Consumers have lost trust in certain foods as a consequence of recent contamination events. Typicality is part of the Designation of Origin (PDO / Pillages) concept developed in the EU and a likely route to regain consumers' trust. It guarantees some organoleptic qualities and implies particular properties which may help to reduce consumers' risk perception by reinforcing intelligibletraceability. EU consumers will use consumer science and marketing approaches to identify the essential characteristics of typical food products from the consumers' viewpoint, and to determine the factors that motivate preference of these products. Objective qualities of typical food products will be assessed by sensory and chemical analysis and related to the consumers' perceived attributes. This multi-disciplinary approach will provide input for recommendations of strategies to construct typicality along the food chain.