Sensory Science: The Art of Perception and Preference

Sensory Science is a branch of our Consumer Science R&D department that focuses on consumer perception. Our team relies on consumer testing to understand regional preferences for taste, texture, sight, smell and more.

By conducting consumer testing across the globe, we endeavor to learn about taste preferences to enable us to better predict what shoppers will want tomorrow. This process has enabled us to pinpoint specific attributes that are most important to consumers and supply varieties according to their preferences.

We use external agencies to conduct quantitative testing with consumers (150+ subjects), gathering raw and genuine feedback. This feedback goes to a carefully selected trained panelist who rates as many as 40 attributes per sample. This data is used to create sensory profiles.

We also conduct internal qualitative studies with smaller groups that give us deeper insights into consumer perceptions and preferences. 

The information gathered from these qualitative and quantitative studies will enable us to deliver the flavor story of tomorrow’s leading varieties.