Page 33 - FoodFocusThailand No.247 November_December 2026

SPECIAL FOCUS

and a 9-point hedonic scale, the This is the “From Function to Feeling” concept. Future hybrid beverages may
evaluation showed that flavor type not compete primarily on the number of ingredients or functional benefits displayed on
affected overall liking. Carbonated their labels but rather on their ability to transform multiple benefits into harmoniously
apple and blueberry juices, in integrated and meaningful experiences for consumers. Functional benefits may appeal
particular, received significantly to consumers during their initial consumption, but flavor, emotional response, and
higher overall liking scores than their the overall drinking experience are key drivers of acceptance and subsequent re-
non-carbonated counterparts . The consumption. Hence, future hybrid beverages must transcend functional boundaries
4
results demonstrate that creating new and extend into the realms of sensory perception, consumer acceptance, and emotional
value in a beverage does not always experience, harmonizing these elements with the experience that the brand seeks to
require the addition of new active deliver.
compounds; modifying physical
properties, such as carbonation, can
also enhance consumers’ sensory More Information Service Info C002
experiences and liking.
In addition, emotion represents
another facet of the consumption
experience. In the second experiment
by Barker et al., consumers were
asked to evaluate product images
using a list of emotion-expressing
terms, known as EsSense25, and
to provide purchase-intent scores.
The findings revealed that terms
associated with positive emotions
were correlated with higher purchase-
intent scores . However, this result
4
does not mean that positive emotions
directly cause purchase intention.
Rather, it indicates that emotional
responses can provide additional
information beyond acceptance
scores alone.
These findings help hybrid
beverage developers perceive
their products more holistically,
because combining multiple benefits
in a single product should be
accompanied by a correspondingly
satisfying consumption experience.
Sensory profiles should, therefore,
be assessed alongside consumers’
liking and emotional responses,
as doing so enables developers to
determine whether a new product
can indeed deliver the desired
experience and effectively satisfy
consumer demands.
Hybrid Beverages:
More Than Just Blended
Ingredients
The challenge in formulating
hybrid beverages lies not only in
the question “What else can we
mix together?” but also in “Will
consumers still want to drink the
hybrid beverage?” The formulation
of hybrid products, therefore,
requires a balanced consideration of
functional ingredients, manufacturing
processes, stability, sensory profiles,
consumer liking, and the overall
consumer experience.

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