Dewi Suryani of the flavour and fragrance company Firmenich, says that the main barriers for some manufactures are:

• cost – natural colours and flavours are typically more expensive and
• limited options – there is a smaller range for natural, although this is growing

From a technical prospective there are also some other factors to consider, most of which are continually improving, such as:

• colour vibrancy – natural colours tend not to be as bright
• heat and light stability – natural colours and flavours tend to be less stable when heated or exposed to light
• pH – some natural colours are only suitable to use in products with certain pH levels.

While there may be some challenges when going ‘natural’, when done well, the change is a positive one.  Many products in the supermarket proudly display their ‘No Artificial Colours or Flavours’ statement on the front of their packs.  Here are a few stories of those who have gone natural.

In 1992, Binkas ‘The Natural Confectionary Company’ range of products was launched.  They contained no artificial colours or flavours and mums felt less guilty about buying lollies for their children. By 2003, they had become the most popular jelly lollies on the Australian market and were bought by Cadbury Schwepps (now Mondelez). (image from Mondelez International)

In December 2008, Nestle Australia agreed to produce their Smarties with natural colours after 2 ½ years of requests from parent activists and anti-food additive lobbyists to follow in the steps of the UK company.  A statement from Nestle at the time said that it had taken 12 months of R&D work to get the reformulation right and maintain the taste and appearance of their iconic product. (image from Nestle Australia)

Some products are more difficult or impossible to reformulate.  Take Jelly Belly jelly beans for example; these tiny little bursts of flavour are known for their exotic offerings such as buttered popcorn and chocolate pudding.  These taste sensations make them unique and is a strong selling point, however, the flavours are synthetic.  Jelly Belly knew that they had to win back consumers who were avoiding artificial additives, but wanted to ensure that they didn’t alienate loyal users.  They made a clever decision to introduce a new range in 2007 in the UK – BeNatural Jelly Belly’s.  (image from Jelly Belly UK)

There is no denying that the demand for natural ingredients is here to stay, and food and beverage manufacturers need to be strategic with how they go about providing this for consumers.  If it’s a direct swap from artificial to natural colours and/or flavours then the new formulation must deliver a similar sensory profile to the existing product.  The new formulation should be tested with regular users of the product to ensure acceptance and continued sales.

The post Consumers are Demanding Natural Colours & Flavours. So Why are Some FMCG Manufacturers Hesitating to Change? appeared first on Benchmark Sensory Strategy & Research.

When asked what research had been conducted during the NPD process, the answer was none.  Some rudimentary tastings were conducted around the lab table and that was it.  We suggested that an unbranded/blind taste test of the product range be carried out with their target market to determine if the products were performing at an acceptable ‘market ready’ level.  Not surprisingly, the research revealed that the drinks were less than satisfactory on tasting.  None of the variants met the benchmark for an acceptable product to be launched into the market place.

This was a classic example of a great concept and brand, with a poor product.  The brand and pack generated trial, but the inferior product was the barrier to repeat purchase.

Conducting sensory research with your target market is an essential part of any NPD process.  This can help avoid any negative impact on your brand, and the huge costs associated with a failed product.  Don’t let an under performing product ruin your new idea’s chance of success.

The post Get Your Pack Right, But Don’t Ignore What’s Inside It appeared first on Benchmark Sensory Strategy & Research.

A new client came to us with a problem.  They had conducted sensory research on their new snack product and discovered that it needed improvement.  The results, however, did not provide any clear direction on what needed to be changed to achieve a better result.  Upon review of the questionnaire, the problem was clear.  There were many questions about the products intended use and its appearance, however, questions about its aroma, taste and mouthfeel were limited.  The product contained an outer chocolate layer, and the only question about chocolate was ‘How Much Do You Like The Chocolate’.  There were no questions specific to the thickness of the chocolate layer, hardness of the chocolate on biting, the speed of the chocolate melting in the mouth, and the sweetness and bitterness of the chocolate.  The sensory questions on the snack’s filling were also limited. 

This absence of sensory questions prevented proper guidance for product improvement and not even the most sophisticated statistical analysis could compensate for the poor design of this questionnaire.

When designing a sensory research questionnaire, all elements of the senses (appearance, aroma, taste and texture) must be included, along with diagnostic questions about each component of the product.  The questionnaire should be reviewed by the R&D team responsible for the product’s development to ensure that the right level of detail has been achieved to assist them with future modifications.

Get your input right and the insights will follow.

The post Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO) – Questionnaire Content is King appeared first on Benchmark Sensory Strategy & Research.