Evaluation of consumption behavior during mealtime using network analysis

This is the first study to establish the methodology to visualize consumption behavior of beverages and Japanese cuisine using network analysis. We conducted a novel experiment to analyze consumption behavior using non-alcoholic beverages and Japanese cuisine as samples in a situation similar to actual mealtime . The experiment involved the following steps: (1) Capture a moving image of an assessor having a meal, and record the consumption behavior; (2) Perform a network analysis on the consumption behavior recorded, and visualize the relationship between a beverage and a cuisine; and (3) Calculate the dominance rate of consumption behavior and construct band plots for the visualization of meal flow. The results offered new insights into consumption behavior during mealtime, including understanding consumer behavior, which plays a central role during mealtime, and quantitatively and visually understanding the flow of the meal. The results revealed that consumption behavior differed, depending on the type of beverage provided with Japanese cuisine. In particular, the consumption of green tea played a significant role during mealtime; it was frequently consumed when moving from one dish to another. As stated above, the methodology established in this study provides new information on consumption behavior during mealtime.