To better understand the consumer: the ambition of the ACTIA SENSORIALIS joint technological network (2014-2018) is to work upstream to better understand what determines eating behaviour. This implies a more holistic approach to food, combining eating habits with sensory, nutritional, and economic factors.
To have new tools for characterising consumers and products, and make these tools available to manufacturers.

This joint technological network started its five-year programme in January 2014. It follows on from the Actia Sensorialis joint technological network accredited for the 2007-2013 period.

The development of tools for characterising new  types of consumers, related to changes (production methods, processing, nutritional composition) in order to better understand their perceptions and their sensitivity to these changes.

Implementation of collective research programmes focused on the consumer, with the aim of supporting work on improving food quality (nutritional quality, eco-friendly production methods, organic products, etc.), so that these changes meet consumers' sensory expectations.

Exploitation and adaptation of tools for measuring consumers' intrinsic preferences, in order to study what determines eating habits and adapt food supply to specific populations(overseas departments and territories, senior citizens, etc.). Work concerning the links between individual factors (socio-demographic, psychological, etc.) and sensory preferences is being carried out as part of a thesis.

Development of methods and tools for measuring sensory factors: these developments concern universal measurement scales, sensory methods that take into account the temporality of perceptions, learning methods by sensory categorisation, the development of tools for testing the sensory acuity of subjects, the measurement of desirability bias, the development of methods for evaluating the transfer of sensations from the packaging to the product (collaboration with the Actia Propack Food joint technological network).

Dissemination and sharing of know-how
Redaction of Actia's "Sensory evaluation" best practice guide.
Organisation of information days, publication of scientific and technical articles based on research, etc.

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