Co-creation: a relevant tool for the development of a functional dairy product for consumers with and without Gluten Restriction

In the context of new product development, co-creation is a collaborative activity in which consumers take an active role in the design and selection of products to be launched on the market. By actively involving the target audience, it is a promising strategy for optimizing the acceptance and success of new products, ensuring that consumer expectations are met. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the co-creation process on sensory acceptance and purchase intention of a probiotic Greek yogurt for individuals with and without gluten consumption restrictions. A probiotic Greek yogurt was developed in a co-creation model using the stages of sensitization and exploration, followed by prototyping and validation.  In partnership with ACELBRA-RJ, sensitization was carried out at the event “Gluten-free, no limits,” selecting 31 consumers with gluten restrictions (aged 20-35, 60% women and 40% men) were selected to proceed to the exploration stage, in which they filled out a structured form and, through a mediator, answered questions related to the project's objective and were presented with dairy matrices and ingredients. Both stages focused on the prototype produced, a Greek yogurt with added probiotic bacteria, strawberry, and honey. Validation was performed by sensory analysis with 100 participants (aged 18-45, 50 with restrictions and 50 without restrictions), using a nine-point hedonic scale (1 = “extremely dislike” to 9 = “extremely like”) to evaluate appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall acceptance, and a binomial scale (yes/no) for purchase intention. Sensory analysis revealed high scores for all attributes evaluated in both groups. In the case of those with restrictions, 8.58; 8.32; 8.51; 8.24 and 8.58, p >0.05, respectively; and for those without restrictions, 8.38; 8.27; 8.44; 8.30 and 8.58, p >0.05, respectively. Regarding purchase intention, 100% of consumers indicated that they would buy the product. The product demonstrated great market potential, validating the use of co-creation as a strategy for innovation in functional foods, particularly probiotic dairy products, and for meeting the demands of consumers with and without gluten restrictions.