TU-H283 Smakelijke vermarkting van gezonde groenten en fruit (BO-29.03-001-001)

Purpose - Our goal is to increase the consumption of healthy foods by producing and marketing of tasty and healthy products . We want to develop tools to for enriched and tasty products, with a clear added value in the market. In a multidisciplinary approach knowledge from the social sciences will be combined with technical innovations . There is a integration between the development of innovative technologies such as new models and new taste cultivation protocols and consumer acceptance of fruits and vegetables . This knowledge can be used directly during the project by the participating companies ( growers, trade , retail seed companies) in the breeding, cultivation and marketing of value-added products .

Method - This research will be gradually integrate technical expertise with insights into consumer perceptions and food choice behavior . To this end, various groups / segments of consumers will be mapped . Also technical innovations in production and supply chain will be developed . The integration between these two research area’s is needed to adequately serve the consumer target groups with tasty and healthy products . Our guiding principle in the design of innovative techniques and cultivation protocols is gathered by us in this project and develops understanding of specific target groups . On the basis of this new knowledge we develop targeted technical tools such as flavor models and new cultivation protocols for better tasting and healthier products . We also provide guidelines for a smarter communication with the various target groups . The method and results of the consumer survey and technical research will be discussed with participating companies during the project, where we also examine what this new information can do for the individual companies and what specific actions they can take towards more value of their products . This integrated approach to technical research and consumer research is the core of this project .