Developing a comprehensive ontology for food consumer science: Insights from the COMFOCUS project

The need for interoperable and reusable research data in food consumer science calls for a robust ontology that encapsulates the complexity of the domain. The COMFOCUS project addresses this need by developing an ontology aimed at harmonizing data models and adhering to FAIR principles, facilitating an integrated approach to food consumer research. Our methodology involved a detailed process adhering to best practices in ontology development, including the integration with existing semantic resources to ensure comprehensive coverage of food consumer science. We utilized the Basic Formal Ontology as an upper framework, aligning our work with the OBO Foundry principles for compatibility and integration purposes. Key elements such as raters, attributes, targets, and micro-contexts were conceptualized within a logical framework based on both established and emerging theories in the field. The COMFOCUS ontology provides a structured vocabulary for food consumer science, covering aspects such as individual raters, measures (attributes), food entities (targets), and specific contexts of data collection (micro-contexts). It facilitates the semantic enrichment of data, supporting interoperability and reusability across different research domains. Additionally, the ontology serves as a tool for synthesizing diverse data sources, contributing to a unified understanding of food consumer behavior, and enabling interdisciplinary research collaboration. The COMFOCUS ontology advances the goal of creating a shared semantic foundation for food consumer science. By offering a coherent structure for describing and comparing research data, it fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and paves the way for innovative solutions in food consumer science. The ontology shows how a semantic framework can improve data-based research in food consumer science.