Consumer satisfaction analysis for sugar, salt, and fat reduction: Quantifying differences in satisfaction based on signal detection theory

Efforts to enhance the validity of consumer test results involve integrating consumer context, exemplified by the degree of satisfaction-difference (DOSD) method. This method aims to evaluate consumer satisfaction with reformulated products compared to the original product. In the DOSD method, cognitive contextualization begins with questions about product purchase and usage situations, evoking each consumer's evaluative criteria in real life. The subsequent satisfaction evaluation employs a reminder design, where each test product is presented with the fixed reference product (the original product). The evaluative criteria elicited during the cognitive contextualization are reinforced through actual consumption of the reference product, thereby enabling a more reliable evaluation of each product. Utilizing signal detection theory, two measures are quantified: the degree of satisfaction for individual products and the degree of satisfaction-difference of each product from the reference product, informative for business decision-making in food reformulation.