Services

Discriminative Tests

The purpose of discriminative tests is to objectively determine the presence or absence of a difference between 2 or more products and/or to evaluate its magnitude. They are primarily used in quality control and R&D to:

  • Ensure the conformity of a raw material,
  • verify production consistency,
  • Verify its degree of similarity to a reference (e.g., in the context of a recipe change),
  • Validate or determine a BBD/UBD (Best Before Date/Use By Date),
  • Approve the use of packaging (in direct or indirect contact with food),
  • …

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Conducting tests under controlled conditions and according to standards requires a dedicated structure and laboratory. It is also necessary to use a minimum number of panelists. This minimum is 24-30 panelists “familiarized with the test” when the goal is to highlight a difference. It may require more than 60 people to validate a similarity.

For in-company use, these methodologies can be adapted and simplified. They remain a simple, effective, and rapid means of controlling the organoleptic quality of a raw material, a finished product, or even a product undergoing aging.

The Meurice R&D sensory analysis laboratory has a large discriminative panel and relies on standards to conduct discriminative tests. It can also assist you in training your teams and guide you in implementing these tests within your company.

Descriptive Tests

Descriptive tests are the tests that require the most experience, both from the experimenter and the panelists. Their purpose is to describe very precisely, using “descriptor” terms, the organoleptic sensations perceived when tasting a product. This analysis allows for obtaining sensory profiles, a kind of sensory “identity card” of the tested product. These profiles are mainly used in R&D to measure the impact of a formulation modification on the overall organoleptic qualities of a product, if you wish to:

  • Substitute an ingredient,
  • Enrich a product,
  • Obtain a claim (reduced sugar, salt, etc.)
  • ….

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These profiles can also be an asset in marketing and commercial strategies. Used as a support, they are a guarantee of expertise regarding the company’s products.

The Meurice R&D sensory analysis laboratory has a panel of about twenty qualified subjects trained in the objective description of products and the use of intensity measurement scales. The primary methodology used is that of quantitative descriptive profiles based on ISO 13299. Other methodologies may be used depending on the specific issues.

An operational descriptive panel within a company is a particularly powerful decision-making tool that is both high-performing and effective. However, it requires: a basic but operational structure, a manager trained in the practice, and a motivated team of panelists.

Do you wish to conduct sensory profiles in the laboratory, train your teams to set up a descriptive panel within your company? Consult our teams

Consumer Tests

More commonly known as “consumer tests,” hedonic tests allow for a punctual evaluation of whether the organoleptic qualities of a product will be appreciated or not by a sample of consumers from a target population. This category of tests is primarily utilized by companies’ marketing departments with the aim of selecting a product formulation for commercialization or positioning a product against competitors.

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Our laboratory is capable of conducting consumer studies. Generally used in the context of its research, these can also be the subject of a specific, one-off service request. The “reasonable” minimum number of consumers required for these studies is 60 people (Annex E of ISO 11136). If you would like more information in this area of activity, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

Please note that conducting an in-house consumer test is strongly discouraged for two main reasons:

  • The required workforce,
  • Employee expertise regarding the tested products (introduction of bias).

Note: The appreciation values obtained from consumer tests can be combined with the results of descriptive tests performed on the same products, thanks to a statistical analysis called “preference mapping.” This analysis allows, to a certain extent, for the identification of the organoleptic characteristics that lead to the appreciation and/or rejection of a product by a consumer panel.