preferences.

Regardless of the methods used, it is very important that the research is conducted in full compliance with the strict standards that apply to such research in order to get a picture reflecting the real opinion and behavior practices of the target audience.

Possible difficulties in testing products, taste, aroma and other organoleptic properties:

• Incorrect sample design that does not reflect the target audience may lead to distorted results.
• Improperly organized testing. Lack of a clear test plan, incorrect order of samples presentation (rotational plan) or non-compliance with established procedures during testing may lead to incorrect results.
• The influence of external factors. Inexperienced researchers may not take into account the influence of external factors such as lighting, noise, ventilation, odors, etc., which can seriously affect the perception of the organoleptic properties of the tested products.
• Incorrect sample preparation. Inexperienced researchers may make mistakes when preparing samples, for example, not observing the correct storage conditions, using samples of different freshness or quality.
• Insufficient sensitivity of scales and depth of questions may lead to the fact that as a result of the study it will not be possible to differentiate the tested samples, identify the leader and determine the reasons for a choice.
• The difficulty of evaluating the organoleptic properties of products. It is often very difficult for untrained research participants, especially men, to evaluate and describe their impressions of the tested samples. To help respondents, special techniques and stimulus materials are used which allow a deep and comprehensive assessment of the tested product despite the limited verbal assessment methods.
• Errors in data processing and analysis may lead to incorrect interpretation of test results.

These errors may lead to distorted results and incorrect conclusions, so it is crucially important that the testing of products, including taste, aroma and other organoleptic properties, be carried out by qualified researchers with extensive experience in conducting product testing.

The specialists of the ResearchView agency have more than 15 years of experience in conducting this type of research according to the standards of leading international companies and will help your company with products, taste and aroma testing.