Using Relative Preference mapping (RPM) to identify innovative flavours for 3-blend plant-based milk alternatives in different test locations

The methods available to identify innovations in flavour can be limiting and sometimes long and expensive. Relative Preference Mapping (RPM) was developed as a quick and easy way to identify innovations in wine flavour at wine show consumer day events. There is no report on the use of the RPM method with other non-wine products, neither is there a report on using RPM in a laboratory setting. This study compared the results for consumer preferences for plant-based milk alternatives using RPM methodology carried out in a typical laboratory-based CLT setting and a social setting. In both test locations, ninety (90) regular consumers of plant-based milk alternatives completed the test. The aim was to determine if innovative new flavours of plant-based milk alternatives can be identified from within a set of laboratory-formulated prototypes of three-blend plant-based milk alternatives. In this study, commercially available dairy milk, which was sweetened in the laboratory was used as the reference product. A popular plant-based milk alternative was included in the product test set to provide an internal reference for the laboratory formulated prototypes. From the study, the RPM method was able to highlight an area of innovation where two of the 3-blend prototypes were loaded together with the commercial plant-based milk alternative in the 2D consensus map generated from Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). When the liking scores from the T-map scale axis in the social and laboratory settings were compared using ANOVA, the liking scores were higher in the social setting than in the laboratory setting. This observation, however, did not change interpretations about flavour innovations highlighted in the 2D map. The RPM method was consistent in highlighting the same products as innovations when used in both test locations. The findings support the use of RPM as a useful tool to determine innovative product flavours and can be used consistently in two different test locations.