Discrimination Testing in Sensory Science: A Practical Handbook is a one-stop-shop for practical advice and guidance on the performance and analysis of discrimination testing in sensory science. The book covers all aspects of difference testing: the history and origin of different methods, the practicalities of setting up a difference test, replications, the statistics behind each test, dealing with the analysis, action standards, and the statistical analysis of results with R. The book is written by sensory science experts from both academia and industry, and edited by an independent sensory scientist with over twenty years of experience in planning, running and analyzing discrimination tests. This is an essential text for academics in sensory and consumer science and any sensory scientist working in research and development in food, home, and personal care products, new product development, or quality control.

Provides a complete and unified approach to discrimination testing in sensory evaluation Sensory evaluation has evolved from simple “taste testing” to a distinct scientific discipline. Today, the application of sensory evaluation has grown beyond the food industry—it is a sophisticated decision-making tool used by marketing, research and development, and assurance in industries such as personal care, household care, cosmetics, fragrances, automobile manufacturing, and many others. Sensory evaluation is now a critical component in determining and understanding consumer acceptance and behavior. Sensory Evaluation: Discrimination Testing provides insights into the application of sensory evaluation throughout the entire product life cycle, from development to marketing. Filled with practical information and step-by-step guidance, this unique reference is designed to help users apply paired comparison tests, duo-trio tests, triangle tests, similarity tests, and various other discrimination tests in a broad range of product applications. Comprehensive chapters written by leading experts provide up-to-date coverage of traditional and cutting-edge techniques and applications in the field. Addresses the theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of discrimination testing Covers a broad range of products and all of the senses Describes basic and more complex discrimination techniques Discusses the real-world application of discrimination testing in sensory evaluation Explains different models in discrimination testing, such as signal detection theory and Thurstonian modelling Features detailed case studies for various tests such as A- not AR, 2-AFC, and Ranking among others to enable practitioners to perform each technique Sensory Evaluation: Discrimination Testing is an indispensable reference and guide for sensory scientists, in academia and industry, as well as professionals working in R&D, quality assurance and control, and marketing. It is also an excellent textbook for university courses and industry vocational programs in Sensory Science.

Covering all aspects of sensory panel management, this volume describes the different types of sensory panels (for example panels for quality control, descriptive analysis and discrimination tests), discusses the issues involved with sensory testing, and gives detailed information about sensory panel recruitment, training and on-going management. Sensory Panel Management gives both theoretical and practical information from deciding what type of panel to recruit and how to conduct panel training, to creating the best sensory team and how to deal with any issues. Downloads of several of the documents included in the book are available from http://www.laurenlrogers.com/sensory-panel-management.html The book is divided into three main sections. The first section looks at the recruitment of sensory panels, covering the process from both a scientific and a human resources angle. The second section deals with the training of a sensory panel. Initial training, as well as method and product specific training is covered. Example session plans for running panel sessions for quality control, discrimination tests, descriptive profiling, temporal methods and consumer tests are included within the specific chapters. Refresher and advanced training such as training panelists to take part in gas chromatography-olfactometry are also included. The third section examines the performance of sensory panels. Chapters within this section explore performance measures and ways of preventing (and dealing with) difficult situations relating to panellists. A final chapter looks at the future of sensory panels. Throughout the book there are short case study examples demonstrating the practical application of the methods being discussed. Sensory Panel Management is a key reference for academics, technical and sensory staff in food companies. Lauren Rogers is an independent sensory science consultant in the UK with more than twenty years of practical experience. She has worked on a wide variety of projects, including shelf life studies, product and flavor optimization, new flavor development and in-depth brand analyses. She is a member of the Society of Sensory Professionals, the Institute of Food Science and Technology's Sensory Science Group, the Sensometric Society and is also a member of the ASTM Sensory Evaluation Committee (E18).