Sensory

Sensory evaluation is an invaluable tool used in the food industry to measure, analyze and interpret responses perceived through the sense of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. 

Sensory research can: 

• aid marketing and product development teams by discovering what consumers look for in a product and how likely they might be to buy that product. 
• provide organized, unbiased information to effectively reduce risk and uncertainly in corporate decision making. 
• provide a thorough understanding on current market trends and help forecast trends of future consumers’ tastes and preferences.

The way to understand what you and your consumers look for in products is through accurate and targeted sensory studies. By using the sensory tools available at Puratos, we can help build better products that set you apart from your competition. Puratos’ unique sensory resources provide tangible advantages to you, our customers, leaving the future open for new and wonderful innovations.

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The first step when looking to do Sensory is to ask: what is the goal you are looking to achieve with this sensory project? This is what will decide what sensory tool will be best suited to meet your goals. 

Goal: Determine if consumers can detect a difference between products 

• Questions to answer: Are these samples noticeably different? If I change the sugar or fat content can consumers perceive a difference? Can I switch an ingredient without causing significant change in my product?

• This testing is great for: formulation changes, new supplier/ingredients, change in production and process

Goal: Discover what consumers like/dislike about a product

• Questions to answer: What texture is preferred by consumers for this product? What taste profile do consumers prefer? How much does appearance really matter to consumers? How does my product compare to my competitors’ products? What claims are important to consumers?

• This testing is great for: evaluating consumer preferences in food (taste, appearance, texture, etc.), understand important consumer buying habits, compare products in a competitive landscape, validate finished goods with consumers, and consumer feedback on pricing, flavor, packaging, or marketing concepts.