A sensory characterization of bread and yoghurt : using the partial Napping® method on an untrained consumer panel

Abstract: Sensory analysis is a common part of the new product development process and for product optimization. Sensory characterization and product profiling is traditionally made by trained expert panels. However, food industries and market have nowadays more demands for rapid techniques likewise request for consumer preference and perception. Methods using consumer profiling have been developed although slightly used and evaluated so far. This Master ́s project and thesis is an evaluation based on a pilot-study using the partial Napping® method on an untrained consumer panel, characterizing products from two different product categories namely bread and yoghurt separately. The study was complemented with preference scaling, rating and a focus group interview. The results and reflections from this study did end up in a list of improvement factors, for the future use of such sensory method. All from how to introduce the method to the consumers, the number of samples to the sensory differences between the products in the evaluated sample sets are important aspects to consider in the future use of the Napping® technique. The largest advantage of the method is however that you actually receive perceived similarities and differences, as well as descriptions of the tested products from the consumer perspective which is different to sensory profiling normally performed by trained sensory panels. When too large differences are present, it will most certainly serve as main focus for profiling and slightly or less obvious differences risk to stay unnoticed. It is important in future studies and evaluations of such sensory profiling methods to initially focus on designing suitable sample sets, find appropriate products to characterize and also have a well-defined aim correlated to a potential outcome. The Napping® technique can result in a great amount of data but without further implementation and aim in practice the outcome will mostly reflect on a specific amount of characterized products and tell less about either general consumer perception or product preferences.