Consumer Sciences   

IFR Extra consultants can provide support in a wide range of consumer related areas. These include traditional sensory testing, assessing consumer attitudes and opinions, nutritional quality features and risk communication. These skills are applicable to new product development, process development, quality assurance, branding / marketing and areas involving public communication in general. The support offered can be in terms of project work, training, and/or methodology development.  For some areas and projects, IFR Extra works with carefully selected partners who provide complementary services and facilities.

Expertise in the following core areas is offered:

Sensory and Consumer Research

Sensory Evaluation : screened and trained panels are used to obtain objective information about the sensory properties of food products. Typical methods used include:

•         Methods to produce quantitative and qualitative ‘fingerprints’ of food products

•         Methods for determining “difference / similarity” between products

Consumer Product Evaluation : panels of typical consumers are used to obtain preference, choice and behavioural information in the context of the sensory properties of products. Typical methods used include:

•       Preference and liking tests

•       Attribute diagnostics : Liking of specific attributes or determination of ‘just about right’ levels

•       Quantitative surveys to reveal information about attitudes towards and usage of particular products

•       Qualitative methods e.g. focus groups and in-depth interviews

Used in isolation or in combination, “Sensory Evaluation” and “Consumer Product Evaluation” are powerful approaches which generate the following typical outputs and applications:

•       Product ‘fingerprints’ and attribute comparisons

•       Mapping products based on sensory attributes and preference trends

•       Product/formulation matching

•       Product /market gap analysis

•       Calibration of / correlation to analytical methods

•       Formulation / process optimisation using experimental design

•       Links with concept testing, consumer trend analysis, etc.

Consumer Trend Interpretations : evaluation of consumers, markets and products within wider social contexts. This is mediated via:

These approaches have a wide range of applications including: understanding sales data, developing new brands, evolving existing brands.

Nutritional Quality

Nutritional Quality Assessment : a full or partial assessment can be made of the nutritional properties of products, prototypes or formulations. This can be done by:

• Data collation, information reviews
• Training, off-site or in-house
• Input into formulations and marketing strategies

Public Communication

Stakeholder risk-benefit engagement: this involves communicating about, or learning from relevant “stakeholders” regarding the perceived strengths and weaknesses of products, processes or technologies. This highly specialized and sophisticated service is particularly rare in the UK and involves some of the following:

• Development of theoretically-informed communication, consultation, and participation approaches for the issue, which may then be delivered via written, verbal, electronic media
• Organizing and running group-based engagement approaches, particularly focus groups, Delphi panels, stakeholder workshops and citizen juries
• Conducting theoretically informed evaluations of engagement exercises, through interviews, questionnaires, event observation and document analysis

These approaches are increasingly finding favour with both policy-makers and businesses as a means of engaging with an increasingly more sophisticated public in the creation and evolution of new products and concepts.

For futher information or to speak to a consultant contact Kerry I'Anson at IFR Extra

01603 255342