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Cristhiam joined the Procter & Gamble Beauty Consumer Measurement Sciences group about 1 year ago as a Sensory Scientist for the Skin Care Category. Before joining P&G Cristhiam worked in product research, sensory science, and quality control within the U.S. and Nicaraguan food industries in addition to post-graduate internships in food engineering and packaging, human nutrition, and research and development at Louisiana State University, Texas A&M, and Ventura Foods.
Cristhiam obtained her MS & PhD degrees in Nutrition and Food Sciences with a Minor in Applied Statistics from Louisiana State University. Her doctoral research integrated statistical methods for the analysis of formulation, elicited emotions, and cognitive cues effect on overall acceptability and purchase behavior towards products containing edible cricket protein at different stages of the consumer-product interaction. Her research uncovered important insights for the development of more sustainable products containing insect protein.
Transcript (Semi-automated, forgive typos!)
Danielle: Cristhiam, welcome to the show.
Cristhiam: Thank you, Danielle.
Danielle: The first question that we always like to ask our guests is to understand their professional journey. Can you share a bit on how you got into this field of sensory and consumer science, and what led you to focus on this particular area?
Cristhiam: Well, good afternoon, Danielle. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share the Aigora, a little bit about my experience, and overall my professional journey as a sensory and consumer scientist. I graduated from Zamorano University in Honduras with a Bachelor of Sciences in Food Technology. During my senior year, I had the opportunity to do an internship at University in Food Microbiology. That first step connected me with graduate school opportunities in the US. After I graduated from my bachelors, I joined the Food Engineering Group at Louisiana State University for another internship, and that opened the doors for me to continue with the Master's and PhD programs. During my Master's program, I worked with sustainable packaging and dairy products formulation at LSU. And after obtaining my degree I went back to my home country, Nicaragua, where I worked for almost two years in the quality control department of a peanut products processing company. So the path and passion for sensory and consumer sciences, it was always evident for me. Not until I had real-time hands-on experience in the industry, because until then, I realized that there was a huge potential for sensory and new product development. And it also became evident to me that that's where I wanted to be. I wanted to be able to do more creative work and more consumer-facing roles, but I had to experience what work life looked like. So while being in that position, I started navigating opportunities to go back to grad school. But I had to do first another internship at Texas A&M. That was the only door that was open at the moment for me. This was in gut health and in human nutrition. When doing that internship, the doors opened again for me to really pursue my passion in sensory and consumer sciences and it was at LSU, so I happily finished my internship at Texas A&M and then took the opportunity and spent four years in my doctorate degree in the Sensory and Consumer Sciences Lab at LSU. In these four years, I worked understanding consumer behavior, perceptions, emotions, and all sorts of consumer responses when exposed to different sensory cues.
Danielle: You developed a pioneering case study to guide the development of food products containing alternative proteins. And was that during that time?
Cristhiam: Yes. This was during my PhD, four years at LSU, I studied ways in which we could better incorporate edible cricket protein, which is challenging, especially for American consumers. I studied different matrices that could happen, those being brownies and Pita chips. The brownie application was the core of my dissertation. We wanted to understand the effects that different cognitive cues, but also formulation could have on the overall acceptability of the product, how consumers were perceiving it, and also the emotions that could be elicited by those different informations and by the formulation, isolating those two factors, and what their role was on the consumer behavior and the choices of these products.
Danielle: Okay. What motivated you to explore this edible cricket protein as an alternative source?
Cristhiam: There is a project that shortcoming of global high-quality foods. It's expected by 2050 that the world population will increase to 9.6 billion. So that will translate into an increase in the global food demand by 70%. There's also 1 billion people worldwide who are affected by malnutrition, specifically by insufficient protein intake. And insects are safe, nutritious, and sustainable alternatives, but also more environmentally friendly than traditional animal protein production. And there have been several efforts by different organizations to promote entomophagy, which is the practice of eating insects. But those are sometimes not successful because of food neophobia or because people having just inherent aversion to insects, this ghost factor, or just the fact that they are not familiar with them.
Danielle: Yeah, I see. That is the reason why you also think that Western cultures, that they struggle to accept insects?
Cristhiam: Yes, there are many possible reasons, but most investigated or documented ones do highlight that limited knowledge, not being familiar with it, negative emotions that as humans, or as I would say, shaped by the culture you grew up in, you have, you may associate insects with just something being dirty, disgusting, or sometimes it is the concern not knowing how the edible insect or the edible insect product was obtained may raise a red flag to you thinking that it's not just safe to eat, it's not a regulated ingredient. Also, negative experience experiences that you could have had with, say, an early new product that was developed. If you didn't like it the first time, that's going to be carried with you the next time that somebody offers that. Those challenges are, I would say, more pronounced in the US and American cultures than in other Asian or South American cultures.
Danielle: I see. What would you say as a summary to what would be the major barriers, maybe sensory or emotional to this acceptance of insect-based food products?
Cristhiam: It highly depends also on the format that you're using. Definitely using whole insects, it's more challenging to adopt than invisible ingredients like flour. Also, we have seen that crickets, which was the species that I work in my dissertation, are more likely to be accepted than, for example, scorpions or cockroaches or other insects. It also has to do with the matrix that you use. In our lab studies, we were able to see that cereals like candy breads, and cookies had higher acceptability than meat analogs. And it's also the percent that you use the ingredient. Also, the process that the ingredient goes through, for example, defatting the protein can help decrease some of the earthy flavors or like oxidized flavors that the descriptive panels detect on edible insects ingredients. But there's also the aspect of being worried, having fear, not being used to try new stuff or disgust. That's a very challenging barrier to overcome.
Danielle: Yeah. You also researched how familiar flavors and familiar applications might help to improve acceptability of these products. Can you explain a bit about how that would work?
Cristhiam: Indeed, when introducing new ingredients overall, especially those that are controversial, like edible insects, it's better to start doing it with a known application. Some foods that theconsumers are already familiar with because that can help alleviate some of the fear to try new stuff. It could be too much. If you're introducing a new ingredient in addition to a new matrix versus just having to handle one of the two. When you formulate appropriately, it can be actually a promoting experience. So acceptability, sometimes for new products, it's gradual, regardless of edible insects or not. But this repeated exposure to positive experience can ultimately contribute to a final acceptability. So for example, I remember when trying sushi, I didn't like it. I would say it was acquired taste, but I started with the most basic rainbow roll in which there were no raw ingredients. From there, I started building up my taste for it. Now I can say sushi is one of my favorite foods. So it's not different with consumers. Little by little, you can build that acceptability for edible insects.
Danielle: Yeah, that was also in Europe, many years ago with green tea, that indeed, that the taste of green tea was so weird. Everyone drank black tea, but by introducing it together with a familiar flavor like lemon, people started to get used to it. Yeah. Can you tell us a bit more about this ECP, and what you explore? So you use also predictive modeling, especially random forest classifier, to predict also purchase intent for products that contain this edible cricket protein.
Cristhiam: Yes. So the random forest technique, it's an algorithm that combines multiple decision trees, which on their own are unstable. When you combine them, you can that dilute the variability because you have so many of them. You can model that integrated decision from each of the trees, and you can take advantage of the diversity of the trees with less variability. So in this case, the full data set was used for model interpretation and also to decide to evidence which were the most important variables that the model would use to predict the informed acceptability of the brownies when you communicated all the benefits about it. Another noteworthy feature, I would say, of the random forest is that it has the ability to handle multiple variables, multiple scales at the same time. It gives you a nice idea of also how the human mind works because sometimes we try to do that as well. We go and we answer one question. If it is yes or no, then you ask another one. So the random forest seemed like a good way to approach to consumers' minds. It was also ideal because I had a lot of variables to deal with, including formulation, experimental variables, demographic variables, emotions, and likings, all of them in different scales. I wanted to see which were the most important for the prediction of the purchase interest, which in the end is the variable that determines success or failure for products.
Danielle: Okay. Yeah. So my follow-up question was indeed to ask you a bit more about the type of data, but you just explained already what data you included. And to follow up on that, in one of your studies, and I don't know whether that was this, particularly with this approach, with this modeling, but you investigated the effects of ingredient disclosure on consumer acceptability. What were your findings on how does it affect if consumers know that the product contains ACP? How does that influence their behavior?
Cristhiam: It was on the chocolate brownie study, which was broken down into two studies. But to answer your question, we evaluated separately the effect of the communication of the protein being present together with the benefits and also the formulation. We were able to see that after they tasted the brownies, the overall acceptability was mainly determined by the formulation than by the informed condition. Those brownies that did not have the cricket powder had the higher acceptability than those that did have the cricket powder. However, when you inform them of the presence of the cricket protein together with nutritional and environmental benefits, we were able to see a lower negative disconfirmation between the expectation before they tried the brownie versus after they tried the brownie. When we were probing on those differences by gender, we were also seeing that males generally had a higher acceptability for the brownies that had the cricket protein than females, especially when the benefits and the protein presence was not disclosed. Females were more prone to dislike those brownies, especially when you were telling them that the protein wasn't there, but indeed it was. They were really not liking that. We were able to evidence that the benefits on their own are not sufficient. It doesn't really matter that much if it's going to be very green product, very sustainable, very healthy, if it doesn't taste well. However, the benefits communication does help alleviate, and somehow it also prepares you. You may have a little bit lower expectations or be willing to trade off a little bit of your taste expectations because you know that what you're eating is just healthier and more environmentally friendly. It was interesting to see that this piece of ingredient disclosure together with the benefits, it had a very strong effect on the emotions for which interested and happy and other high activation emotions, which are common for those consumers seeking high adventurous experiences, were important drivers of overall product liking, which mainly affected the purchase interest. Even though the communication of the benefits directly impacted acceptability, it impacted the emotions, which in turn could be drivers or inhibitors of the acceptability and the purchase interest.
Danielle: Okay, very interesting. Building on that, how can marketing and communication strategies be tailored so that we can promote the sustainable and eco-friendly alternative proteins?
Cristhiam: Specifically for insect protein, because it may change if it is vegetable protein or other sources of proteins. But for insects, overcoming fear of new foods and overcoming this disgust sensation are key to achieve higher acceptability. Overcoming this fear of trying new stuff might be easier by taking little steps, starting with a familiar product and by repeated exposure to positive experiences with products formulated with cricket protein. But overcoming just disgust might be more challenging because that may be because of a cultural constraint. Some people may just not be even willing to take that first step. But overall, framing these new products for sensation seekers and those adventurous individuals who are up to the task of trying stuff might be a good way to start because they're willing to experience more. Also, you can add that you can communicate more about the process that the protein goes making sure that consumers understand that it's safe to eat as any other regulated ingredient, and whether the insect protein was via farming of insects versus wild insects that can also change. Those proteins or ingredients obtained via farming of the insects might be viewed as more safe, and more controlled than those that were obtained by just from the in the nature type of insects.
Danielle: And is that correct? Is there a difference in those?
Cristhiam: We did not compare the protein from the two sources, but we needed to have an ingredient that was regulated for the brownie studies because of using subjects. So we pretty much did not have much of a choice. But yes, I have seen in nature that the feeding regime can affect how the insect tastes. Also, the way that you cook it, the way that you sacrifice, the insect can also affect how it tastes.
Danielle: I see. Yeah, very interesting. Your work has also been cited by researchers worldwide. How do you see this research influencing the global food industry and the alternative protein market?
Cristhiam: I would say that I see my research being used for the incorporation of multiple variables, integrating different sciences and perceptions for consumers, including sensory variables, emotions, consumer behavior, but also those cognitive cues when experimenters are investigating acceptability of alternative proteins in general. My studies do offer a reproducible approach so that you can have a deeper holistic understanding of the consumer expectations and what they actually perceived after tasting, but also the role that the emotions play and those emotional dimensions when you link them to consumer behavior variables such as purchase interest. I also expect also that the insights about the demographic profile from my studies could also guide them as to who would likely be the early adopter products formulated with edible crickets. So defining this who, it's something that they could refer to my studies.
Danielle: So you explored also who those people were who are willing to try it? Were there also people who refused to participate? Was there a selection beforehand?
Cristhiam: We had to disclose that at some point in the evaluation, they were going to taste edible insect ingredient. We were required because of the ethics committee when handling subjects, but they didn't know which of the treatments. In my design, I had placebos. There was one treatment there that even though I was saying that the protein was present, it wasn't in really. It really wasn't there because we wanted to evaluate just how the information piece would shape the preferences and the behaviors toward the brownie.
Danielle: I see.
Cristhiam: But we were also able to, by capturing the demographics from the participants who accepted to at some point try in this study, products formulated with edible cricket protein, we were able to see which race, in this case, males and Hispanics and people with higher educational background, exhibited more of this sensation-seeking behavior which is expected to have higher acceptability of this adventurous brownie formulated with edible cricket protein.
Danielle: Yeah, very interesting. I have many more things that come to mind, but we need to start wrapping up, Cristhiam. So one question that I have for you, we usually ask our guests, is what advice would you give individuals who are new to the field of sensory science and looking to make an impact?
Cristhiam: I would say step out of your comfort zone. Be curious. Challenge yourself. Leverage skills that may seem outside of sensory, but in reality, those skills are universal. I would also say find mentors. It's important to have somebody to consult with or somebody who can guide you a little bit. It can really make the journey more enjoyable. The sensory and consumer science area, it's fascinating, it's evolving. Nothing has been set in stone. I don't believe that everything has been said and done. There's really opportunity to find new methods to shape new methods or find different applications, for example, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. I think when being in industry and coming from academia, try to remember that you need to keep it understandable and real, especially to your leaders. So thinking about the big picture, how do you connect the dots, and how do you translate all of this technical language from sensory into easy-to-understand actionable communication presentations or reports, is going to help you get there. Because you want to have visibility of your work, and for that, you need to be able to communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences. Lastly, I would say, go to conferences, stay tuned, listen to the Aigora podcast, connect on LinkedIn, and build your network inside and outside the organization you're in so that you can start having this influential relationship.
Danielle: Yeah, great. Very valuable information. I would say in addition to that, when I heard you talking, also, I would say be a mentor to others. Because I think also sometimes we look for mentors, but we ourselves, even if you come just from university, you can also bring a lot to other people. So I think that inspired me when I heard you talk.
Cristhiam: That's true. Inside and outside organizations. That's true.
Danielle: Yeah. Final question. If people hear this podcast and they want to get in contact with you, how can they reach you? Is that LinkedIn or email? How would you like to be?
Cristhiam: LinkedIn would be the best option. I'm also open via my professional Procter & Gamble email, which I can share with you. I would love to connect with others, especially in sensory and consumer sciences areas.
Danielle: Sure. We will add your LinkedIn details to the podcast. I would say if people want to contact you, let them first contact you via that, and then you can always reach out with your professional email.
Cristhiam: Sure. I would really appreciate that. Thank you, Danielle.
Danielle: Well, Cristhiam, it was great having you on the show. Thank you so much.
Cristhiam: Well, thank you so much. Like I said, this is going to be big for me. Really glad that I was able to connect with you and that you gave me this opportunity.
Danielle: You're welcome. You're a great guest. Thank you.
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