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Design the perfect sensory experience
One consumer craves a chewy texture in her afternoon snack while another looks forward to that must-have crunch at breakfast. For some consumers, sweetness means the lusciousness of caramel. Other consumers feel sweetness should be bright, fruity and long lasting. Backed by groundbreaking research, our experts can shape every dimension of the sensory experience to create striking new products.
Ingredion supports you with a truly global sensory programme as part of our DIAL-IN® Technology approach to optimum texture and sweetness. Our Ingredion Idea Labs™ innovation centres provide sophisticated testing capabilities using trained expert panels that determine the sensory profile of ingredients and products and how sensory attributes drive consumer choice and repeat purchase.
Evaluation and analysis |
To gain a deeper understanding of consumer preferences, we use four principal types of testing:
- Discrimination test: Are products significantly different or similar?
- Descriptive test: What are the characteristics of the products? How can the differences between ingredients or products be described?
- Quality Assurance/Control Test: Is the product within specifications? If not, why, and by how much?
- Acceptance test: How much does the target consumer like the product? Would he or she buy it if available in a store?
Our trained sensory experts also perform descriptive analyses to translate the consumer experience into scientific terms. This allows us to help you quickly target and achieve the perfect texture and sweetness in your products.
Concentration Response and Temporal Perception |
Working with our analytical team, we can measure and determine the desired sensory sweetness using concentration response of sweeteners from sucrose to stevia extract. You’ll work with our experts to maintain the level of consumer-preferred sweetness in your product, while reducing sucrose.
In addition to the descriptive profiling of our ingredients and your products, our trained descriptive panels evaluate the temporality of sensory perception in foods and beverages. For example, using Temporal Perception—time intensity (TI) and temporal dominance sensation (TDS)—we can record and contrast over time, the perception of sweetness from sucrose and ENLITEN® stevia. We also can translate how individuals transform a snack in their mouths, over time. This essential work enables us to support you in creating complex sensory perceptions in your product over time, such as “lingering”, “refreshing” and “smooth finishing”.
Translating the sensory experience |
Consumers use words such as “thick” and “creamy” to describe the yogurt eating experience. However, formulators need measurable scientific terms such as “viscosity” and “mouthcoating” to achieve those qualities. Our trained sensory experts translate consumer language into measurable scientific terms that enable precise formulations. Building on widely used sensory terminology, Ingredion pioneered two proprietary languages to make this possible.
- SWEETABULARY™ sweetness language—connects the consumer experience of sweetness with taste and functional attributes. We use SWEETABULARY™ sweetness language to help define and target sweetness attributes as part of our DIAL-IN® Sweetness Technology process.
- TEXICON™ texture language, part of our DIAL-IN® Texture Technology process—translates consumer terms such as “creamy,” “luscious,” into terms that our trained panelists can rate for intensity, such as mouthcoating, viscosity and stringiness.
Talk to us about using DIAL-IN® Technology and our global sensory capabilities to get every attribute right in your next formulation, the first time.
Engage the senses
Memorable sensory experiences make for loyal customers.
Bakery and Snacks
Dairy
Savoury
Beverages
Batters and Coatings
Clinical Nutrition
Cheese
Fruit Preparation
Glass Fibre
Home Care
Infant Nutrition
Paper Converting
Paper, Board and Tissue
Personal Care
Pharmaceutical
Colours and Flavours