Ginger nut so much: young consumers were less keen. © Phil Gradwell/Flickr
Favourability towards flavours such as ginger and mint varies dramatically between age groups, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
A team of researchers from Wageningen University “blind tested” three types of gingerbread and three types of chocolate with two test groups – one with over 65s, and one where participants were around 30 years old. For each product, the Dutch participants indicated how much they liked the product and to what extent it evoked positive or negative emotions.
The findings show that the older participants liked both gingerbread ginger flavour and mint chocolate “significantly” more than young people, and were far more likely to associate the taste with a positive emotion such as happiness or excitement. The researchers behind the study argue that the flavours evoked a sense of nostalgia among the elderly test group.
Unsurprisingly, the study also showed that participants were more likely to experience positive emotions from a product that they liked the taste of, regardless of their age.
Researcher Louise den Uijl claimed that the findings were important because of their potential ramifications on innovation: “Product developers may want to tailor the taste of their product to their target age group – whether it is a protein drink, a protein-rich meal or a vitamin D supplement.”
The research – using roughly 80 young people, 80 over-65s with a good sense of smell, and 80 over-65s with an impaired sense of smell – has been published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
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