Expert center for flavor and product research NovaBite opened

Plant-based tuna, soup made from discarded vegetables, insect-based burgers or healthy potato chips? If you are an entrepreneur with a (new) product or concept and you are curious what consumers think of it, you can now visit Brightlands NovaBite on the campus in Venlo.

Brightlands NovaBite is a new expertise center for sensory research and product optimization, focusing on food from the consumer's experience. Companies and organizations can contact this new center for taste and product research, in-company panel training and expertise on European and Dutch laws and regulations.

'We help companies that want to develop new products: start-ups with a good idea. An SME that wants to improve its product or a multinational that wants to introduce a new concept,' says Thijs Gipmans, project and team manager of Brightlands NovaBite. 'When developing new products and concepts, people are increasingly looking at healthier alternatives with less salt, sugar or fat, for example. But 70 to 90 percent of those new products have already disappeared from the shelves a year after their introduction, simply because consumers don't like them.'

Market introduction

So, according to Gipmans, it is important to develop healthy - and tasty - products that fit well with consumer wants and needs. Brightlands NovaBite supports producers in that quest for healthy and sustainable food with taste research and customized product development. 'With this, we want to contribute to accelerating the development and successful marketing of improved, healthier and more sustainable food products and concepts,' says Gipmans.

Sensory booths

The expertise center houses the latest facilities in the field of sensory research, including so-called sensory booths where taste tests can be performed, an area for focus groups with observation space and a demo kitchen where cooking can be done with new, innovative products and ingredients. In addition, the center has its own consumer panel with diverse backgrounds and personality traits for testing products and/or concepts.

Expertise Center

NovaBite is not a center that lets consumers taste a new product and asks: do you like it? Gipmans: "We want to know if the product tastes a little or very good and why: because of the smell, taste or appearance? What do the testers feel, what do they think? And what do they think of the appearance, packaging, preparation and price? How does the product perform compared to competing products? And how credible do consumers consider any health claims? NovaBite is the expertise center for these issues.'

Partners

Brightlands NovaBite is taking over the activities of Brightlands' previous Test, Taste & Concept Center and is collaborating with the Laboratory for Behavioural Gastronomy and Food Claims Centre Venlo of Maastricht University and with partners Normec Foodcare and BASF | Nunhems. The new facility is partially funded from the 2nd tranche of the North Limburg Region Deal and the partners making this project possible are the central government, Province of Limburg and Healthiest Region North Limburg.