Flavour manufacturer Quest is launching a new method to predict and design consumer-preferred flavours in foods.
The company’s LISA method combines data on the flavour components that determine consumer liking with data on sensory attributes, such as creaminess, juiciness, ripeness or sweetness, and on consumer preferences.
The data links flavour preferences for specific groups of people, related to their lifestyle, gender, affluence and many other variables.
Quest predicted LISA could boost consumer preference for brands by between 20% and 30% in some applications.
Quest Flavours group vice president Cees de Jong said: “The desired result, for food manufacturers, is more efficient and thorough NPD processes that, thanks to the flavours better satisfying consumer preferences, will help increase brand loyalty and market share. We’re excited about the possibilities and the initial customer feedback has been extremely encouraging.”
The firm said that its new method, which stands for `Linking flavour Ingredients and Sensory data to Acceptance’, can predict that a male in France will prefer a juicy, slightly peel-like orange, while their counterpart in India will prefer a sweet, slightly mandarin-type orange.
LISA was first developed as a prototype by Quest in 2001 and applied to a regional strawberry flavours market.
