Sensory & consumer activities

• Almost all European ESN members are market leaders, representing on average 20 % of the total sensory & consumer activities in their own countries
• Turnover of the ESN group in the sensory & consumer activities is nearly 10 million Euros in Europe, and in most countries this market is expected to increase in the future

Sensory & consumer skills

• In total 180 professionals are available in the sensory & consumer activities, both areas representing equal volumes
• The average experience of the ESN members on the sensory side is 23 years, and on the consumer side 14 years
• In total 15 sensory panels (including 430 trained assessors) and over 15.000 consumers are available e.g. for cross-cultural studies
• In all sensory laboratories computerized data collection is in use, and half of the laboratories have accreditation status for their sensory evaluation
• Among the ESN members, 45 % of the activities consist of research, 42 % represent service contracts, and 13 % training and dissemination activities, together with 1200 industrial clients representing various intersts on mainly food (90 %) but also on non-food (10 %) areas
• During the last years all ESN members have participated on average to six EU projects related to sensory or consumer research, and currently they are involved in none to seven projects
• Every year we publish 50 scientific articles in international, professional journals and 70 publications in usually less scientific, national journals (please visit 'Books & publications' on the ESN website)