Stay safe in your vehicle: Drive-in booths can be an alternative to indoor booths for laboratory sensory testing

Seo, Han-Seok Buffin Kyle Singh Asmita Beekman Thadeus L.; Jarma Arroyo, Sara E.

Sensory professionals are limited in conducting sensory evaluation at indoor facilities during the current COVID-19 pandemic period. However, they are eager to find alternative methods for safely continuing sensory evaluation because it is a critical operation component both in food and non-food industries. As an alternative to indoor sensory booths, this study proposes drive-in booths where panelists evaluate test samples in their own vehicles. This study aimed at determining whether a drive-in booth (DIB) environment could be an effective alternative for a laboratory sensory booth (LSB) environment by comparing the two conditions with respect to sensory and emotional responses, participant engagement in sensory evaluation, and participant feelings of safety from the risk of COVID-19 virus during sensory evaluation. A total of 106 consumers evaluated four beverage samples in terms of sensory, hedonic, and emotional aspects both in traditional sensory booths and in their own vehicles. They rated the levels of engagement in sensory evaluation and feeling of safety during sensory evaluation in both test conditions. Overall, the two test conditions did not differ in terms of sensory, hedonic, and emotional responses to the beverage samples. Differentiation patterns based on sensory and/or emotional responses to the four beverage samples were also similar between the two conditions. While participants in the LSB condition showed more involvement and attention toward sample evaluation using their senses, they rated the DIB condition as being more consistent with real-world experience. They also felt safer during sensory evaluation in the DIB condition than in the LSB condition, leading them to be more engaged in the sensory evaluation. This study concluded that the drive-in booth condition can be a valid substitute when the laboratory sensory booth condition is unavailable because of risks from test environmental factors such as those that may be encountered during pandemic or epidemic periods.