Sensory analysis (or sensory evaluation) is a scientific discipline that applies principles of experimental design and statistical analysis to the use of human senses (sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing) for the purposes of evaluating consumer products.
The discipline requires panels of human assessors, on whom the products are tested, and recording the responses made by them.
By applying statistical techniques to the results it is possible to make inferences and insights about the products under test.
Sensory analysis can mainly be broken down into three sub-sections: This type of testing is concerned with obtaining objective facts about products.
Usually, large (50 or more) panels of untrained personnel are recruited for this type of testing, although smaller focus groups can be utilized to gain insights into products.