Descriptive tests
Descriptive analysis is considered the most sophisticated method in the sensory tool box. When used with a well trained taste panel and with an appropriate list of attributes, it can highlight small differences among products, be the bridge between consumer liking scores and the underlying chemical compounds in the product.
I can offer descriptive analysis on any product of processed food, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and beverages.
- I can run projects with our own panel of tasters.
- I can train tasters and perform the analyses at your facility.
- I can run consumer tests with rapid descriptive methods
Descriptive analysis with external tasters
The members of the taste panel will undergo thorough training, which would typically involve 6 - 20 hours, depending on the task. The tasters are introduced with a rough list of attributes, and will work on the list until it includes all possible characteristics of the products being tested, with detailed definitions, and physical standards. The training is finalized when all tasters show agreement in how to define and use these attributes on a scale.
The data is collected on tablets, by using a sensory software program, and the results are analyzed with a range of statistical methods.
Descriptive analysis with your panel
You can choose to use workers at your facility, to be trained and perform the analysis.
The advantages of using your tasters could be the extra expertise and knowledge they have obtained about your product's properties, that tasters outside the facility would be ignorant about. The disadvantage could be the hours spent on training and in analyzing the products, and not on ordinary tasks at the facility.
"Descriptive analysis" with consumers
Consumers can be used to describe sensory characters in products, as long as the products are clearly different.
Today there are many rapid methods being used to collect the consumers' way of describing the sensory aspects of a product.
Depending on your needs, these tests can be facilitated for you.