Design and training of panelists for food tastings

What was the challenge or problem to solve?

The organoleptic properties of a food product are essential in its final quality. Therefore, for the development of new processing technologies and new products it is necessary to ensure sensory satisfaction by the end consumer.

However, unlike other analyzes in the food field, the sensory properties are not evaluated through equipment, but require the response in people (either expert tasters or consumers in the everyday world).

Therefore, the client had the need to evaluate the sensory attributes of some food samples, which, in turn, were prepared in different ways.

Design and training of panelists for food tastings

How was it addressed or what was the solution?

Initially, it is necessary to train the tasters in the food to be analyzed. This training consists of familiarizing the properties of the food and its characteristic sensory descriptors.

After the training by the Materials Innovation team, evaluation sessions adapted to the food product were designed, working according to the UNE-ISO 6658: 201 standard, and complementing it through various cutting-edge techniques.

To provide greater objectivity to the results, they were analyzed through statistical methods.