Central location test vs. home use test: Contrasting results depending on product type

Marketing professionals and sensory scientists have several hedonic testing methods at their disposal to assess product acceptability. The central location test (CLT) which usually takes place in a standardised location under controlled conditions is more frequently used than the home use test (HUT). Given the artificial conditions of a CLT, it is assumed that a more realistic HUT yields more relevant hedonic data in spite of the uncontrolled conditions. This study compares CLT and HUT results using different types of products. Three experiments were conducted respectively with a fermented milk beverage, salted crackers and sparkling water. For each hedonic test, two samples were presented by a monadic sequential mode. The comparison of CLT and HUT data sets shows that for each category, the products get higher scores when tested at home (HUT) than when tested under CLT conditions. Also, we found that the influence of the method used depends on the type of product to be tested. The conclusion of the hedonic test (i.e. significant difference between the two products) is affected by the method for some products (crackers) whereas the conclusion remains unchanged for other products (fermented milk beverage and sparkling water). In order to explain the varying influence of the tasting conditions, some hypotheses based on the way the products are usually eaten are discussed

Use of a test of perceived authenticity to trigger affective responses when testing food

Food developers frequently check the liking for their recipes by asking consumers to state their preferences. This approach is often criticised for the lack of commitment of the participants and the artificiality of the hedonic response. This study tested whether an authenticity test could also be used as an alternative to a traditional hedonic test when evaluating two brands of salted crackers. A group of 244 women were interviewed according to an authenticity test design. A negative affective attitude toward the samples to be evaluated was induced by telling the participants the following upsetting story: "We want to investigate the possibility of replacing the genuine version of our salted crackers brand by a copy manufactured with low-cost ingredients. Of course, the retail price will be the some, even though the ingredients are cheaper". The participants were then asked to say whether each presented sample (six repetitions of each product) was a genuine one or a copy. At the end of the session, subjects received a new pair of samples and were asked to say which one they preferred. Responses to this preference question were compared to those obtained with a traditional hedonic test run in Central Location Test conditions. Results of the authenticity method show that overall authenticity responses are closely linked to preferences. Besides, these paired authenticity/preference data provide insightful information on the diversity in consumer perception