Consensus profiling an often-underestimated ally for successful and agile product development!
Descriptive Sensory Profiling is the standard tool for measuring a product’s sensory characteristics. However, time and cost can be obstacles to its use.
Approach
SAM conducted research to compare Consensus Profiling with QDA-based Descriptive Profiling in the assessment of eight brands of baked beans and eight cheddar cheeses using two methods:
- Consensus Profiling: 8 panellists; 1 replicate; 14 attributes for cheddar chesses and 12 for baked beans.
- Descriptive Profiling: 12 panellists; 3 replicates; 36 attributes for cheddar cheeses and 29 for baked beans.
The number of panel sessions was reduced by 60% by using Consensus Profiling.
Outcome
Consensus profiling differentiated more between the samples because the panel ensured that there was a contrast in scores assigned to products they agreed were different..
Consensus profiling delivered some zero scores where a low score was recorded in Descriptive profiling.
Conclusion
Descriptive Sensory Profiling remains the gold standard solution for defining the sensory experience thereby supporting product development and delivering consumer insight.
However, Consensus Profiling is a strong alternative where the objective is to focus on a small number of pre-defined and key sensory attributes, select from a large sample set for consumer research or gain a broad understanding of the main differences between key brands.
