Sensory Evaluation

Robust sensory methodoloy is key in answering questions of interest: Are products perceptually different; how do products differ in specific sensory attributes; how well liked are products or which are preferred.

Needing to make an ingredient switch to a product or a change in processing and want to know if your consumers perceive a difference?

Perhaps you’re wanting to reduce the amount of a certain ingredient in your product and want to know if it results in sensory changes. By utilising CASS expertise in sensory evaluation methods, you can gain valuable insights into the changes of your product. We provide easy to understand reports, with a solid data analysis and clear recommendations, giving your company the confidence to make data driven business decisions.

A key resource at CASS is our descriptive analysis panel which utilises humans as analytical instruments. The CASS descriptive analysis panel consists of n=8-16 highly trained panellists who objectively describe and quantify sensory attributes. Over the years, our panellists have provided invaluable insights into the characterisation and flavour profiling of food items including fruit and vegetables, fish, seafood and meat, infant formula, rice and even beauty and personal hygiene products including toilet paper!

Capabilities

Our robust sensory evaluation methods can help answer your questions of interest.

Create well rounded profiles of your product to:

Generate a complete sensory profile of your product. This can include initial assessment, flavour, texture, aroma, aftertaste, chemical irritation.
Better understand sensory changes of your product when stored under different conditions.
Compare sensory profiles of competitor products to understand difference in offerings.
Monitor consistency during production and identify small product differences.
Determine any discernible changes that may occur during product reformulation.
Monitor the shelf-life of the product to identify small or large changes in its profile over time.

The CASS descriptive analysis panel consists of n=8-14 screened and trained engaged assessors. Each member of our panel has over 200 hours of training and testing experience.

Shelf-life testing is an important step for product quality maintenance and consumer acceptance. Using one of, or a combination of discrimination, descriptive or hedonic tests, CASS can assist with determining a suitable shelf-life of your product.

The texture of food is important as it is an indicator of quality. Texture also plays a role in influencing consumer preferences of food. CASS has expertise in investigating the link between an individual’s acceptance/preference of a particular food, and how they experience the texture.

Replacing an ingredient or reducing the amount of a certain ingredient might result in sensory differences which can cause dissatisfied consumers. CASS conducts precise difference testing which provides direction to product development about which change in ingredients can and cannot be perceived.

The CASS lab continuously works towards investigating the link between basic and alimentary taste sensitivity, satiety and consumption.

As an example using satiety protocols, CASS determined that individuals who are less sensitive to fat taste consume significantly more energy compared to those who are sensitive to fat taste. The study highlights the importance of investigating the link between non-aromatic, non-volatile constituents that may activate taste receptors in the oral cavity which may go on to play a role in physiological responses such as satiation.

Publication highlights

Developing a strawberry lexicon to describe cultivars at two maturation stages

P Oliver, S Cicerale, E Pang, R Keast
(2018), Vol. 33, pp. 1-9, Journal of sensory studies, Chichester, Eng., C1

Visit Publication

Preference mapping of different water-to-rice ratios in cooked aromatic white jasmine rice

C Maleki, P Oliver, S Lewin, G Liem, R Keast
(2020), Vol. 85, pp. 1576-1585, Journal of food science, Chichester, Eng., C1

Visit Publication

Effect of dietary fat intake and genetics on fat taste sensitivity: a co-twin randomized controlled trial

Andrew Costanzo, Caryl Nowson, Liliana Orellana, Dieuwerke Bolhuis, Konsta Duesing, Russell Keast
(2018), Vol. 107, pp. 683-694, American journal of clinical nutrition, Oxford, England, C1

Visit Publication

A fatty acid mouth rinse decreases self-reported hunger and increases self-reported fullness in healthy Australian adults: A randomized cross-over trial

A Costanzo, C Russell, S Lewin, R Keast
(2020), Vol. 12, pp. 1-13, Nutrients, Basel, Switzerland, C1

Visit Publication

Want to generate a complete sensory profile of your product at hand?

Descriptive analysis uses subjects as analytical instruments to quantify the perceived intensities of the sensory characteristics of a product.

Use the CASS descriptive analysis trained panel to determine the sensory properties of food for optimal consumer acceptance.

GET IN TOUCH