Sensory analysis is the process in which panelists use their senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing to determine the texture, flavour, taste, appearance, smell and similar characteristics of a product or food. Such analyses have been used for centuries to accept or reject food products.
Sensory analysis has always been considered in the past as a methodology that complements technological and microbiological safety when assessing food quality. However, its significant evolution and impact in recent years have made it one of the most important methodologies in terms of ensuring final product acceptance by consumers.
Alongside traditional sensory techniques such as discriminatory, descriptive assessments and tests, which are still widely used today, newer, faster and more complete techniques are being developed. Sensory analysis, together with consumer research, is currently considered by industry and researchers as one of the most useful tools at different stages of new product development, from design to commercialization, to improve the quality of products and to ensure the success of innovation in market adoption among consumers.
Sensory evaluation is a scientific discipline used to evoke, measure, analyze and interpret the response to the properties of food material as perceived by the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. Sensory attributes of food quality are measured to determine consumer acceptance or preference in order to produce an acceptable and effective product at maximum production economy.
The main sensory qualities are:
The evaluation is done to determine the quality criteria by which raw materials and finished products can be graded and classified. Sensory techniques help food scientists determine the conformity of a food to established national and international standards, food grades and product development while maintaining the desired sensory characteristics.
The sensory assessment technique uses humans as data generators, hence is influenced by cultural, psychological, religious, social and climatic factors, physical and educational status of an individual, availability and nutritional knowledge. To minimize the effects of such factors, highly trained expert groups are employed in the assessment.
Sensory science is a multidisciplinary field encompassing a wide variety of established and newly developed tests for documenting human responses to stimuli. Sensory testing is not limited to the field of food science, but finds wide application in various areas of the food science arena.
Sensory tests are divided into two basic groups:
Analytical tests are typically product-focused, while emotional tests are typically consumer-focused. Selecting the appropriate test is critical for actionable results.
Sensory analysis involves the development and use of principles and methods to measure human responses to products and ingredients. These principles and methods have a wide range of applications for a variety of products, including foods, beverages, tobacco, home care, and personal care products. A common element in these tasks is the use of humans as evaluators. This connection suggests the proximity of sensory evaluation to, and even its reliance on, the behavioral and social sciences—the human evaluator. Behavioral research in perception, learning, cognition, psychophysics, and psychometrics underlies the principles and methods used by sensory scientists today.
Sensory evaluation is a relatively new specialization as a scientific discipline and therefore has the advantage of using existing knowledge from mature and related sciences such as physiology, mathematics and psychology.
There are essentially four basic types of sensory tests: emotional, discriminatory, descriptive, or quality tests. The classification of sensory tests into one of these four categories depends on the purpose of the test, the participant selection criteria, and the specific task required of each participant. Misuse of sensory assessment often begins with failure to recognize that these test categories are distinctly different in terms of objectives, subjects, and task requirements.
Among the numerous testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies that our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, it also provides testing services within the scope of sensory analysis with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.
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