Artificial Intelligence for Sensory Evaluation

Sensory Panels

Sensory panels are used throughout the food industry to assess the potential impact of changed recipes – for better or worse – and also for new product developments. There are two types of sensory panels: trained ones and hedonic panels. Trained panels have been practicing the recognition of certain components in a specific product. Olive oil is one of them. You may be able to describe an extra virgin olive oil with “green apple”, but who would think of banana, bacon or fusty in this context?

Now, the issue associated with sensory panels is that they consist of humans. And humans are individuals, with different abilities to recognize compounds responsible for flavors and odors.

Several years back, I experienced a key event: a man who is a beekeeper and honey expert approached us with some honey, which he said had some strange, unpleasant flavor. We tried the honey (some of us were trained sensory panel members), but none of us could taste anything “off” in the honey. The man insisted and eventually, the sample was analyzed on a very sensitive instrument, to reveal a few molecules of substances which were common in the petrol industry. What happened was that the honey had been kept in a barrel that previously contained oil or petrol, presumably in the absence of clean barrels. Among all of us, there was only one person who could taste (detect) these compound at such low concentrations. This example illustrates the differences among individuals of any sensory panel, trained or hedonic.

How Artificial Intelligence can support Sensory Analysis and Product Development

How if you could predict consumer’s acceptance of a product before it reaches the market? And what would it take? This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes handy. AI will allow assessing impacts of ingredient changes or additions based on a similar product where sensory data are available. AI is also capable, subject to availability of sufficient measurement data, of determining and even predicting flavor and quality differences of products based on a set of sensory panel data.

Want to know more about what AI can do for your products?

If you are interested in learning how AI can help you with your sensory panels and predict the impact of changing the composition of your products, do not hesitate to contact us.

CONSULTING SERVICES

Core areas: Analysis, Management, Labeling, Regulations:

  •  Food Allergens and Gluten
  • GMO
  • Animal Speciation
  • Food Fraud
  • Food irradiation
  • Food Contaminants

Support examples:

  • Selection of suitable analysis.
  • Interpretation of analytical results.
  • Independent laboratory audit and assessment.
  • Advice towards analytical method certification.
  • Impact-analysis of new analytical technologies.
  • Feedback on analytical market trends and status quo.
  • Expert review of technical and projects and proposals.
  • Technical and scientific input for the preparation and review of roadmaps and expansion activities in the food business.
  • Independent evaluation of strategic proposals.
  • Technical evaluation of laboratories for M&A.
  • Support for Start-ups in the food business.
  • Partner in European-funded projects.
  • Participation in public and private scientific projects.
  • Expert review of technical and projects and proposals
  • Preparation of technical program for conferences and webinars
  • Event moderation (e.g. roundtable)
  • Scientific liaison and technical/scientific mediation
  • Public relations (e.g. communication with media)
  • Preparation brochures and presentations.
  • Preparation of illustrations and infographics.

Support non-English speakers. Improve English language of documents of diverse technical nature:

  • Scientific papers
  • Analytical dossier for method certification
  • Thesis
  • Product insert/manual
  • Other documents
For privacy reasons X needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.
I Accept