Page 66 - FoodFocusThailand No.244 August 2026

physical, chemical, and microbiological quality, while
confirming that the concentration and efficacy of
bioactives remain consistent with intended health claims
throughout the product’s shelf life.

Consumer Neuroscience: Generating
Empirical Evidence to Verify Product Efficacy
An effective functional beverage should demonstrate
intended outcomes while delivering consumer satisfaction.
Products should therefore be evaluated systematically,
beginning with product quality assessment, sensory
evaluation, and consumer behavior studies, and
extending to clinical studies to generate reliable scientific
evidence to support health claims.
However, product efficacy should not be assessed
using only a single evaluation method. Consumer
neuroscience is now increasingly integrated with sensory
evaluation to investigate the relationship between
consumer perception and neural and physiological
responses. This combined approach enables a deeper
understanding of the consumer experience.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive
technique used to monitor real-time brain activity.
It assesses emotional responses, attention, relaxation, and
cognitive processing during consumption. Food research
shows that combining EEG data with sensory evaluation
offers deeper insights into consumers’ physiological
and emotional responses than questionnaires alone
(Songsamoe et al., 2019). Furthermore, EEG can
evaluate how functional ingredients or bioactives
impact brain responses. For instance, studying the
effects of Michelia alba essential oil alongside food
quality evaluation highlights the technique’s potential
for functional product development (Songsamoe et al.,
2020).
Beyond EEG, tools like eye tracking, facial
expression analysis, Heart Rate Variability (HRV),
cortisol measurement, biomarkers, and cognitive
performance tests can be combined to evaluate consumer
non-thermal processing technologies, including High Pressure
Processing (HPP), Pulsed Electric Field (PEF), Cold Plasma, responses across attention, emotion, stress, cognition,
Ultraviolet-C, and Ultrasound Processing, are increasingly being and physiological changes. This integrated approach
applied to reduce microbial loads, inhibit spoilage-related enzymes, enables a comprehensive assessment of product
and extend product shelf life. These technologies may help preserve efficacy, generating credible empirical evidence to support
heat-sensitive bioactive compounds while maintaining sensory and health claims and strengthening long-term consumer
nutritional quality (Barba et al., 2017; Knorr et al., 2011). confidence.
In addition, delivery system technologies play an important role in
improving the efficacy of functional beverages. Microencapsulation The Future of Mental Wellness Beverages
and nanoencapsulation, advanced emulsion systems, and For Thailand, rich biological resources, advanced
liposomal systems can protect bioactive compounds from processing technologies, and strong R&D capabilities
environmental conditions, reduce oxidation, improve stability, offer significant opportunities to develop mental wellness
control compound release, and boost bioavailability. These are beverages for the global market. However, success
particularly valuable for compounds prone to degradation or with relies on integrating brain science, food science, food
low bioavailability, such as polyphenols, probiotics, and fat-soluble engineering, and consumer science through evidence-
vitamins (Choi & McClements, 2020). based product development. This is an interdisciplinary
However, the most advanced technology is not always the best approach that yields safe, high-quality, and scientifically
choice. Technology selection should consider product suitability, substantiated innovations. Ultimately, this will strengthen
industrial availability, economic feasibility, regulatory requirements the global competitiveness and sustainable development
compliance, and standards of the target country. This is especially of the Thai food industry.
true for emerging technologies, as regulatory frameworks often
vary significantly between countries.
Packaging is another essential factor in maintaining product
quality. High-barrier and active packaging solutions control the
internal environment to reduce bioactive degradation and extend More Information Service Info C011
shelf life. Therefore, the selection of processing and packaging
technologies should be conducted alongside shelf-life studies. This
allows for monitoring active compound retention and evaluating

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