Testpoint recently conducted a quantitative tasting test in four cities—Milan, Bologna, Rome, and Naples—with 100 people per city.
The study was conducted on behalf of a major company planning to launch a new non-alcoholic beverage specifically designed for consumption at mealtimes. During the research, the new drink was evaluated in combination with two dishes: pasta with tomato sauce and fish cutlets.
How the test was conducted
Testpoint recruited 100 people in each of the four cities who regularly or fairly frequently consume non-alcoholic beverages at mealtimes.
The study was conducted in a central location, with 10 people at a time testing two dishes: pasta with basil sauce and air-fried breaded fish fillets, paired with a prototype of the new beverage being tested.
The food was freshly prepared using standardized procedures: everyone ate the same type of pasta, strictly following the cooking times indicated on the package, and always topped with the same ready-to-use basil sauce.
The cooking methods and times for the breaded fish fillets were also standardized.
Each respondent was offered a taste of the pasta paired with the beverage and immediately afterward asked to answer a few questions from an online questionnaire.
Immediately afterward, they tasted the second pasta, again paired with the beverage, and completed the questionnaire for the second part of the test.
The questions concerned the beverage’s characteristics: color, aroma, flavor, effervescence, sweetness, and, above all, how suitable it seemed to be for consumption in combination with the various foods.
