A well motivated, screened and maintained taste panel providing reliable and objective results from tasting sessions is an essential tool for any food and drink manufacturer. The University of Lincoln now offers routine screening to measure on-going performance of individual taste panel members ability to evaluate products whether as part of formal taste panels or during product assessment checks throughout the manufacturing process.

Sensory Suite
Sensory Suite at the University of Lincoln

This screening service is aimed at those individuals who are regularly assessing food products within their work. All screening tests are carried out in accordance with ISO standards and assess individuals’ ability to detect and recognise  different tastes, odours and textures. Common taste panel methods are used to assess discriminative abilities and descriptive methods aim to build a common vocabulary to describe food products in the form of sensory specifications.

Sensory screening can be carried out on business premises (minimum numbers required: 10)

The content of the screening tests is as follows:

Session 1

  • Colour blindness
  • Basic taste recognition
  • Odour identification
  • Texture evaluation
  • Threshold testing (salt)
  • Difference testing – triangle test methodology

Session 2

  • Basic taste recognition
  • Threshold testing (sweet)
  • Umami taste recognition
  • Attribute generation
  • Difference testing – duo-trio test methodology

Session 3

  • Basic taste recognition
  • Odour identification
  • Threshold testing (acid)
  • Metallic taste recognition
  • Difference testing — ranking methodology

Session 4

  • Basic tastes recognition
  • Threshold testing (bitter)
  • Attribute generation session
  • Descriptive profiling methodology

Duration: 4 sessions x 1.5 hours over 1 year. Individuals should attend 4 sessions throughout 1 year to cover all the testing requirements as detailed in the course content.

Award: University of Lincoln Sensory Passport

For further details, contact: National Centre for Food Manufacturing, University of Lincoln, Holbeach Campus, Minerva House, Park Road, Holbeach, PE12 7PT

Telephone +44 (0)1406 493000

Email holbeach@lincoln.ac.uk 

Website www.lincoln.ac.uk/holbeach