Descriptive Analysis
Since 1994, 21st Sensory has conducted thousands of hours of expert product testing known as sensory descriptive analysis. Descriptive analysis captures the unique sensory identity of foods, beverages (including alcoholic), personal care products, sporting goods, and consumer goods and products of all types.
A spider graph is a color coded tool representing descriptive profile data in a quick visual way. The relationship among many attributes across a sample set is apparent with one spider graph.
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What is
Descriptive Analysis?
In our lingo, we "fingerprint" your products.
Every product, food and beverage has a unique sensory fingerprint. A sensory fingerprint is a detailed analytical data set, identified through the process of professional sensory descriptive analysis, that precisely identifies and measures all of the perceived sensory attributes of a sample or product. In learning to evaluate your product, we become intimately familiar with its inherent sensory characteristics that may include aroma, feel, flavor, appearance and the sound of it.
As we discover and identify its unique characteristics, we develop ballots with anchored scales to represent the range of sensory characteristics. Once we are fully acquainted with your product, our calibrated, trained sensory panelists test your product and generate unique sensory data "fingerprints" of your products.
For example, in one study of 30 different potato based snacks, we identified almost 80 individual sensory characteristics to be measured in the study. Each of the 30 products had a unique profile that separated it from the others in the test set.
Learn more about how descriptive analysis is done.
Trained Sensory Descriptive Analysis Panelists
Our 25 highly trained "expert" sensory descriptive panelists identify and measure the sensory characteristics and human/object interactions.
Sensory descriptive panelists provide the objective, analytical insight of your products. Why? To answer your questions like: Does a new package keep lettuce "fresher" longer? How much "cleaner" do your teeth feel after using a rechargeable electric toothbrush compared to a manual? Was there any flavor taint resulting from the spill of fruit juice concentrate in the frozen storage warehouse? Did the differences in feed result in a more "tender" piece of chicken?
Using Standardized Methods
The methods we use are based on ASTM Manual 26, Sensory Testing Methods, 2nd Ed, E. Chambers IV, editor, and ASTM Manual on Descriptive Analysis Testing for Sensory Evaluation, R. Hootman, editor.
We have fun exploring new products and developing new methods. Let us become your product's experts!
View more information about the standards we use.
More Information...
Food and Beverage Testing and Descriptive Analysis
We get asked a multitude of questions every week. We might hear you say "Which chocolate has less bitter aftertaste?" That's easy! Sometimes there are lots and LOTS of questions. But it's what we do. And we enjoy the challenge.
Personal Care and SkinSensory™ Analysis
Need to know whether the improved lotion absorbs more readily? Trying to choose a prototype body wash that rinses fast without a tacky after-feel? We can generate the data to guide your decisions.
Descriptive Analysis FAQs
Answers to questions about descriptive analysis, like "What if you’ve never tested a product like mine?" and "How do you decide what attributes to evaluate?"
How is Descriptive Analysis Done?
A step-by-step description of the descriptive analysis process.