Abstract

This Second Edition of Sensory Evaluation Practices provides the background and understanding necessary to make informed decisions about managing a sensory evaluation program, designing tests, and interpreting and reporting results. The authors have been in the sensory management consulting business for more than 20 years and bring their expertise to the enthusiastic and comprehensive revision of this invaluable book. Sensory evaluation of a product is the measurement of what is perceived about that product—not only in terms of its efficacy, but also by the more subtle influences of sight, smell, taste, touch, and where applicable, sound. A key benefit from this exciting and quantitative science is cost reduction in product reformulation due to the ability to evaluate a product's consumer acceptance in the marketplace.

• Reveals changes in the field, particularly in the business view of sensory evaluation as a product information source
• Clarifies the relationships between product specialists/experts and sensory panels, between sensory and market research , and between study of perception and sensory evaluation of products
• Includes discussion of test requests and their "hidden agenda" product selection, and the relative merits of testing products from different (laboratory, pilot plant, production) sources
• Introduces two new methods of quantitative descriptive analysis and an investigation of the merits of product specific versus global panels
• Discusses affective testing and the advantages of various methods including testing with children, the interaction between sensory and market research, the use of employees versus non-employees, and the effect of the number of judgments on product decisions