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D. J. HOLDEN, The Coca-Cola Co., P.O. Drawer 1734, TEC 517, Atlanta, GA 30301

With the growing number of global food and related businesses, it is imperative for many in the food industry to conduct research in a variety of cultures and countries. Food is one of the most challenging categories given the wide array of food choices and preferences world-wide. Understanding what drives consumer preferences in markets is what insures successful products. Understanding the challenges in vendor selection, logistics, questionnaire design, study protocol, and sample manufacture insures that the projects to obtain that information are managed successfully.

Vendors must have both expertise and capacity to not only recruit, execute, and collect data, but also have the ability to work with those foreign to the culture as business partners. Logistics of shipping and clearing customs play an important role in meeting timetables. Strategies must be developed to cover the wide array of executions. This includes how the respondent is recruited, local customs, scheduling supervision, equipment for product preparation, and local customs.

Translation issues are formidable. Collected data must be standardized into a common format. Finally, the protocols must be determined which take into account normal usage or consumption practices.

The process is not totally controlled at the point of testing. Other issues include sample manufacture and product acquisition, maintaining common sources of ingredients, and regulatory issues.

Attention to detail and an openness to work within the confines of other cultures while not compromising good research practices will enable the collection of reliable, reproducible information.