Product appeal, sensory perception and consumer demand

Research has highlighted the need for drastic shifts in eating patterns towards healthy and sustainable diets. One element would be the successful introduction of new or reformulated products. This paper discusses the opportunities for studying the role of sensory properties in determining food choices. We illustrate the methodology with the example of mueslis in Germany. We span the sensory space using the check-all-that-apply method and analyse consumer demand in a discrete choice experiment. We identify two sizable segments with a preference for less sweet mueslis. Future research avenues for the combination of economic and sensory studies are discussed.