Have you ever stopped to think about how our senses are used, defining sensations when consuming a food or drink and influencing our daily choices? The study of these perceptions is capable of defining, developing, and stimulating a product’s acceptance by the consumer. Such knowledge can be acquired through what we know as sensory analysis.
Essential for the success of a new product or the improvement of an existing one, sensory analysis can be used to evaluate quality, market acceptability, and other relevant aspects that aid in the quality control plan. Learn more about this tool, its methods, and its numerous benefits.
According to the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT), sensory analysis is a discipline of science used to evoke, measure, analyze, and interpret reactions to the characteristics of foods and materials as they are perceived by the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.
In other words, attributes such as appearance, aroma, consistency, and flavor are evaluated. The form and intensity of how these senses are stimulated during the experience of consuming them define the quality of sensation that the food provokes. With this, it is understood that sensory analysis does not dictate the characteristics of foods (color, flavor, texture, aroma), but represents the result of the combination of such characteristics, with the interaction of individuals.
Sensory Analysis Professionals
The sensory perception of food is individual for each person, as it can be influenced by psychological, sociological, and physiological factors, as well as experiences. Therefore, this evaluation is unlikely to be replaced by machines or equipment.
When consuming a food, the 5 senses are activated almost simultaneously, creating comprehensive experiences. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the sensations that can be caused to end consumers after consuming a certain product. This knowledge can be acquired through what we know as sensory analysis.
Typically, the food engineer is the professional who sets the guidelines and responses that the tests to be conducted should present. After setting the parameters, the samples are provided to the testers in individual booths, with instruction and evaluation forms. At New Max, we have specialized testers, with the necessary perception skills regarding the sensory properties present in each product, facilitating the identification of a wide range of characteristics.
What are the objectives of Sensory Analysis?
In the food and beverage industry, sensory analyses are used for many purposes, such as
- New product development;
- Improvements to existing products;
- Market competition;
- Quality control.
We know that food is not just about meeting a need, but is directly linked to pleasure, humor and experiences. Sensorially acceptable foods are those that positively stimulate the senses of those who consume them, leading to their successful insertion into the market. Knowing the product's characteristics makes it possible to innovate, improve, reduce costs and increase sales.
The 5 senses in Sensory Analysis
Sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. This is the sequence in which the senses are activated by most people after consuming a food.
Right at the first contact, vision is the first sense to be stimulated. At this stage, visual characteristics guide our choice through color, size, shape, consistency, freshness, granularity, among other attributes, thus preparing other sensory organs to receive and confirm - or not - these first impressions.
Hearing provides information when we handle, bite, chew, and swallow, directly linking to the texture and crunchiness of the products.
Touch identifies characteristics of texture, temperature, and consistency, influencing sensations of pleasure along with smell, identifying aroma and taste, which ultimately defines the taste in acid, bitter, sweet and/or salty.
Methodologies
Sensory analysis methods can vary according to the objectives to be achieved during the tests. The main ones include:
- Discriminative method: indicates qualitative and/or quantitative differences between the samples analyzed;
- Descriptive method: describes a sample qualitatively and/or quantitatively, taking into account its taste, smell, texture and appearance;
- Affective method: also known as consumer testing, this method assesses consumers' acceptance and personal preferences, and may or may not make comparisons between samples.
With increasingly demanding consumers who value new experiences and consumption habits, sensory analysis proves to be a key tool for those looking to introduce a new product to the market, consequently improving its quality, profitability and relationship with the audience it wishes to reach.
At New Max, we use this important tool for the creation of new products and the development of creative solutions that ensure performance, precision, quality and the full satisfaction of our customers and partners. Contact us and bring innovation, technology and reliability to your product line!