Commitment to good taste

At the beginning of this year, 83 citizens from the region took the plunge: In the sensory laboratory at Fulda University of Applied Sciences, they tasted newly developed products made from field beans and peas, which are intended to replace meat as a source of protein.

On the plates are balls and medallions in the flavours onion/mustard and smokey, as well as a particularly protein-rich variant with sunflower and a product made from beans and sunflower protein that is already available on the market. It is intended to serve as a reference to categorise the acceptance of the newly developed products.

For the research project WKErBo - short for: Value Chain Pea Bean - this is an exciting moment. Will the products developed with students also be well received by the general public? After all, a successful market launch depends on broad acceptance.

Tests show need for improvement

"Consumer tests like these help to tailor new foods precisely to the needs of end consumers," explains Stephanie Hagspihl, Professor of Catering and Food Supply and coordinator of the project. "We can uncover weak points and make targeted improvements, be it in terms of saltiness, seasoning or texture."

The project team has big plans: The researchers want to develop a tasty and appealing product that fulfils the protein requirements of a main meal. It should be regional, organic and free from additives. An allergen-free version is also planned to appeal to allergy sufferers. To this end, an organic value chain of locally produced field beans and peas is being established. These pulses are rich in protein and support healthy nutrition. At the same time, they are a valuable component of climate-friendly and resource-conserving agriculture.

Cultivation must be profitable

However, farmers will only grow peas and beans if there is a market for them. Community catering and gastronomy offer great potential. The products should therefore be suitable for large-scale catering and meet the sensory and nutritional requirements and needs of different target groups - from toddlers to senior citizens.

In addition to members of the public, employees, students, professors from Fulda University of Applied Sciences and a school class are also taking part in the consumer test. Everyone is represented, from teenagers to senior citizens. Assessments from flexitarians, who appreciate both meat and plant-based food, are particularly in demand. In the end, 131 analysable re-enrolments will be collected - enough data to obtain reliable results.

Promising response

Meanwhile, in the sensory lab, members of the public - each in their own test booth - assess the products using a standardised procedure. A common nine-point scale is used for this. The acceptance of various characteristics such as appearance, odour, taste and texture are recorded.

One by one, project staff pass the various samples through a small hatch into the test cabins. It is quiet, everyone is concentrating on their work. Those who have made their judgement press a button. Then a light signals: ready for the next sample.

The initial feedback immediately after the tasting is promising: one test subject, who does not want to give up meat, would definitely include a variant in her diet. Others said they could imagine buying one of the products.

Second consumer test in summer

The evaluation of the consumer test is now available. "There is a clear favourite," says Stephanie Maxwell, who carried out the test. "The flavour of the 'Onion Mustard Medallions' was particularly impressive." The mouthfeel and flavour were also rated as 'I like it' and 'just right'. Opinions differed more strongly on the other samples. The researchers will now have to use the feedback to further refine the recipes.

A second consumer test in the summer will test the acceptance of the products on a large scale and in real-life operation. A school, a daycare centre, a retirement home, the youth hostel and the Fulda University of Applied Sciences cafeteria will then offer the optimised products as a lunchtime meal. Until then, the project team still has a few challenges to overcome, such as developing a suitable production process for commercial kitchens so that the balls and medallions can be produced in large quantities.

The text was first published on the regional science page of the Fulda University of Applied Sciences in the Marktkorb (issue 3 May). To download (in German)