Can we understand food oral processing using Kano model? Case study with confectionery products

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Consumer Behavior
• Sensory Analysis

Background:

• Understanding the relationship between how consumers eat (oral processing) and the physical characteristics of food is key to product development.
• The Kano model is a valuable tool for categorizing product attributes based on their impact on customer satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between oral processing parameters and mechanical properties of confectionery.
• To classify oral processing and sensory attributes using the Kano model to understand consumer satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Panelists evaluated oral processing of five confectionery products.
• A field survey with 327 interviews analyzed consumer responses to food quality and oral processing attributes.

Main Results:

• Oral processing parameters strongly correlate with confectionery mechanical properties.
• Eating rate and food breakdown are 'attractive' attributes, bite size is 'must-be', and number of chews is 'reverse' in the Kano model.
• Satiation linked to eating rate and calorie intake for specific products; chewing rate and consumption time showed negative correlation for Brownie cake.

Conclusions:

• Oral processing significantly influences consumer satisfaction with confectionery.
• Product development should focus on optimizing attributes like bite size and eating rate.
• The Kano model effectively categorizes oral processing attributes, guiding targeted improvements for enhanced consumer experience.