Two new members and a lifely discussion on new methods for sensory and consumer research

The European Sensory Network (ESN) held their meeting and subsequent conference in May 2007 in Porto, Portugal. The meeting centred around the acceptance of two new members and the discussion concerning a new research approach, which is presently  being followed up at the Centre for Innovative Consumer Sciences in Wageningen, The Netherlands.

The Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen, and the Department of  Food Science and Technology (DLWT) at the University for Soil Culture in Vienna were the two membership candidates. After an evaluation procedure at the beginning of 2007, both organizations were invited to present themselves at the Porto meeting, and afterwards to take part in a discussion. Along with a behavioural observation laboratory, the Department of Food  Science in Copenhagen operates an integrated sensory and neurophysiology laboratory and a culinary technical-application laboratory. The DLWT in Vienna employs and develops sensory and consumer research methods specifically in the areas of product development and food quality safeguards. The proceedings proved positive for both membership candidates, and thus ESN is now 21 members strong. The plenum also made a decision on a new up-dated ESN logo.

René Koster’s presentation, “Restaurant of the Future” (also see  Link) triggered a heated discussion. Most basic sensory research approaches have a so-called reductionist foundation, and thus try to explain human behaviour through the investigation of single components of their experiences and actions, (for instance, through sensory cognition) and thus make it predictable and able to be influenced. A deductionist approach proceeds from the assumption that by observing behaviour (mimicry, body language, etc.) one can obtain a better measure for emotions, perceptions, and future human behaviour than through a test subject’s statements concerning their subjective experience. To create test settings for this observational approach, a restaurant was planned and built (completed in June of 2007) in co-operation with the Kampri Group (professional kitchen equipment), the Fa. Sodexo (food and management services), and Noldus IT (software development). The restaurant can be altered to suit the necessity of virtually any research requirement. Lighting placement, table arrangement, service methods, along with many other potentially important influences can be systematically varied so that the restaurant customer’s behaviour may be specifically investigated and analysed. To document and facilitate a thorough analysis of the consumers’ behaviour, over 50 video cameras have been installed, and special software has been developed by Fa. Noldus. The restaurant was chosen as the central testing point rather than some other consumer focal  point, such as e.g. a supermarket situation . The fact is that eating away from one’s place of residence, i.e. in restaurants, cafeterias, etc., is of increasing importance in Europe as well as elsewhere in the world. However up until now there has been virtually no systematic research on consumer behaviour in this sort of consumption environment. Built on the campus of Wageningen University in The Netherlands, this “Restaurant of the Future” is used as a totally normal restaurant most of the time. Only at specific times is it used for research during which (with their knowledge and permission) the regular paying guests are observed. The guests are not only monitored, various personal parameters are also automatically compiled. For instance, the customers’ after-dinner body weight is measured on a scale by the cash register when they go to pay, and their body size is measured by video so that the body mass index can be calculated. Once-identified customers are recognized by their facial characteristics, and their behaviour is documented. Then based on health-related data such as BMI, allergies, and cholesterol levels, suggestions for making healthy food choices can be made.  This test set-up, which may remind some of the drastic surveillance methods in George Orwell’s 1984, brought about a discussion on the ethical aspects of this research project. Who retains the results? How will they be analysed? In which direction should one attempt to influence the consumer’s behaviour? To influence in the direction of a healthy diet seemed reasonable and, in fact, desirable to most of those involved in the discussion, whereas to influence in the direction of maximizing the restaurant owner’s economic success was, on the contrary, seen as problematic.

The two-part conference with the title “A Systematic Approach to Planning and Performing Sensory Tests” was directed towards both newcomers and those with prior experience using sensory methods. Well-known scientists out of the ESN milieu lectured on the various approaches and the latest developments. Presentations of the lectures can be downloaded from our website. 

ESN will hold their next meetings and conferences in November 2007 in Dijon, France and in April 2008 in Pretoria, South Africa. In Dijon, along with the meeting and conference there will be an “Industry Day” in which discussions will take place with the industrial partners that have been invited concerning further co-operative “pre-competitive” projects.

(Klaus Dürrschmidt, Vienna)
This text is partly a translation from a report
for the Austrian journal " Ernährung / Nutrition"