They'll Drink to That

If you have children, you know that getting them to eat and drink nutritious foods and beverages can be a challenge. If children think a food is unappealing, they often won't even taste it. So how do parents get their kids to eat healthy foods? It's simple. Ask them what they want in a food, then give it to them.

OK, so it's not quite as simple as that, but this concept was behind the research Cathy Papalia completed to earn a master's degree in food science at Penn State. Using consumer behavior research, product development, and sensory evaluation, Papalia demonstrated that a nutritious food product–a lowfat yogurt drink–could be developed that would appeal to children between the ages of 8 and 11. "I wanted to show that if companies do the right kind of consumer research before they develop a product, they can save time, money, and labor," says Papalia. "Often, the marketing arm of a company gathers information that isn't shared with the research and development groups formulating the product. This information could greatly increase the chances of product success."

Papalia has long been attracted to the food industry, dating back to her high school days when she held part-time jobs in bakeries and supermarkets. As an undergraduate food science major at Cornell University, she honed her interest in new product development during internships with General Mills and PepsiCo. "After my internships, I knew I wanted to do consumer research and sensory evaluation," says Papalia, who is now employed in the gum and confectionery division of Warner-Lambert in New Jersey. "I went to Penn State for my graduate work because of its reputation in food science."

The fact that Penn State has a strong dairy program influenced Papalia's research. "To get approval for my project, I had to work on a product that could be manufactured at Penn State," Papalia explains. "Faculty members in food science study yogurt technology, and the University Creamery manufactures yogurt. In addition, my adviser, Madeleine Sigman-Grant, works with children's nutrition and sensory evaluation. So I decided to conduct consumer research on a prototype yogurt drink aimed at kids."

Before developing a prototype, Papalia gathered information on children's preferences, perceptions, and eating habits. Using a computerized consumer survey, she asked 119 kids between the ages of 8 and 16 how often they consume soda, milk, and yogurt, and what influences their consumption of these products. "I chose to look at soda and milk because these are products that would compete with, or be replaced by, a yogurt drink," says Papalia. "Seventy-six percent of these children reported drinking milk on a daily basis, 13 percent consumed soft drinks daily, and 6 percent said they ate yogurt every day. However, there was a trend for milk consumption to decrease and soda consumption to increase with age. When presented with the concept of a yogurt drink, 8 percent said they would consume this product on a daily basis."

Not surprisingly, most children preferred the taste of soda, and taste appeared to be the major factor behind milk and yogurt dissatisfaction. "To develop an acceptable yogurt drink, I needed to know why children don't like yogurt," Papalia says. "Of those who didn't regularly eat yogurt, 58 percent said they disliked its sometimes sour taste, 48 percent objected to its texture, and 16 percent didn't like its appearance. I felt that a yogurt drink could overcome these barriers to acceptance." Papalia also measured the children's attitudes towards potential characteristics of a yogurt drink. Using sample formulations, she conducted sensory evaluation panels to determine what container size, flavor attributes, color intensity, and thickness the children preferred.

After analyzing the survey results, Papalia decided to aim the new product at 8- to 11-year-olds, since they appeared to be most receptive to the concept. Armed with the survey data, she worked with food scientist Robert Roberts to develop strawberry-flavored yogurt drink prototypes that matched the kids' specifications. Children between the ages of 8 and 11 who participated in the consumer survey were invited to take part in sensory evaluations of two prototypes. "The goal was to assess the effectiveness of the consumer study in guiding product development," says Papalia.

The results were promising. "The prototypes met the expectations of more than two-thirds of the panel," Papalia says. "The majority rated the color, flavor, and thickness as 'just about right.' Sixty percent of the kids rated the product as most similar to a milkshake, and only 34 percent likened it to regular yogurt. In addition, the children's projected frequency of consumption was much higher after the trial than before. After only reading about the yogurt drink in the survey, the kids on average said they would consume the drink 'a few times per week,' compared to 'everyday' after the taste test. The positive response to tasting the product suggests that advertising and marketing efforts for such a drink should encourage first-time use. Once kids try a yogurt drink, they can be expected to buy and drink it again."

Papalia's study could have nutritional implications for young people. "Nationally, consumption of milk and other dairy products falls off significantly after the age of 12," says Sigman-Grant. "This contributes to low calcium intakes during the crucial time when bone mass reaches its peak. Calcium intake is especially critical for girls and young women, who are most at risk for osteoporosis later in life. But 93 percent of adolescent girls do not meet the current recommended daily allowance for calcium. A yogurt drink that appeals to children and teens could provide calcium and other nutrients without the sour taste of regular yogurt and the blandness of milk."

"There are yogurt drinks on the market already, but most haven't sold well," says Roberts. "Sometimes success depends on how well the product is positioned. Cathy's research showed the value of integrating consumer research and product development. If you determine what the target market wants, give it to them, then assess how closely you've matched their preferences, you'll increase the probability that the product will succeed."

Papalia's project has served her well in her budding career. "I'm doing much the same thing for Warner-Lambert that I did in my yogurt drink research," she says. "I work very closely with development staff in formulating products and testing them with consumers." Meanwhile, she would like to see someone take her results, develop a yogurt drink, and test-market it. "I think it would sell very well at the University Creamery," she says.

–Chuck Gill