Test Design Options

Work done at the Sensory Lab includes consumer and difference testing, as well as focus groups for private companies in the food industry, department research, LDS Welfare Services, the Food Product Development capstone course, and the Food Sensory Evaluation class.

Consumer Acceptance Testing is appropriate for product development, competitor evaluation, shelf-life testing, and for screening before large-scale market research testing. Analyses include Ranking, Paired Preference, Rating (Hedonic), and Attribute Ideality (JAR) tests.

Difference Testing is useful for the evaluation of alternative suppliers, ingredients, or processing parameters, and as a screen before scale-up production. Analyses include Tetrad, Triangle, Duo-trio, Paired Preference, and Ranking tests.

Focus groups are useful in obtaining subjective information about product concepts or experimental prototypes. Information can include product acceptability, ideality, purchase intent, placement, advertising and packaging.