Consumer research and sensory analysis of food products

Consumer tastes, preferences and buying behaviours are changing constantly. Researchers at the Health and Food Sciences Precinct can help your business:

• understand your target market characteristics
• define products and their acceptability
• test product concepts
• understand product quality issues.

Sensory analysis for food and beverage products

Sensory analysis can reveal how consumers perceive the appearance, aroma, taste and texture of your product. Testing includes:

• difference testing to understand if new product formulations differ in taste and texture from old ones
• shelf-life trials (in combination with microbial count testing)
• acceptability testing to understand if a product suits consumer palates
• flavour profiling to identify consumer preferences for product
• fault detection to identify undesirable flavours.

Consumer research for food and beverage products

Consumer research gives you information about potential customers. We use focus groups, surveys, experimental auctions, at-home trials and novel interview methods to understand how consumers think and feel about food and beverage products.

Some of the ways our methods have helped business and industry include:

• product concept and prototype testing
• domestic and export market consumer profiles
• customer motivation and how this can shape marketing strategies
• demand, purchase intent and consumer willingness to pay
• consumer threshold for defects.

About the facilities

The food science laboratory has been purpose-built and includes:

• computerised sensory booths
• access to a trained taste panel
• focus group room with audio and visual recording, and viewing window
• commercial kitchen and cold storage.

Location and contact information

The food science laboratory is located at the:

Health and Food Sciences Precinct
39 Kessels Road
COOPERS PLAINS  QLD  4108

Phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68) for more information.

Also consider...

• Learn more about Queensland's food and beverage industry.