Located on Massey's Manawatū campus, this state-of-the-art facility is a hub for food sensory and consumer research, boasting sensory testing booths, focus group rooms, and New Zealand's only mixed-reality immersive space for food research.
The immersive space is a standout feature that can stimulate any eating scenario from a bustling cafe to a tranquil beach using 360-degree projection and ambient scent technology. This allows researchers to understand consumer preferences and sensory properties of food, such as taste, texture and aroma.
"Our research is consumer focused," says Feast Director Professor Joanne Hort. "We seek to understand what influences people's enjoyment of food, from sensory experiences to packaging and labelling."Established in 2017 by Professor Hort, an internationally renowned expert in sensory science, the Feast lab works closely with the food industry, offering consultancy and training. The lab supports the food industry to improve product acceptance, whilst exploring product health and sustainability credentials. Feast supports local small and medium entities as well as global companies such as Fonterra and Zespri.
Recently, Feast received $1million from Fonterra to develop better methods for predicting customer's responses to new food products. Feast researchers conduct studies on the impact of animal feeding practices on consumer perceptions of meat and fish, and the acceptance of plant-based alternatives.
It makes sense that Massey Feast Lab is located here in Manawatū; it reinforces our position as a leading agrifood hub in Aotearoa.
