What is Sensory?

What is Sensory Evaluation?

“A scientific method used to evoke, measure, analyze and interpret those responses to products as perceived through the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing”. (Institute of Food Technology 1975)

What is Sensory Evaluation?
  • Sensory evaluation uses humans as instruments to analyze the sensory properties of foods, drinks, and many consumer products
  • For foods and beverages, that typically means evaluating taste, aroma, flavor, and texture
  • Visual and auditory are also important attributes 
Sensory as a Science

The role of Sensory Science is two-fold:

  • Use humans to measure sensory attributes of food and beverages
  • Use "foods" to gain fundamental insight into human perception
  • Draws on expertise from biology, psychology, experimental design, and statistics
Sensory Evaluation Supports:
  • Product development 
  • Product mapping 
  • Product matching
  • Product improvement 
  • Competitor evaluation
  • Cost reduction
  • Ingredient replacement 
  • Shelf-life Studies 
Sensory evaluation is not exclusively for foods
  • Cosmetics
  • Perfumes
  • Consumer products
  • Detergents 
  • Oral care products
  • Textiles
  • Clothing
  • Animal foods, ect.

 

Advances in the fields of taste, olfaction and somatosensation have changed our understanding of the way humans perceive foods and beverage