Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

With World-class facilities, we provide a comprehensive sensory service, including objective and subjective methodologies.
We are skilled in using a range of methodologies to assess consumers' responses to food products, most commonly consumer acceptability and liking. We are experienced in linking consumer perceptions, including liking to objective sensory measurements, composition data and/or processing data to obtain an objective measure of consumer liking and uncover consumer drivers of liking.

We have a dedicated trained sensory panel, which is employed solely to do sensory evaluation. The panel and panel leader have experience assessing a large range of food products and food ingredients, including seafood, baked goods, wine and dairy products. The panel have characterised these food products using primarily generic descriptive analysis but also free choice profiling, sorting tasks and some time intensity measures.

We can assist with:

  • Descriptive analysis (trained panel characterisation of food attributes)
  • Consumer acceptability and liking
  • Category appraisal
  • Preference mapping
  • Linking consumer preference to analytical measures and or product characteristics
  • Consumer focus groups
  • Consumer product perceptions (consumer perceptions of product quality)
  • Temporal changes in perception during consumption
  • Time intensity measures
  • In vivo flavour measurement during eating


In addition to fee-for-service projects we also offer more comprehensive student-based projects. Please enquire for further information.

PDRC granola bars variation

Other Consultancy Services

Contact the Product Development Research Centre (PDRC)

Associate Professor Pat Silcock
Manager, Product Development Research Centre (PDRC)
Tel +64 3 479 7564
Email pat.silcock@otago.ac.nz

Contact a PDRC staff member

Further information

Department facilities

PDRC Case Studies

Beef EQ - Silver Fern Farms

Beef

Flyhidrate in-flight beverage system

Flyhidrate drinks

Back to top