An expert tasting panel is the only tool that enables you to accurately and reliably visualize the sensory characteristics of your product. The sensory profiles obtained by the panel of samplers, experts in your product, will allow you to understand and compare its sensory properties. You will be able to compare different samples of the same product or see how much your product differs from competing products and in what way.
A expert tasting panel will allow you to:
- Understand the sensory characteristics of your products
- Accurately analyze the differences and/or similarities between your products and those of your competitors (texture, aromatic profile, etc.)
- Find out how the sensory characteristics of your products and those of your competitors evolve throughout their shelf life.
- Compare and evaluate products made on different production lines
- Evaluate and understand possible causes of sensory complaints from consumers
If sensory analysis already forms part of your usual controls, it is good practice to consider the reliability of these controls:
- Are the people who make up the panel properly qualified?
- Is the methodology you are using the most appropriate in terms of efficiency and reliability (type of test, parameters checked, etc.)?
- Could the test conditions (number and quantity of samples, preparation and presentation of samples, equipment, etc.) become a source of error?
Having a panel of expert samplers can help you improve the productivity and reliability of these tools. Adapting to your needs, we can implement an advanced selection and training program for your samplers, a fully custom-designed project. In general, this comprises the following stages:
- Advice on the characteristics and management of the sensory panel: definition of responsibilities, resources employed, etc. Advice and participation in the design of a standardized tasting room suitable for the objectives set.
- Training of the Panel Director: principles, methodology, tests, processing of results, controlling the reliability of the samplers, etc.
- Recruitment of samplers, based on their availability, motivation and personal and professional characteristics.
- Selection of samplers: design and execution of tests aimed at the selection of previously recruited samplers, based on the absence of sensory alterations, their sensitivity and discriminative capacity, sensory memory, motivation, personality, etc.
- Training: design and execution of specific tests aimed at increasing the ability of samplers to identify stimuli, learn to differentiate between samples, homogenize vocabulary, etc.
- Control of panel reliability: tests are carried out to check the performance of the panel, both individually and collectively, focused on improving panel performance.
- Sensory panel documentation: the project is carried out within the framework of a quality system with procedures and instructions for the management and operation of the panel.
All these stages are carried out by an independent company, specialized in sensory analysis and with extensive experience in training and managing panels of samplers. If you are interested in having a panel of expert samplers for your products in your company, please contact us. We would be happy to prepare a proposal for collaboration adapted to your products.