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Sensory Analysis Laboratory

The sensory analysis of foodstuffs aims to give scientific reliability and applicative developments to the human ability to perceive by means of the senses and express judgements of intensity and liking that determine the choice of foodstuffs. Sensory analysis is a tool that, thanks to the use of strictly regulated techniques and procedures, makes it possible to objectively measure and evaluate all the characteristics of a food product perceived by the human senses. In contrast, it is difficult to characterise the overall sensory quality of a foodstuff solely by means of laboratory analysis, however sophisticated. In this sense, sensory characteristics, as a measurement and evaluation of perceivable characteristics, constitute an important link between the food industry and the end consumer. The in-house sensory laboratory at the DIBAF Department of the University of Tuscia, built according to the UNI ISO 8589 standard (Sensory analysis – General criteria for the design of rooms intended for analysis), provides an area where sensory evaluations can be conducted under controlled, constant conditions and with a minimum number of distractions, in order to eliminate the effects that psychological factors and physical conditions can have on human judgement.

The laboratory has a kitchen room equipped for sample preparation and storage, a tasting room with 8 tasting booths and a processing area. Primarily, the laboratory’s activities are aimed at providing a concrete and correct aid to the teaching and training of future food technologists, who will have the opportunity to get to know and better understand the correct procedures and opportunities offered by this type of analytical methodology, which is so important for the food industry and often underestimated and little known.

Sensory analysis must be approached with strictly scientific criteria in order to give reliable results, so this analytical methodology is based exclusively on precise and standardised procedures, just like the other analytical investigation methodologies for which there are well-defined protocols to refer to in order to make the evaluations performed meaningful and comparable.

Responsible:

Prof. Diana De Santis

What are the uses for sensory analysis in the food sector?

Sensory analysis does not issue a judgement as an end in itself, but has various purposes such as:

1. verifying the level of preference or acceptability of the product by the consumer;

2. discover the characteristics that determine preference for a product;

3. identify quality and non-quality models to guide technological innovation;

4. codify typical characteristics to guarantee the preservation over time and space of the physiognomy of typical products to be protected;

5. substituting ingredients to reduce costs, to raise perceived quality or to keep product characteristics unchanged;

6. assessing changes in the product once it has been placed on the market (shelf-life);

7. controlling the production process;

8. improve the effectiveness of the sales force and advertising;

9. complete the means of control, within the framework of quality control;

10. promote the product;

11. reduce the cost of complaints;

12. introduce new methods to determine the price of raw materials or finished products;

13. establish new communication channels with customers and suppliers;

14. achieve product quality certification.

Tasting booths

Preparation area