Development of a new tool in descriptive analysis – applicable by untrained consumers and children

T. Sander*(1), T. Lurati (1,2)

(1) ISI GmbH, Goettingen, Germany,

(2) Fachhochschule Muenster, Department of Home Economics & Nutrition, Germany

 thorsten.sanderisi-goettingen.de

Most of the methods of descriptive analysis are connected with high costs and long timings, because panellists must be extensively trained on the regarded product categories.

In the Free Choice Profiling untrained consumers are allowed to describe their perceptions using their own vocabulary. A recently developed approach to gather quick flavour descriptions of food products is the Flash Profiling, in which the assessors use their own language, but evaluate the product descriptor wise, whereas Free Choice Profiling is done product wise. As a disadvantage Free Choice Profiling and Flash Profiling have in common, that – due to the individually different attributes – the sensory profiles cannot be correlated with consumer data for product optimisation purposes.

The objective of the present study was to develop Flash Profiling further, in order to get a cost-efficient and quick tool, but to gain profiles which could be correlated. A second aim was to investigate, whether children would be able to apply Flash Profiling.

Three groups of participants participated in the profiling of 8 orange juice samples. An expert panel consisting of 8 experienced panellists, 12 untrained consumers, and 12 children at the age of 13-14 years.

After a conventional Flash Profiling phase the untrained consumers were presented with a detailed feedback from the panel leader who had discussed the descriptors with R&D. After an individual as well as a group feed-back the participants were able to apply a common attribute list. The results of a second profiling phase were sensory profiles which were close to those obtained from the experts. Children showed a good ability to describe the products. In the 2-dimensional mapping, similar positionings of the products were observed for children, adult consumers, and experts.

Key words: Descriptive Analysis, Flash Profiling, Children, Orange Juice