Consumer preference refers to the subjective tastes of consumers and it is determined by how satisfied they are with the food products after making a purchase. Factors such as packaging, price and convenience determine consumer acceptance of food products. In food industry, one important factor that requires careful consideration is the sensory experience of the consumers with the food. Sensory testing evaluates food products using the senses of touch, sight, taste, and smell. It is frequently utilized to ascertain whether a food product would be accepted by consumers or not. The factors which influence food acceptability may be related to the environment, the food or the person consuming it. This book unravels the recent studies on consumer preferences in the food industry. It presents researches and studies performed by experts across the globe. This book is a vital tool for all researching and studying this field.

Food process engineering, a branch of both food science and chemical engineering, has evolved over the years since its inception and still is a rapidly changing discipline. While traditionally the main objective of food process engineering was preservation and stabilization, the focus today has shifted to enhance health aspects, flavour and taste, nutrition, sustainable production, food security and also to ensure more diversity for the increasing demand of consumers. The food industry is becoming increasingly competitive and dynamic, and strives to develop high quality, freshly prepared food products. To achieve this objective, food manufacturers are today presented with a growing array of new technologies that have the potential to improve, or replace, conventional processing technologies, to deliver higher quality and better consumer targeted food products, which meet many, if not all, of the demands of the modern consumer. These new, or innovative, technologies are in various stages of development, including some still at the R&D stage, and others that have been commercialised as alternatives to conventional processing technologies. Food process engineering comprises a series of unit operations traditionally applied in the food industry. One major component of these operations relates to the application of heat, directly or indirectly, to provide foods free from pathogenic microorganisms, but also to enhance or intensify other processes, such as extraction, separation or modification of components. The last three decades have also witnessed the advent and adaptation of several operations, processes, and techniques aimed at producing high quality foods, with minimum alteration of sensory and nutritive properties. Some of these innovative technologies have significantly reduced the thermal component in food processing, offering alternative nonthermal methods. Food Processing Technologies: A Comprehensive Review, Three Volume Set covers the latest advances in innovative and nonthermal processing, such as high pressure, pulsed electric fields, radiofrequency, high intensity pulsed light, ultrasound, irradiation and new hurdle technology. Each section will have an introductory article covering the basic principles and applications of each technology, and in-depth articles covering the currently available equipment (and/or the current state of development), food quality and safety, application to various sectors, food laws and regulations, consumer acceptance, advancements and future scope. It will also contain case studies and examples to illustrate state-of-the-art applications. Each section will serve as an excellent reference to food industry professionals involved in the processing of a wide range of food categories, e.g., meat, seafood, beverage, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetable products, spices, herbs among others.

A Handbook for Sensory and Consumer Driven New Product Development explores traditional and well established sensory methods (difference, descriptive and affective) as well as taking a novel approach to product development and the use of new methods and recent innovations. This book investigates the use of these established and new sensory methods, particularly hedonic methods coupled with descriptive methods (traditional and rapid), through multivariate data analytical interfaces in the process of optimizing food and beverage products effectively in a strategically defined manner. The first part of the book covers the sensory methods which are used by sensory scientists and product developers, including established and new and innovative methods. The second section investigates the product development process and how the application of sensory analysis, instrumental methods and multivariate data analysis can improve new product development, including packaging optimization and shelf life. The final section defines the important sensory criteria and modalities of different food and beverage products including Dairy, Meat, Confectionary, Bakery, and Beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and presents case studies indicating how the methods described in the first two sections have been successfully and innovatively applied to these different foods and beverages. The book is written to be of value to new product development researchers working in large corporations, SMEs (micro, small or medium-sized enterprises) as well as being accessible to the novice starting up their own business. The innovative technologies and methods described are less expensive than some more traditional practices and aim to be quick and effective in assisting products to market. Sensory testing is critical for new product development/optimization, ingredient substitution and devising appropriate packaging and shelf life as well as comparing foods or beverages to competitor’s products. Presents novel and effective sensory-based methods for new product development—two related fields that are often covered separately Provides accessible, useful guidance to the new product developer working in a large multi-national food company as well as novices starting up a new business Offers case studies that provide examples of how these methods have been applied to real product development by practitioners in a wide range of organizations Investigates how the application of sensory analysis can improve new product development including packaging optimization

During the past thirty years, companies have recognized the consumer as the key driver for business and product success. This recognition has, in turn, generated its own drivers: sensory analysis and marketing research, leading first to a culture promoting the expert and then evolving into the systematic acquisition of consumer-relevant information to build businesses. Sensory and Consumer Research in Food Product Design and Development is the first book to present, from the business viewpoint, the critical issues faced by business leaders from both the research development and business development perspective. This popular volume, now in an updated and expanded second edition, presents a unique perspective afforded by the author team of Moskowitz, Beckley, and Resurreccion: three leading practitioners in the field who each possess both academic and business acumen. Newcomers to the field will be introduced to systematic experimentation at the very early stages, to newly emerging methods for data acquisition/knowledge development, and to points of view employed by successful food and beverage companies. The advanced reader will find new ideas, backed up by illustrative case histories, to provide another perspective on commonly encountered problems and their practical solutions. This book is aimed at professionals in all sectors of the food and beverage industry. Sensory and Consumer Research in Food Product Design and Development is especially important for those business and research professionals involved in the early stages of product development, where business opportunity is often the greatest.

This is the first book that describes and explains food development from the point of view of the consumer rather than from the top down approach.

Consumer acceptance is the key to successful food products. It is vital, therefore, that product development strategies are consumer-led for food products to be well received. Consumer-led food product development presents an up-to-date review of the latest scientific research and methods in this important area. Part one gives the reader a general introduction to factors affecting consumer food choice. Chapters explore issues such as sensory perception, culture, ethics, attitudes towards innovation and psychobiological mechanisms. Part two analyses methods to understand consumers’ food-related attitudes and how these methods can be effectively used, covering techniques such as means-end chains and the food-related lifestyle approach. The final part of the book addresses a wide variety of methods used for consumer-led product development. Opportunity identification, concept development, difference testing and preference trials are discussed, as well as the use of techniques such as just-about-right scales and partial least squares methods. Written by an array of international experts, Consumer-led food product development is an essential reference for product developers in the food industry. Introduces the factors affecting consumer food choice Explores issues such as sensory perception, culture and ethics Analyses methods to understand food related attitudes

Experts from around the world present changes in the global marketplace and developments in research methodologies underpinning new product development (NPD) in this essential collection. The business and marketing aspects of NPD, sometimes neglected in books of this type, are addressed alongside methods for product testing. Trends, processes and perspectives in consumer-driven NPD in the food and personal care product industries are addressed in the opening chapters of the book. Specific topics include evolution in food retailing and advances in concept research. Hedonic testing is the focus of the next section. Different viewpoints on consumer research methods and statistics for NPD are reviewed in later chapters. The final part of the book looks towards the future of innovation, covering the implications for NPD of topics such as human genetic variation in taste perception and neuroimaging. Several chapters are not standard scientific articles. Rather they are written records of conversations between two people on a particular topic related to consumer-driven innovation in foods and personal care products. In them the interviewees speak freely about their views and experiences in NPD, providing unique insights. Consumer-driven innovation in food and personal care products will broaden readers’ understanding of the many approaches available to NPD personnel and ways in which they can be used to support innovation activities. Provides expert insight into the changes in the global market place and developments in research methodologies underpinning NPD Examines the business and marketing aspects of NPD, sometimes neglected in books of this type, are addressed alongside methods for product testing Chapters review the different viewpoints on consumer research methods and statistics for NPD