The future in sensory/consumer research: evolving to a better science

I present eleven predictions of future changes in sensory and consumer research, dividing them according to the criticality of change and the timing of change. The changes which the field must have are more emphasis on: health and wellness, global products and methods, age (life transitions), measuring beyond liking, move beyond the laboratory, and the use of representative subjects. Together these trends will define whether sensory and consumer research successfully moves into the future to predict consumer decisions based on more representative people and places, using more representative measures of consumer behavior, and addressing the most important central topic of our day, health. Health as a main focus of research and application is already here and will continue to grow, as will a more global perspective. Moving beyond the laboratory and using more representative consumers are further ahead of us, and might take ten years to develop. Of less importance than the above topics, but still of importance are topics which we need in the future, but they are not as critical as the must-haves. These methodological predictions include: increased use of Internet research, trained and consumer panels, and the greater consideration of ritual and habit. These are probably closer to 10 years away before widespread use. In the mid-term is further growth in the number of people in sensory and consumer tests. I have categorized one future issue as nice to have but neither critical nor imminent. Perhaps in the future we will have less research arguing which scale is best, and more research trying to apply scales in the most appropriate manner. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.