THE TASTE LAB
SENSORY & CONSUMER RESEARCH
THE TASTE LAB
THE TASTE LAB SENSORY & CONSUMER RESEARCH THE TASTE LAB
The Taste Lab is a sensory agency based out of Stockholm, with operations across Scandinavia, specialised in sensory consumer testing. We support many of the major FMCG industry players with high-end quantitate and qualitative data as a vital part of the product development process.
When Johan Swahn, Ph.D. in Sensory Science & Marketing and Assistant Professor at Örebro University, founded The Taste Lab he did so with a desire to both inspire and educate the industry, emphasising that sustainable food choices stem from optimal taste.
With more than 16 years of FMCG expertise, our sensory and consumer research practices—including sensory testing, product testing, and concept testing—are designed to make your products stand out.
Our team of leading experts in sensory science and innovation are taste pioneers and committed to transforming ideas into success, working closely with product developers and brand managers to craft outstanding food products.
Let’s partner up and unleash superior taste!
In the News
Highlighting some of the projects and talks our founder Johan Swahn has done surrounding sensory science research and taste.
Publications
Mossberg, L., Gustafsson, I & B., Jonsäll, A., Öström, Å., & Swahn, J. (2014). Sensorik och marknadsföring: Studentlitteratur.
Awarded Marketing Book of the Year 2014
Swahn, J., & Nilsen, A. (2023). ‘Sounds salty!’ How a soundtrack affects the liking and perception of the salty balance in bread. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 100718. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100718
Herdenstam, A. P. F., Kurtser, P., Swahn, J., & Arunachalam, A. (2022). Nature versus machine: A pilot study using a semi-trained culinary panel to perform sensory evaluation of robot-cultivated basil affected by mechanically induced stress. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 29, 100578. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2022.100578
Larsson, U., & Swahn, J. (2011). Green Frames: A Semantic Study in the Lexicon of Babyleaf Salad. Studia neophilologica, 83(2), 149-168. doi:10.1080/00393274.2011.603905
Swahn, J., Mossberg, L., Gustafsson, I & B., A., Öström, Å. (2012). Sensory description labels for food affect consumer product choice. European Journal of Marketing, 46 (11/12), 1628-1646. doi:doi:10.1108/03090561211260013
Swahn, J., Öström, Å., Larsson, U., & Gustafsson, I.-B. (2010). Sensory and Semantic Language Model för Red Apples. Journal of Sensory Studies, 25(4), 591-615. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00296.x
Upcoming Scientific Publications, Drafts
Swahn, J., Å., Öström., Petterson, N., & Andrén, D. (2023). Nudged by a Bowl! The Impact of Plate ware on Overall Liking, Emotions and Perceived Healthiness.
Swahn, J., & Nilsen, A. (2023). Sweet and bitter soundtracks influence overall liking and perception of sweet and bitter balance (“just about right”) for ganache with different levels of sugar. Submitted, Food Quality and Preference
Swahn, J., Jansson, A., Nilsson, E., & Albrektsson, O. (2023). A Descriptive Sensory Analysis of House Cricket (Acheta Domesticus) with Different Food Diets.