Get to the HEART of sensory

21 Oct 2024

Cargill™ HEARTBEAT program answers today’s key product development questions to help address tomorrow’s consumer desires.

Sensory science is a discipline to measure, analyse and interpret reactions to how the characteristics of foods are perceived by the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. It further encompasses the development and application of methodologies to help us understand if specific intensities of stimuli can be perceived and if differences between them can be detected.

“This capability has become very important to us in, for example, ensuring that a potato chip has the expected level of crispness, and that a chocolate has the desired taste,” says Gabriela Urquieta Vargas, EMEA Sensory & Consumer Scientist Indulgence at Cargill.

Today’s consumer expectations around sensory are high. In fact, sensory properties are the top reason why products are repurchased. Eighty per cent of surveyed consumers state that disappointment in terms of smell, flavour, or texture (sensory appeal) will negatively influence their decision on whether or not to buy a product for a second time.*

“Consumer demands are raising the bar for what’s expected of products and we as an industry are being challenged to do better when it comes to sensory,” says Anne Berends, Director R&D Sensory & Consumer Science at Cargill.

At Cargill, sensory experience lies at the heart of everything we do. Whether it is the pursuit of indulgent treats, cost-efficient alternatives or the quest for healthier and more sustainable options, consumers refuse to compromise on taste.

Our commitment to sensory delight led us to create our bespoke program: Cargill™ HEARTBEAT – a bridge between science, consumer emotions, and product preferences. The program combines product testing and insights, alongside expert sensorial characterisation.

1. Global product testing and insights: As a food solution expert, it matters most to us to understand what ingredient makes the difference in an end application that consumers enjoy. For that reason, we evaluate hundreds of products across diverse categories including indulgence and food & beverages. Insights on consumer preferences, drivers, and emotions are drawn from over 10,000 consumers worldwide, and their feedback shapes our understanding of what truly resonates in different geographical regions and consumer segments.

2. Expert sensorial evaluation: Our sensory experts meticulously characterise products, dissect flavours, textures, and overall sensory profiles, which unveil nuances that elevate products from ordinary to extraordinary.

Built on this solid foundation of knowledge, the Cargill™ HEARTBEAT program can help answer questions such as:

Which sensorial characteristics should my next product have to maximise purchase intent?
How is my product performing vs. competitors?
Is my product serving well the consumer sensory needs and what can I do to increase purchase intent?
What is the best ingredient replacement in my recipe?
What is the best recipe optimisation to reduce my cost?
What are the opportunities for my portfolio?
How do I drive innovation in my portfolio?

One of our latest achievements, thanks to Cargill™ HEARTBEAT, is identifying the three sensory territories in the dark chocolate market, guided by consumer preferences and emotions. Each consumer segment has specific sensory elements that make them unique.

Once we have unveiled the opportunity behind the insights generated at a consumer segment level, the technical cross-functional team goes on a quest to develop dark chocolate recipes that can meet the desires of each one. “We leverage predictive modelling to shape our prototypes, be faster and more precise for our developments. We validate recipes with consumers, after ensuring they were sitting in the right sensorial territory,” says Clémence Leotard, Sensory & Consumer Experience Designer for Indulgence at Cargill.

Based on these insights, we have developed three winning propositions in the dark chocolate segment.

Cargill’s Food Solutions latest webinar, entitled ‘Delivering towards consumer product expectations’ (November 7, 2024, 10am CEST) will take you inside Cargill™ HEARTBEAT and far beyond by outlining how sensory and consumer science enables food solution excellence. Anne, Gabriela, and Clémence will take you inside:

- Strategic developments in the sensory realm.

- New method developments and tools.

- The Cargill™ HEARTBEAT program

Join our session and discover why sensory is more than just a saying within Cargill. It is truly at the HEART of what we do!

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References

*Cargill™ HEARTBEAT: *1,160 consumers from Dairy Alt, Meat Alt from ~ 12,350 consumers (Categories – Chocolate confectionary, Bakery, Ice Cream, Dairy Alt, Meat Alt).

About the Author

Robin Wyers

Marketing Communications Manager, Cargill

Robin Wyers works within Cargill’s EMEA Marketing team as Marketing Communications Manager. His primary role involves developing compelling “Cargill stories” across multiple businesses, where he coordinates and supports internal and external resources to deploy content. Robin has a wealth of experience in writing about the food & beverage industry, due to his former position as Chief Editor of industry titles The World of Food Ingredients and FoodIngredientsFirst.com.

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