Abstract:

Typically, consumer flavour testing is conducted using a structured questionnaire. In general, Asian consumers tend to be relatively reserved and polite in their responses in some countries. We therefore collaborated in a neuro-physiological study making use of EEG, heart rate, and skin conductance, to evaluate consumers' flavour preferences more objectively for flavour development. The study was conducted among female consumers in Jakarta and physiological measurement has helped to reveal the underlying emotional responses of the consumers for two of the most preferred test flavours. This research demonstrates that we can further sensitively measure how different flavours elicit different emotions, providing further insights on how to optimise flavours to maximise consumer preference.