Sensory Analysis of Nondairy Frozen Desserts: Flavor still Rules

MaryAnne DrakeNorth Carolina State University

Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center

The Bottom Line

• Competitive and expanding market

• What are the keys to success?

Keys to success: Exploiting flavor advantages

Know your customer(s):– Different customers have different desires

Know your ingredient(s)– Understand functionality– Understand ingredient flavor and flavor stability– Understand how dairy and nondairy sources are distinct

Know your applications– Different applications have different flavor carry-through potential

Understanding the customer

• What do consumers want?

• Consumers are looking for variety and good-for-you indulgence

• What are the flavor issues?

Consumer Disconnect

Bored

Calm

DisappointedEager

Energetic

Free

Friendly

Glad

Good

GoodNatured

Guilty

Happy

Joyful

Loving

Merry

MisledNostalgic Peaceful

Pleasant

Pleased

SatisfiedUnsatisfied

Warm

Whole

Blue Bell B

Blue Bell UB

Great Value B

Great Value UB

Haagen Daz B

Haagen Daz UB

Halo Top B

Halo Top UB

Party Pail BParty Pail UB

-0.5

-0.3

-0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

-0.5 -0.3 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7

F2 (2

1 %

)

F1 (39 %)

Attribut es Pr odu ct s

Consumer emotions for vanilla desserts: Unbranded and Branded CATA

N=100 consumers

Consumer Disconnect

Bored

Calm

DisappointedEager

Energetic

Free

Friendly

Glad

Good

GoodNatured

Guilty

Happy

Joyful

Loving

Merry

MisledNostalgic Peaceful

Pleasant

Pleased

SatisfiedUnsatisfied

Warm

Whole

Blue Bell B

Blue Bell UB

Great Value B

Great Value UB

Haagen Daz B

Haagen Daz UB

Halo Top B

Halo Top UB

Party Pail BParty Pail UB

-0.5

-0.3

-0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

-0.5 -0.3 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7

F2 (2

1 %

)

F1 (39 %)

Attribut es Pr odu ct s

DISLIKE

Consumer emotions for vanilla desserts: Unbranded and Branded CATA

N=100 consumers

Frozen Dessert Flavor Challenges

• Flavor differences with different bases• Flavor and texture differences with fat removal• Flavor and texture differences with sweeteners• Flavor changes as you increase protein content • Flavors due to other ingredients (solids, stabilizers)

• Cereal• Sulfurous• Nutty• Beany• Pyrazine/ bell

pepper• Earthy/soil• Fruity• Sour aromatic• Sour taste• Umami taste

• Sweet aromatic• Milky/ cooked• Milkfat

• Cardboard• Brothy• Fatty• Grassy• Salty taste• Bitter taste• Astringency

MilkPlant liquids

Flavor Differences between Plant Beverages and Milk

Flavor profile of milk/cream-based mix for frozen desserts

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Cooked/milky

Beany

Cardboard

Cereal

Roasted nutty

FattySalty taste

Sweet taste

Bitter taste

Umami taste

Astringency

Milk

Flavor profiles of milk and plant-based mixes for frozen desserts

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Cooked/milky

Beany

Cardboard

Cereal

Roasted nutty

FattySalty taste

Sweet taste

Bitter taste

Umami taste

Astringency

MilkLegume beverageAlmond beverageSoy beverage

Flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

vanilla

Cooked/milky

Coconut

Beany

Cardboard

Nutty

Salty taste

Bitter taste

Metallic

Astringency

Premium DairyConventional Dairy

Flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream and nondairy frozen desserts

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

vanilla

Cooked/milky

Coconut

Beany

Cardboard

Nutty

Salty taste

Bitter taste

Metallic

Astringency

Premium DairyConventional DairyAlmond baseCoconut base

Temporal flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream versus vanilla coconut frozen dessert

-1

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Cita

tion

Prop

ortio

n

Time (s)

Bitter

Cardboard

Chalky

Cloying Mouthcoating

Coconut

Creamy/Smooth

Metallic

Milky/Cooked

Salty

Vanilla

Some typical differences:

Milky

Coconut

BitterCloyingmetallic

Other coconut specific attributes

Temporal flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream versus vanilla almond/legume frozen dessert

-1

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Cita

tion

Prop

ortio

n

Time (s)

Bitter

Cardboard

Chalky

CloyingMouthcoatingNutty/Beany

Creamy/Smooth

Metallic

Milky/Cooked

Sweet

Vanilla

Milky

Nutty/beany

MetallicCloyingBitter

Frozen Dessert Challenges • Flavor differences with different bases

– Other flavors present with plant bases– Vanilla flavor is the most challenging– Texture differences

More Frozen Dairy Dessert Challenges • Flavor differences as you decrease fat and sugar

– Fat plays a critical role in flavor release– Alternate sweeteners have distinct temporalities and

other sensory attributes (metallic and bitter)– Increasing protein increases astringency

• Texture issues– Melting rate– Solids (and other solids may bind flavorings and

contribute other flavors)

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Vanilla

Cooked/milky

Cardboard

Salty tasteBitter taste

Metallic

Astringency

All Natural Control

Flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream and frozen dairy desserts: Decreasing fat and sugar

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Vanilla

Cooked/milky

Cardboard

Salty tasteBitter taste

Metallic

Astringency

All Natural Control

Lowcarb 1

Lowcarb 2

Flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream and frozen dairy desserts: Decreasing fat and sugar

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

Vanilla

Cooked/milky

Cardboard

Salty tasteBitter taste

Metallic

Astringency

All Natural Control

Lowcarb 1

Lowcarb 2

Reduced fat and sugar 1

Reduced fat and sugar 2

Reduced fat and sugar 3

Flavor profiles of vanilla ice cream and frozen dairy desserts: Decreasing fat and sugar

Impact of decreased sugar and fat

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Cita

tion

Prop

ortio

n

Time (s)

All NaturalLow Carb 1Low Carb 2Lactose FreeReduced Fat and Sugar 1Reduced Fat and Sugar 2Significance Limit

Temporal perception of cardboard flavor in vanilla frozen dairy desserts

All natural vanilla Ice cream: no cardboardflavor

Impact of decreased sugar and fat

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Cita

tion

Prop

ortio

n

Time (s)

All NaturalLow Carb 1Low Carb 2Lactose FreeReduced Fat and Sugar 1Reduced Fat and Sugar 2Significance Limit

Temporal perception of bitter taste in frozen dairy desserts

Reduced fat and sugar 1

Impact of increasing protein

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Cita

tion

Prop

ortio

n

Time (s)

All NaturalLow Carb 1Low Carb 2Lactose FreeReduced Fat and Sugar 1Reduced Fat and Sugar 2Significance Limit

Temporal perception of astringency

Astringency perception increasesAcross the eating experience

Pronounced with higherProtein and non nutritivesweeteners

The good news and the challenges• Consumers are seeking healthy options – in all food

sectors• Different challenges exist with different ingredients and/or

ingredient substitutions• Flavor and functional challenges

– Formulation challenges: these products must deliver desirable flavors and textures

FLAVOR STILL RULES

Summary

• Significant flavor and texture challenges exist with formulating alternative frozen desserts

• An understanding of the challenges specific to the application is necessary

• Careful selection of ingredients and formulation

Moving forward• Understand your consumer and your competition:

SENSORY ANALYSIS• Carefully consider and screen protein sources

– Tremendous flavor variability• Careful selection of stabilizer systems and flavors

– Vanilla is the ultimate challenge– Masking agents may be useful

• Flavor and texture are sensory perceptions

• Instruments do not document flavor and texture

Sensory analysis is a requirement

Where is Sensory Used?

MarketingQuality AssuranceResearch & Development

INT

RO

DU

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ION

TO

SE

NS

OR

Y

Flavor

• Flavor - perceptions perceived via the chemical senses from a product in the mouth. Flavor includes:– Aromatics– Basic Tastes

• sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami– Trigeminal stimulation (chemesthesis)

Source: http://www.enologyinternational.com/articles/senses.html

Aroma/Flavor Physiology

umami

Trigeminal nerves(5th cranial nerves)

Things to consider• Why do sensory tests have to be conducted a certain way

and with certain scales?

– Human physiology – how we perceive external stimuli

– Psychometrics – how humans respond to external stimuli

• For actionable results, the correct test should be conducted in the correct manner

Gustation (Basic Tastes)• Along with olfaction, the most widely studied chemical

sense• Perceived by taste buds • Taste buds are balls of modified epithelial cells with a

pore or channel. – Solutions make contact with cells through the pore– Lifespan of 1 week

• Taste buds are located within the papilla on tongue and soft palate

• Different tastes are not perceived on different areas of the tongue

The Sense of Taste• Taste: the ability to respond to dissolved molecules and

ions• Physiology

– Humans detect taste with taste receptor cells. These are clustered in taste buds

– A single taste bud contains 50-100 taste cells representing all 5 taste sensations

Physiology of Olfaction• Stimulation of the olfactory epithelium by a volatile compound• Comprises the majority of what we consider flavor• There are ca. 1000 nerve bundles in the olfactory bulb• Only a fraction of what we sniff or chew is actually “sampled”• Receptors are true nerve cells rather than modified epithelial

cells• More rapid response than basic tastes – also more rapid

adaptation

UN

DE

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TA

ND

IN

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HE

SE

NS

ES

Olfaction• Optimum sensitivity in 1-2 seconds• Adaptation (decreased sensitivity) rapidly occurs

– Issue for threshold tests, odor recognition, or odor profiling

• Enormous discriminating power• Less sensitive to discrimination of intensities

Chemesthesis• Stimulation of the trigeminal (cranial) nerves in the

mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, mouth, and throat

• Plays a critical role in acceptability of certain foods and pharmaceutical products

Practical Application: Physiology• Sufficient tasting volumes• Lids on containers • Appropriate temperatures• Appropriate procedures for orthonasal evaluation• Warm up/calibration samples

Sensory RulesBe on Time

No Smoking, Eating, Drinking• 15-30 minutes before panel

Avoid Distractions

Don’t wear cologne, perfume,

etc.

Wash your hands before tasting

Pay attention & participate

IN

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OD

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TI

ON

T

O

SE

NS

OR

Y

Sensory Analysis Tools• Quality judging• Analytical tests• Affective tests• Lots of different types of tests – which is the right one

to use?– Clear objective(s) are crucial– Hammer vs screwdriver

Sensory Analysis: a vast tool box

• Analytical tools: objective, use trained panelists, require replication, descriptive analysis is the most powerful tool in this box

• Consumer tools: subjective, generally require large numbers of consumers

• Right tool(s) for the right objective can generate powerful actionable results

Analytical Sensory Tests

• What’s their purpose?– Identify defects or deviations– measure or evaluate product attributes– Focus is on the product whereas consumers tests

focus on the consumer– Because the focus is on the product, these tests

use screened or trained panelists– And liking is NOT an issue

• Sensory tests that are:– analytical in nature– measure quantifiable data– panelists are screened and/or trained

• Examples:– difference (discrimination) tests– Threshold tests– descriptive sensory analysis

Analytical Sensory Tests

• Sensory tests that:– measure or evaluate consumer perceptions and/or

responses– Do not use trained panelists!– Are not replicated (by panelists)– Generally require large numbers (>50) of consumers– Includes quantitative and qualitative tests

Affective (Consumer) Sensory Tests

Consumer tests• Quantitative

– Acceptance/preference– Surveys

• Qualitative– Focus groups– Interviews/MEC

• Acceptance tests– Panelists asked to score acceptance of a product– Preference can be inferred – Multiple attributes can be assessed– Quantitative measure of degree of liking

Quantitative Consumer Tests

• Acceptance tests– Panelists asked to score acceptance of a product– Preference can be inferred – Multiple attributes can be assessed– Quantitative measure of degree of liking

Quantitative Consumer Tests

Acceptance tests

• You can ask more than liking:• Purchase intent• Intensity questions

– Correlations with liking attributes• JAR (just about right) questions

– Penalty analysis• Comments (likes and dislikes)• Just remember: consumers are best at telling you what they like and

don’t like

Acceptance tests

• Ballot design is crucial– What you ask and how you ask it– Example: off flavors

• Overall liking should always be asked first• Randomized and/or balanced order of presentation

Surveys

• Acceptance tests can be pricey to obtain high N

• Online surveys can provide alternatives

Surveys• Can be used for:

– Product concepts– Brands– Labels– Emotions– Purchase habits

Surveys• Same principles apply: screen for appropriate target

consumers• What you ask and how you ask it is crucial• Lots of question format options*

– *many of these are also appropriate for acceptance ballots/screeners also

Surveys• Surveys can look like traditional acceptance test ballots

but there are other design options– Conjoint analysis: evaluate combinations of concept

attributes/label claims– MaxDiff analysis: evaluate single concept

attributes/label claims– TURF – identify maximum reach and frequency for

concepts

Drivers of liking• Also called preference mapping• Modeling or predicting consumer liking responses• Can be done with:

– Consumer scores alone – internal preference mapping– Consumer scores and additional (external) data, usually descriptive

profiles – external preference mapping– Done using multivariate modeling approaches including PLS, MLR,

and LSA– Consumer responses may or may not be clustered prior to modeling

liking

Qualitative Consumer Tests• Uncovering and characterizing consumer needs, desires,

and perceptions– What drives initial purchase and repeat purchase for a

particular product• How do we do this?

– Talking, listening, behavioral observations– Not quantitative – can’t scale this

• Interviews– MEC (means end chain)

• Focus groups• Focus panels, modified groups

– Napping• Hybrid techniques

– QMA

Qualitative Tests

Acknowledgements

Sensory Service Center