DLG Trend Monitor Food Sensors 2019 published
How do digitization and automation affect the areas of application of food sensor technology? What consequences does this have for the qualification of the expert panels in the companies? The DLG (German Agricultural Society) Trend Monitor Food Sensor Technology, which has just been published, provides answers to these and other relevant developments. The publication, which appears every two years, is considered a location determination for food sensory analysis in Germany and a source of inspiration for the further development and professionalization of this important scientific discipline.
The online survey took place under the leadership of the DLG Committee for Sensor Technology and the Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Food Technology Department. In the period from November to December 2018, 537 specialists and executives from the German-speaking food industry took part in the survey.
It became clear that the importance of sensor technology has gradually increased in a multi-year comparison and that it will continue to gain in importance in the future. More than ever, the diverse demands of consumers on the taste of food require professional processing using sensory methods - both in quality assurance and in product development. This also applies in particular to reformulation projects, because food must not be developed without considering consumer wishes.
Fields of application and methods
In the fields of application, tasks from quality assurance dominate, such as "review of product standards", "storage tests, best-before-date tests" and "review of complaints" as well as "incoming goods inspections". In product development, sensory methods are used primarily for “recipe adjustment/new development”.
For three-quarters of those surveyed, "health claims" are of little importance. With regard to sensory claims, this is the case for around half of the participants. Promoters of "sensory claims" (approx. 42 percent) already use sensory claims or are developing or planning to use them. Compared to the previous year, interest in "aroma profiles" has increased and the responsibilities for implementation have shifted from an "external project team" to an interdisciplinary and cross-divisional "internal project team".
examiner management
It is characteristic of the tester and expert panels, who are used in the context of analytical tests, that they are "sensory and product-specific trained employees" and that they meet regularly as a "constant employee panel" for tests. In the case of consumer panels in the area of hedonic tests, half of those surveyed use a "constant employee panel", i.e. "company consumers". Around a third relies on changing non-company consumers depending on the project.
Instrumental sensors
devices for "Instrumental sensors" are important components in the context of product analysis in the food industry. Around half of those surveyed use devices in the field of "optical analysis" to support and supplement human sensors, followed by those for "texture analysis". As in the previous year, “optical analysis” is dominated by “spectrophotometer” and “colorimeter, chroma meter”. The use of “electronic eyes”, which are usually based on camera systems, has experienced an increase, albeit at a low level. "Texture analyzer" and "viscometer" are still the most used technical instruments in texture analysis.
In the field of aroma analysis, "gas chromatography (GS)" and "high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)" continue to dominate. “Electronic noses based on process combinations (GC-MS or GC-IMS) still have a small group of users in comparison; however, this has doubled compared to 2016. The use of "electronic tongues" for taste analysis is currently declining.
Digitization and automation
Around 40 to 60 percent of the survey participants deal with the "digital process support" in the expert sensors apart. The digital "systematic archiving of the test results" and the electronic "collection of the test results" are implemented most frequently, followed by the "documentation of individual tester services" and "documentation of the panel services". IT-based or automated data analyzes in the form of trend analyzes or evaluations of examiner and panel performance are currently used less frequently (information less than 15 percent). (See Fig. 3: Digitized processes in expert sensor technology)
With regard to "digital business models" is one digital networking of data from food sensor technology internally with laboratory management systems (LIMS) and the digitization of complaints processing. Networking outside the company within the value chain, on the other hand, is the least realized. Around 20 to 25 percent of the participants are currently dealing with this in projects or with project planning.
digital consumer research currently deals with almost a third of those surveyed. The use of "online questionnaires" dominates over the use of "virtual reality instruments".
Future topics and tasks
The TOP 5 areas were rated as “very important” or “important” by those surveyed. Specifically, the topics are "health", "clean labeling", "sustainability", "regionality" and "methods in research & development". This is followed in places 6 to 10 by "Methods in QA", "Further training" and "Reformulation". The further image promotion of these scientifically recognized methods is also valued highly in terms of their importance, which becomes clear from the information under "Sensor technology within the company" and "Sensor technology in the public".
Conclusion
Companies that invest continuously and sustainably in food sensor technology, digitize processes and intelligently network the results of human sensor technology with data from instrumental analytics, fully exploit their value creation potential: Lower flop rates and successful sales figures prove that capital invested in sensor technology quickly pays for itself. Ultimately, this not only has a positive effect on the further development of sensor technology in the company, which is controlled by management. This also results in a consolidation of the importance of food sensor technology in the company and in public perception, which can be used for strategic further development.
