Report explains four consumer eating styles
A report on texture and eating styles has been published by Ingredion, exploring how the physical way consumers eat influences their food preferences and satisfaction levels.
The company has reviewed various pieces of research going back many years. Four clear universal groups had already been identified from earlier independent research – crunchers, chewers, smooshers and suckers. Individuals in each of these categories were found to experience food differently, and therefore to prefer foods with certain textures as these delivered the most enjoyment.
Severine Bensa, European marketing manager texture at Ingredion, explains, “We’ve known for years that taste, and food trends, drive consumer purchasing behaviour, but it’s only in the last decade researchers have delved into the influence of the other senses. Many independent studies have found that texture has a huge impact on consumers liking or disliking a product, but we also know consumers find it difficult to articulate texture preferences and specifically can struggle explaining why they like something.
“This report draws on research over the last 50 years into unexpressed food preferences and subconscious responses, to create insights that Ingredion would like to share with manufacturers to better understand their customers’ texture preferences and ultimately help make product developments more appealing.”
An overview of the four eating styles:
- Crunchers – eat their food forcefully and noisily, and are often fast eaters. Recipes targeted at this group should, in some way, bring some crunch
- Chewers – can be short or long chewers, food must not break down in the mouth but deliver a long, full chewing sensation
- Smooshers – process and eat foods slowly, food must be smooth and able to be broken down and held in the mouth for a long time
- Suckers – focus on extracting all the flavour from a food before chewing, they tend to be slow eaters.
The report shows that eating styles determine enjoyment of a product which in turn impacts consumer choice and buying behaviour. Applying these insights means food products can be developed with texture and sensory attributes that improve their appeal, whether it’s creating desired creaminess or smoothness, or optimising the bite of crispy, crunchy foods.