SENSORY SNIPPET

Do you smell the lemon, apple, orange or pear? How does chewing an apple compare to chewing an orange? Or a banana? Think about it. Sensory & Consumer Sciences qualitates and quantitates such differences.
Sensory & Consumer Sciences Division

Have you ever wondered...

How the colors and design of your sneakers are determined?
Why you can't find banana-flavored soda, but you might find a cherry-flavored cola?
Why manufacturers offer toothpastes that are gels and some that are pastes?
Why lip glosses are flavored and impart colors nowadays?

More than likely, it's because sensory evaluation played a role at some point in the development of those products.



NEW! View our listing
of sensory contract
services and university
contacts on our Sensory in the Schools page.


What is Sensory and Consumer Sciences?

Sensory and Consumer Sciences is the scientific discipline used to evoke, measure, analyze, and interpret reactions to the characteristics of food and materials as they are perceived by the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

The Sensory and Consumer Sciences Division of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) was established as a means of communication among sensory professionals, providing a focal point for discussion of problems of common interest and a means for designating areas of needed research and implementing solutions to common problems.

The Division was established in 1973 and has grown from an initial membership of 45 to more than 1,400.

All aspects of the principles, methodology, and new applications of laboratory sensory analysis and consumer food acceptance come within the scope of the Division.

The Division sponsors an annual symposium at the IFT Annual Meeting to address specific topics within this scope. Topics of past symposia have covered a broad range, including product optimization, consumer testing, data analysis, computerization, in-plant sensory evaluation, and resource management in the corporate environment.

In addition to the annual symposia, the Division has conducted a workshop on statistics and published a Sensory Evaluation Guide for Testing Food and Beverage Products.

The Division also publishes a newsletter, Sensory Forum, four times a year, providing a vital communication link among the members. Features include a key article of interest, a message from the chairman, an update on recent Division business, a calendar of future events, and a listing of current literature related to sensory evaluation.
©2009 IFT Sensory and Consumer Sciences Division