TESTCO: inovação na obtenção de insights sensoriais de alimentos com consumidores a partir do método Home User Test

Abstract

This work deals with the process of developing a form to be used in the application of Home Use Tests (HUT) for food sensory evaluation. The research aims to test a tool that not only collects sensory perceptions from tasters such as color, flavor, aroma, texture, and overall appearance, already explored in sensory sheets, but also obtains more comprehensive information about the user experience (UX), an increasingly popular aspect in the context of food innovation. A bibliographic review was conducted regarding sensory analysis and its importance for innovation in the food industry. A market research was also conducted focusing on the segment of sauces, with an emphasis on ketchup, the product chosen to validate this work. Based on the technical standards ABNT NBR ISO 11136: 2014 and ABNT NBR ISO 11136:2022, a sensory form was developed using Google Forms, and the sensory testing of ketchup was conducted with 80 consumers. Subsequently, sensory graphs were generated. The insights obtained regarding the liquid content, product denomination, possible pairings, and indication of purchase channels allow us to conclude that other aspects of the product can be explored in a form when it comes to home use sensory evaluation, and that such insights can be leveraged by the manufacturer for food improvement. Considering the results obtained in the HUT, it is concluded that the form developed for domestic testing of this ketchup allowed for more comprehensive information regarding the user experience to be obtained.