Our expert team began the project by creating a series of concepts that used a range of different emulsifying and stabilising ingredients, which were then prototyped and evaluated against a benchmark commercial mayonnaise. This allowed us to ascertain which ingredients from which suppliers performed best and then optimise the final formulation for launch.
It was also vital that we objectively measured the viscosity of the prototypes. This analytical parameter not only directly correlates to mouthfeel and spreadability - both of which are essential for consumer acceptance - it can also significantly impact on a number of other product properties including processability and delivery from the container. Analysing this aspect during the development process, enabled us to understand the impact of formulation changes without the need for a full sensory evaluation, identify unsuccessful prototypes early on and predict favoured formulations.
So what did this look like in practice?