RAMADHAN AND FOODS AND DRINKS PRODUCT TESTING
Oleh Administrator | Kamis, 2 Februari 2023
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, and one common question we get is this: Is it OK to do a food or drink product testing during Ramadhan? For many of us Indonesians, the answer is of course very obvious: no (or maybe sometimes, yes? I know some people still do foods and drinks home used test in Ramadhan, much to my amazement).
What is this fasting that we do in the month of Ramadhan? To put it simply: we do not eat nor drink from dusk to dawn, or from Subuh to Maghrib. It goes on for a month, or 30 days. What does fasting do to you? I don't mean faith related but more to your mind and body. Well, three main things happen (and this is based on my personal chats with friends and family over the years, not formal research):
1. The palate becomes more sensitive. When you don't eat nor drink for the whole day, when it is time to break your fast, you become sensitive. Sweetness, saltiness, umami, spiciness - all become elevated when one finally breaks one's fast.
2. Fasting tells your brain to get satiated easily. It is true that for many, every food or drinks one can think of, is sometimes (or often times) bought to be enjoyed when breaking the fast. But, in actual fact, once you eat or drink a little, you are satiated enough. It is because of this principle that intermittent fasting now becomes a hype, because of the way it helps to train the mind to eat less. Once one is satiated, it becomes difficult to taste well.
3. When one is not allowed to eat nor drink for at least 13 hours, daily, for 30 days, any food and drink becomes some sort of a gift. One feels MORE thankful than how he or she is in regular days.
What do all those have to do with product testing? Well I got question like this too: But can't we still do foods and drinks testing after breaking the fast? My answer is still, NO!, why?
1. When one's palate is more sensitive, guess what it does to your product? Yes, if something is missing e.g. sweetness, saltiness, spiciness or whatever it is you are testing, consumers may not be able to detect. Or, it may even get enhanced than it actually is.
2. After the whole day of not eating or drinking, will you be happy to be given something to eat or drink? Take a guess. Doing product testing during Ramadhan may only give you good result simply because people just feel grateful, or they do not feel right to say anything negative (when they are given something for free!).
3. And after breaking the fast, the mind may have already told one that he or she is full already and lose its ability to taste well. One may still want to eat an hour after that, but will you want to do product testing at 7pm? And if you do the product testing right after breaking the fast, see point 1 and 2.
Thus Ramadhan is NOT a normal month. Doing foods and drinks product testing during this month WILL NOT give you true results, the results may mislead you. So please, don't do it.
Written by Riri
