Enabling
Innovation
Getting Started
With Sensory
Evaluation
Introduction
I want to do some sensory….
What do you want to find out ?
What will you use data for?
What actions will you take in response to data?
Introduction
TasteSoundTrigeminal
sensations
Aromas
Sight
Mouthfeel
&
SENSORY
RESPONSES
SUBJECTIVE
Opinions
Preferences
Expectations
OBJECTIVE
Differences /similarities
Descriptions
Intensity
Goods in
Market awareness / competitor analysis
CONSUMERS
Existing Product Development (EPD)
Manufacturing process
Quality Monitoring (QA / QC)
New Product Development (NPD)
Storage
Sales
Purchasing
Shelf life determination
FACTORY
CONSUMERS
Preference Tests
Descriptive Test
Benchmarking Test
Discrimination Tests
Descriptive Tests
Discrimination /Descriptive Tests
Raw material spec: Sensory parameters
Product Sensory spec
Focus group
Preference Tests
Marketing Descriptive Test
Process Control
FACTORY
CONSUMERS
Product Sensory spec
Acceptance Tests Discrimination Tests
Customer Sensory spec
Label descriptions /advertisingDifference from control tests
Can people notice the change
made?
CONSUMERS
Goods in
Market awareness / competitor analysis
CONSUMERS
Existing Product Development (EPD)
Manufacturing process
Quality Monitoring (QA / QC)
New Product Development (NPD)
Storage
Sales
Purchasing
Shelf life determination
FACTORY
CONSUMERS
Preference Tests
Descriptive Test
Benchmarking Test
Discrimination Tests
Raw material spec: Sensory parameters
Product Sensory spec
Focus group
Preference Tests
Marketing Descriptive Test
Process Control
FACTORYProduct Sensory spec
Acceptance Tests Discrimination Tests
Customer Sensory spec
Label descriptions /advertising
What are consumer
expectations? How does my product taste
compared to the
competition?
Which does the consumer
prefer?
Does the consumer like this
? And by how much ?
Which does the consumer
prefer?
Can people notice the change
made?
Discrimination /Descriptive TestsHow long before it tastes
different?
Is it consistent to last batch?
Descriptive TestsHow is it different? Informs
root cause analysis.
Difference from control tests
Is this adequate quality? Hold
/ release decisions.
How is my product
effected by the supply
chain? ‘Buy backs’
How to use sensory as a
selling point ?
Research & Controlled Studies
Sensory evaluation for SMEs – market awareness
Benchmarking posh
chocolates - Christmas
Market:
Sensory evaluation for SMEs – sorting based on sensory profile
Cider “Napping” –
Dad’s Dining Room
Table
Sensory evaluation for SMEs – looking for a difference
Discrimination Test, Apple Juice - Bramley
Apple Festival Southwell Minister
Sensory evaluation for SMEs – checking there’s no difference
Triangle Test, Botanical
Extracts –
At a grower / supplier’s farm office,
Hungary
Sensory evaluation for SMEs – Descriptive Profile & Ranking Test
Part 1: Beer Profiling
– Pub in Derby (local
beer drinkers)
Part 2: Beer Ranking
– My Dining Room
Table!
Practical – Basic Taste Recognition
You will taste solutions of the basic tastes using store cupboard
ingredients.
Do not contain:
• any of the official allergens as listed in 1169/2011
• alcohol
Vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE YOU DON’T WANT TO CONSUME
TELL ME NOW …
Basic Tastes - Recognition Test
Answers
658
705
319
548
536
310
Discrimination Tests – THE TRIANGLE TEST
Scenario: Artisan Elderflower drink
Production Manager: “I can make an efficiency saving by changing the process”.
Owner: “Great, but won’t that affect the flavour of the drink…. ?”
Technical Manager: “The difference from trial runs is certainly not that huge…”
Golden Rules for Sensory
PEOPLE:
1. Use a group of people to make sensory assessments.
2. Be aware of individual differences in detection / perception.
3. Avoid coffee, mouth wash and smoking 2 hours before assessment.
4. Use palate cleansers:
(and leave time to palate
cleanse).
6. Don’t do too many
samples / have breaks.
7. Due diligence –
food safety.
Samples type tested Palate cleanser
Most products
Products with strong flavours or tastes that might persiste.g.: beer bitterness / spicy food / artificial sweeteners
Still, unchlorinated water (not mineral water).
+ Plain crackers/ water biscuits. Unflavoured, no salt.
For spicy food – milk.
Fatty /creamy / oily products Slice bland apple (e.g: Gala)
Products high in astringency
e.g.: tea (other products high in polyphenols –cider, rhubarb, cranberry juice)
0.1% pectin solution
Piece of melon
Golden Rules for Sensory
SAMPLES
4. CONSISTENT – size / shape / format / sample container / temperature
5. REPRESENTATIVE of batch / product
ENVIRONMENT
6. Avoid distraction
odours
conferring
7. Get out of factory wherever possible.
Golden Rules for Sensory - Sample Presentation
Create your own Random 3 digit numbers in Excel:
=RANDBETWEEN(1,999)
Triangle Test:
Golden Rules for Sensory - Sample Presentation
Labelling is inconsistent, draws attention to one sample.
Golden Rules for Sensory - Sample Presentation
Again different manner of labelling - font, colour, number of digits.
Different sample sizes – bias / not enough to evaluate for some
samples, too much to drink in others.
Golden Rules for Sensory - Sample Presentation
Golden Rules for Sensory - Sample Presentation
Golden Rules for Sensory - Sample Presentation
Same cups
Same labels
Same label position
3 digit random codes
All contain same amount:
30ml.
Practical – Triangle Test
Elderflower drink contains:
Water, sugar, lemon juice, fresh elderflowers, citric acid.
Does not contain:
• any of the official allergens as listed in 1169/2011
• alcohol
Vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
Discrimination Tests – THE TRIANGLE TEST
• Often called a DISCRIMINATION / OVERALL DIFFERENCE TEST.
• “In general (using all senses) can you tell a difference between 2 samples”.
• Common situations: INGREDIENT CHANGE. PROCESS CHANGE.
• Allows you to declare if the samples are SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT or not.
• Does NOT allow you to say the samples are ‘SIMILAR’ where a significant
difference is found.
• Typically you have already determined that the samples pretty close in profile
and you want some data to decide one way or the other.
• Good number of people to use: 24 – 30 (most balanced : nos. divisible by 6)
Discrimination Tests – THE TRIANGLE TEST: Set up
• BALANCED DESIGN reduces bias.
• 6 possible orders of presentation:
where A = test sample
B = control sample
• BEST PRATICE:
Give first 6 people one each of the above; then repeat each presentation
order an equal number of times.
• Get organised – make a plan….
A A B
A B A
B A A
B B A
B A B
A B B
Discrimination Tests – THE TRIANGLE TEST: Results Analysis
Number of respondents from your test Number of people needed to correctly
identify the different sample in order to
declare a significant difference (p =
0.05; 95% confidence level)
6 5
7 5
8 6
9 6
10 7
11 7
12 8
13 8
14 9
15 9
16 9
17 10
18 10
19 11
20 11
21 12
22 12
23 12
24 13
25 13
26 14
27 14
28 15
29 15
30 15
31 16
32 16
33 17
34 17
35 17
36 18
… …
Critical Value Table for Triangle Test Data AnalysisData source: BS ISO 4120:2004 Triangle Test
95% confidence level • Typical for food industry sensory
• Only a 5% risk that you wrongly conclude the samples are different.
orYou are 95% confident of the conclusion fromthe test.
Discrimination Tests – A SME Difference from Control Test
QA during production
- e.g: raw materials /
intermediates
…preventative
QC finished product
…hold / release decision
IS THE PRODUCT / RAW MATERIAL
‘IN SPECIFICATION’ ?
IS THE PRODUCT / RAW
MATERIAL CONSISTENT WITH
PREVIOUS BATCHES?
IS THERE A DETECTABLE FAULT?
} Shelf – life testing NPD /
EPD
…determine BBE
Buy back testing
….QC once in supply chain
…pick up misuse / abuse
IS THE PRODUCT STILL RECOGNISABLE /
REPRESENTATIVE OF BRAND?
Discrimination Tests – A SME Difference from Control Test
Control / Reference Point Test samples
….Brand std.
Sample
OR
Documented
Standard
- Spec.
- QAS
- Photos
People – know product well / trained
Discrimination Tests – A SME Difference from Control Test – Set up
IN SPECIFICATION ACCEPTABLE OUT OF SPECIFICATION
A scoring system : assesses & decision making
RELEASE REJECT
Sensory
profile
matches
control
Profile
close but
some
variation
Taint
Off flavour
Different
profile
RELEASE
Root Cause Analysis
PRACTICAL – Basic Different from Control Test
Scenario: Daily QA Taste Panel in Brewery
Sample ingredient list:
Water, BARLEY malt, rice, hops.
• Remember to include Hidden Controls sometimes.
Validates Method
Validates Panel Ability
• Include a space for descriptive comment.
• Can develop a number of scales for key attributes.
Discrimination Tests – summary
• Are OBJECTIVE TESTs – no opinions / emotions involved!
• Who ? People from the company.
• Triangle Test is a commonly used overall difference test when you have 2
samples to test for general differences.
• Difference from Control Test is commonly used in QA/QC. Compare multiple
samples to a reference (specification/control sample) for overall difference.
• Paired Comparison Test is used for a specific attribute test when you have 2
samples to test for a difference in specific attribute (eg: which sample is
sweeter?).
• Ranking Test is used to test for difference of specific attribute test when there
are 3 or more samples.
Consumer Testing - PRACTICAL
Scenario: Acceptance test – Cloudy premium apple juice
I’ve just inherited an orchard, there are loads of apples, I’ve had some juice
made. I think it tastes wonderful! I’m going to start a business…
1) Do consumers like the taste of my new juice? Why ? and by how much?
2) Is it sweet enough for them ? (I could store the fruit, press later; make it sweeter)
3) How does their opinion of my
juice compare to their opinion
for competitor juices?
4) Will people buy my juice?
Consumer tests – general rules
PEOPLE:
Who ? :
How many ? :
Everything we said on slide 15 about people applies.
ENVIRONMENT:
Where?:
SAMPLES & PRESENTATION:
Safe, representative, consistent, 3 digit random codes, balanced presentation
orders…
Branding ?/ Not?
TARGET MARKET CONSUMERS
THE MORE THE BETTER – AT LEAST 100
SPECIFIC VENUE WITH INVITES or SHOWS/FESTIVALS/MARKETS
Context will affect the result you get.
Consumer Testing - PRACTICAL
Shall I do a preference test against Copella ?
What would that show us?
Whether the consumers prefer mine more than Copella’s.
What wouldn’t it show us?
Whether they like my juice at all. Preferable = not necessarily likeable.
How much they do or don’t like my juice in its own right.
How big the difference is between their liking for mine and Copella’s.
If they’ll buy it. Whether the sweetness level is perfect; only if preferable/not.
Consumer Testing – PRACTICAL – ACCEPTANCE TEST
ACCEPTANCE TEST will allow me to:
See if & how much they like:
a) my juice.
b) Copella juice. …..in their own right /against expectations.
Ask some more questions to understand key attributes important to product.
Each sample 1 by 1 + 9 point category scale:
“Please taste the sample & indicate your opinion by ticking a box below”
Consumer Testing – PRACTICAL – ACCEPTANCE TEST
Sample ingredient list:
Apples, ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Does not contain:
• any of the official allergens as listed in 1169/2011
• alcohol
Vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
Consumer Testing – PRACTICAL – ACCEPTANCE TEST
Diagnosis questions:
2) Comment: “Please explain why you scored it as you did?”
(I have not yet influenced them).
3) Just About Right scale: Sweetness (specific attribute)
“Please indicate by circling below, your opinion on the sweetness of the juice?”
(I have now influenced them, but I captured their unbiased thoughts first! So OK to ask this at this
point).
Consumer Testing - PRACTICAL– ACCEPTANCE TEST
1) Do consumers like the taste of my new juice? Why ? and by how much?
2) Is it sweet enough for them ? (I could store the fruit, press later; make it sweeter)
3) How does their opinion of my
juice compare to their opinion
for competitor juices?
4) Will people buy my juice?
How to improve design?
Consumer Testing -– ACCEPTANCE TEST - Results
Basic analysis results:
1) FREQUENCY of responses to each LIKING or JAR CATEGORY added up.
2) CALCULATE MODAL CATEGORY most frequently selected category.
3) PLOT GRAPHS
4) LOOK AT TRENDS - generally liking / disliking
5) TALLY COMMENTS > SEE TRENDS > USE TO EXPLAIN TRENDS
More advanced analysis:
• Statistical testing for significant difference can be applied.
Consumer Testing -– ACCEPTANCE TEST - Results
Consumer Testing - ACCEPTANCE TEST – Sum up
ACCEPTANCE TEST useful for:
1) Testing out NEW / NOVEL product on own or multiple recipes.
2) BENCHMARKING against competition.
3) Can add WHY? questions – discover KEY DRIVERS LIKING
….. drivers you weren’t thinking about
With packaging Do they like the
packaging and
branding ? How
much?
Will they try it ?
With packaging &
price & context
Is everything meeting
expectations?
Will they buy it?
Blind samples
No packaging
Do they like its
sensory properties?
How much?
Will they repeat
purchase ?
Wording & order
questions CRITICAL!
Descriptive Tests
• Putting words to sensory sensations, so you can
communicate about the product to others:
1) CHARACTERISE the product in detail
2) DEFINABLE
3) RELEVANT to those using the data
• Describes the facts ; no opinion.
• Sensory description important for: 1) specifications
2) quality attribute sheets
Often useful for marketing
Descriptive analysis – A qualitative profiling method for SMEs
PEOPLE:
Who ? :
How many ? :
Everything we said on slide 15 about people, sample presentation, consistency
applies.
Familiar / experienced with product.
Interested / willing.
People already good at verbalising sensations
6 - 8
Writing marketing material – consumers > consumer language.
Writing a specification – employees > language familiar to those in QA.
Pre-screening questionnaire
Descriptive analysis – A qualitative profiling method for SMEs
Scenario: Qualitative descriptive profiling – Crisps
A crisp manufacturer wants to characterise their new crisp product in order to
create a sensory description for a specification and quality attribute sheet.
Ingredient list/ special dietary info:
1st sample – Potatoes, sunflower oil, sea salt. Gluten free.
These chips are suitable for vegans.
2nd sample - Potato, high oleic sunflower oil (33%), salt.
Descriptive analysis – A qualitative profiling method for SMEs
1) GENERATE WORDS – ALONE – note down in grid provided.
2) DISCUSS as a group.
3) DEFINE the words.
Name reference benchmarks > training
4) REFINE TERMS – merge common descriptors.
5) KEEP A TALLY – no. of times a word is used by multiple people
Common usage > key attribute
A Basic Sensory Specification
Appearance:
Aroma:
Taste & flavour:
Mouthfeel/texture/trigeminal:
Aftertaste:
Basic Sensory Profile : X brand Ready Salted CrispsThis qualitative profile represents brand standard quality.
More Advanced Sensory Specification
Traffic Light Sensory Specification: X brand Ready Salted Crisps
BRAND STANDARD QUALITY ACCEPTABLE – for release UNACCEPTABLE – reject
Appearance
Aroma
Taste &
flavour
Trigeminal
sensations
Mouthfeel/
Texture
Aftertaste
Insert
photo
Insert
photo
Insert
photo
Descriptive analysis – A qualitative profiling method for SMEs
Descriptive
Profile
Key sensory properties
Acceptance
Test Data
How much liked
& why
Your product.
Competing
products
POWERFUL STUFF!!
• Market awareness.
• Informed product development.
properties to create
properties to avoid
In Summary
• You can get a lot of info. from some very simple tests, on a low budget.
• Have a clear objective and a good plan.
• Do everything possible to reduce bias in:
Samples
Way test is conducted
• Use the most appropriate people for each test & use as many as possible -
remember about individual differences in sensory acuity & perception.
• Give the people best possible environment to make good measurements for you.
• Practice required to aid descriptive ability – you & employees.
• Sensory evaluation has benefits operationally & commercially.
Other Sensory Workshops
For more detail:
19th September 2018
Sensory Evaluation Course
• Accredited by Institute of
Food Science and Technology.
• Exam to get an IFST certificate.
Please take a flyer ….
Further Work
For more information on sensory evaluation
or
bespoke sensory work
free to SMEs in
Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire
contact:
Alice Jones – Sensory Scientist
University of Nottingham
0115 951 6739
www.foodinnovationcentre.co.uk
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