Sensory scientists

We chose a general view because the impact of computers on flavor and fragrance research is not limited to a particular area. The advent of the microprocessor has made powerful, inexpensive microcomputers available to the analytical chemist and the sensory scientist alike. These people have connected them to their machines, used them to control robots, and placed them in their sensory evaluation booths. The successful development of inexpensive memory and very fast central processing units, on the other hand, has made very powerful minicomputers available to the computational chemist and the information scientist. These researchers now routinely use the computer to design new functional molecules, design new products, and keep track of huge collections of molecules and associated data. 

A considerable problem for both the food industry and sensory scientists is the degree of individual variation in texture perceptions. The differences in breakdown pathways in the mouth for standard samples may underlie some of the variability. Indeed Brown et al31 have demonstrated an influence of chewing behaviour on texture perceptions in a model food system. Even if all individuals shared a common system for assessing a particular textural characteristic, the differences in the way they masticate a sample may cause them to come to different conclusions regarding its texture. However, there is also the real possibility that subjects may use different measuring systems for assessment of a textural characteristic they... 

There would be considerable advantage for both sensory scientists and the food industry in knowing what consumers are measuring in order to assess particular textural properties. Despite many real advances in the instrumental measurement of food texture, we are not significantly closer to understanding the sensory cues used in consumer assessment of texture. The mastication process is adjusted to the consistency of the food bolus in real time. From studies of this process is emerging a novel approach to characterisation of food texture. 

Sensory evaluation (sensory science) is a scientific discipline that concerns the presentation of a stimulus (in this case a flavor compound, a flavor, or flavored product) to a subject and then evaluation of the subject s response. The response is expressed as, or translated into, a numerical form so that the data can be statistically analyzed. The sensory scientist then collaborates with the research or product development team to interpret the results and to reach decisions. Sensory scientists stress that decisions, such as product formulation, are made by people, not by the results of a sensory test, although such results may provide powerful guidance in the decision-making process. 

Sensory science is unique in that it requires human subjects. This in itself creates challenges, some of which will be discussed in this paper. The sensory scientist, often working as a part of a research team, also is unique because training in a number of fields is necessary to the success of the program. The training of sensory scientists has not proceeded as rapidly as has the appreciation of and need for sensory scientists in the flavor and... 

Sensory scientists rely greatly on statistical analysis to aid in interpretation of data. They also continue to argue endlessly about what is correct and incorrect. Some of the questions that are posed include which is the right analysis are the assumptions of the test being violated is the data good enough in the first place to have statistical analyses applied to it. 

Almost everyone is now utilizing the computer for statistical analysis of sensory data. Some laboratories also are using computers to gather the data as well (18). A computerized sensory system would benefit most laboratories by freeing workers from laborious data entry and analysis. Also, it would allow for a more thorough analysis of the data. It should not replace inspection of the raw data by the sensory scientist, but allow this to occur more easily. 

Over the past decades, the use of sensory techniques has undergone drastic change. Sensory professionals in industry, as well as sensory scientists in academia, have changed the way they use these methods, and the way they use their outcomes in research and development projects. Students in sensory and food science programmes are now familiar with a series of different techniques, and the number of new methods published every year in the literature is accelerating. Among other factors, time and economic constraints that go along with industrial needs have certainly driven this evolution. 

Description and quantification of human perception are difficult tasks, and sensory DA techifiques are among the most sophisticated tools in the arsenal of the sensory scientist (Lawless and Heymann, 2010). Sensory profiling is often used as shorthand for sensory DA, which is in fact a name for a class of methods rather than a unique technique (Dijksterhuis and Byrne, 2005). For a review of these methods, see also Murray et al. (2001). 

Overall, more attention is now paid to the variety of consumers perceptions and judgements. The main challenge for sensory scientists is then to deal with this variety and to provide efficient solutions to stakeholders. In some cases, this implies investigating a possible typology of the consumers in terms of perception, not just in terms of preferences (see Chapter 6 and Chapter 20 for examples of such approaches). 

In spite of these reservations, it may be anphasized that when appropriately applied, rapid sensory profiling techniques are powerful tools for clever use of sensory analysis. Many examples and testimonies of successful uses of these methods, both in industry and in acadania, are presented throughout this book. This wiU hopefully spark the interest of students in sensory programmes, as well as that of sensory professionals, sensory scientists and, more generally, all users of sensory data. May this book help them in their daily work, provide than with some solutions and contribute to fostering innovation in sensory science. 

Sensory resources are an integral part of most consumer products companies. By resources are meant the tools used by sensory scientists to obtain actionable information. This information may be used by technology, quality control, consumer insights, marketing, and brand managers. The resources include subjects, methods, facilities, and data capture and analysis capabilities. In Section 2.3, the methodologies are described. Section 2.5 is a more detailed exposition about descriptive analysis. More... 

Sensory scientists will agree that descriptive analysis has many applications but there is relatively little agreement as to how specific methods are developed and used. For example, subjects may or may not have been screened the number of subjects can range from as few as 5 to as many as 20 there may be a formal language development process or not the number of attributes on a scorecard may be limited references may or may not be used replication may or may not be part of the design data analysis can be simple (e.g., summary statistics such as means and variance measures) or... 

As was emphasized in the previous section, all subjects are different from each other in terms of their sensory discrimination skills and will differ in their use of words to represent their perceptions. Stated another way, people will use the same words to represent different sensations, or the converse of using different words to represent the same sensations. Without any time to discuss these differences, how is one supposed to make sense of results regardless of the data analysis system used With no way of assessing the quality of the information, any sensory scientist should be concerned when reporting results. 

Over the past three to four decades much progress has been achieved by sensory scientists to develop methods and continue to improve the quality of the information obtained. It is reasonable to expect that this progress will continue. 

In contemporary practice, much of the work sensory scientists conduct implicitly or explicitly makes four key assumptions. First, we assume that we can measure the sensations a product elicits accurately. Second, we assume we can quantify the pleasure derived from a product accurately. Third, we assume that pleasure derived from a product is a key driver of product use. Finally, we assume that we can measure consumption behavior (purchase, intake, etc.) accurately. More broadly, these assumptions can be thought of as a broader causal chain, starting with formulation and ending with use or consumption (Fig. 3.1a). Finally, those of us with an interest in health and wellness may add a fifth element, consequences of use or consumption at the far end of the chain. 

Does the absence of evidence of a liking-intake relation in the study by Lucas and colleagues imply there is not a causal relationship between liking and intake in general Presumably not, as to assume otherwise would beg the question of why product developers and industrial sensory scientists spent countless hours and vast resources optimizing products. It may be that acute intake measurements in the laboratory suffer from sufficient contextual effects or other measurement errors that limit one s ability to observe such relationships. 

Thanks to its emphasis on rapidity, FP has been an early success. Some sensory scientists have first seen it as a quicker and cheaper alternative to conventional profiling... 

Most of the sensory scientists of Givaudan have a food science background. Based upon project objectives and sensory testing needs, they decide on adapted sensory... 

Various sensory methodologies are used in Givaudan to characterise the sensory flavour profiles of food products. In each project, the selection of the methodology depends on the objectives of the study, the number of products to be evaluated, their similarity to each other, the type and the precision of the information being looked for, and the time and resources that are available. The sensory scientist in charge of each project must carefully take all these parameters into account to select the descriptive method that will deliver the most appropriate results using an optimal amount of resources. 

Flavourists are usually comfortable with this methodology, as the requested deconstruction of the flavour perception to discriminate products is not far from their way of working. They find the ranking task easy to perform, as long as the number of products to rank is not too large (the sensory scientist in charge of the project usually selects flash profile for studies of eight to ten products maximum). 

A group of flavourists and a team of sensory expert panellists perform in-parallel sensory evaluations. The generated data are analysed and compared by sensory scientists. 

A similar strategy could be extrapolated to the studies of sensory scientists and flavourists. Thanks to extra university modules respectively of flavour CTeation and sensory, these two types of experts would be better prepared to start their career in the flavour industry and would quickly optimise their collaboration. 

Coming back to the central theme of this book, rapid profiling techniques and related methods, 1 wonld like to highlight the fact that rapid descriptive methods are an integral part of the work of sensory scientists in Givaudan. Indeed, in today s challenging economic context, the flavonr industry, like every other industry, must optimise as much as possible the time and resources allocated to sensory studies. 

Sensory symposiums are good opportunities for Givaudan sensory scientists to discover new rapid profiling techniques and to test their suitability for the flavour industry. One of the hottest topics is, for instance, to find a rapid technique which facilitates the evaluation of large product sets with tough temperature constraints (such as warm soups and iceCTeams), as it is well known that any change of temperature dramatically modifies the flavour profile of food products. 

They have a huge influence on car design, because they are not only responsible for the sensory and hedonic aspects, but also for the safety of the car. Therefore, their judgements are decisive. These experts use their own words to define the sensations, with their own test procedures, and score their perceptions according to a scale that has been developed inside the company for that specific purpose. Sensory scientists have to take into account their expertise and skills. 

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