Integrating consumer information with the new product development process: The development of lighter dairy products

In highly competitive markets, research methodologies need to be adapted to understand end-users’ needs with greater clarity than hitherto when new products were developed. Integrating marketing and sensory analysis to measure end-users’ preferences for the extrinsic and intrinsic attributes of food products can help understand end-users’ perceptions of product quality. This research identified the extrinsic and intrinsic attributes that determined end-users’ preferences for a range of full-fat and lighter dairy products. Six focus groups revealed end-users’ perceptions of lighter dairy products while Descriptive Sensory Analysis was used to profile the sensory characteristics of the full-fat and lighter dairy products. Preference Mapping and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were then used to identify clusters of end-users with similar preferences for lighter dairy products. End-users had a higher preference for lighter strawberry yoghurts, than lighter Cheddar-type cheeses. Integrating marketing and sensory information promotes a market-oriented approach to the development of new food products.