Sensory & Consumer Testing
Sensory & Consumer Testing
The Sensory Lab within CSU Spur’s Food Innovation Center is a team of sensory professionals that are trained to execute novel and standard sensory methodologies. Our testing facility includes six private serving booths with controlled airflow and lighting and iPads for data collection. Our Sensory Lab is also connected to the Terra Teaching Kitchen which houses diverse restaurant-grade equipment. All sensory testing services come with the use of Compusense software and full access to our consumer database. In addition to our standard sensory testing spaces, we also have a dedicated focus group room with full audio/visual capabilities and a private viewing room. Whether you are just starting to apply sensory testing in your quality team or looking for a reliable external descriptive panel, our team and facilities can make it happen!
What is Sensory Science?
Sensory science is the scientific discipline of taste-testing.
The goal of sensory science is to evoke, measure, analyze, and interpret the human response to food. Most often, the goal of sensory testing is to control the consumption experience so that a taste-tester (a.k.a. sensory panelist) can focus on only taste, smell, texture, or other similar properties. Sometimes, sensory testing works with panelists who are trained to identify and describe the properties of certain foods and beverages. Other times, sensory testing focuses on how the average consumer views a product.
There are many different approaches to conducting sensory and consumer testing, and they each have a time and place. Our team is here to help you identify which sensory and consumer testing methods best suite your business objectives to improve the flavor and potential of your products. There are a lot of great resources out there to help you better understand sensory and consumer testing if you are new to the field!
Services & Pricing
We offer diverse sensory and consumer testing services at CSU Spur, from basic discrimination tests to complex descriptive panels. We recruit all of our panelists from the greater Denver metropolitan, of which less than 3% are university students. Our lab can handle storage, preparation, and service for any food or beverage product, including advanced culinary dishes prepared by trained chefs. We can also conduct sensory and consumer tests with children of any age.
We have experience with the following products, but we are always seeking to add more to the list!
- Sausage
- Ground beef
- Chicken Nuggets
- Alternative meat
- Rice
- Hot cocoa
- Chocolate
- Fresh produce (strawberries, tomatoes, herbs)
- Cheese
- Cough Drops
- Sourdough bread
- Sourdough starters (raw)
- Wine
- Cookies
- Frozen appetizers
- Flavor extracts
- Dehydrated fruit
- Non-alcoholic beer
- Non-alcoholic flavored seltzer water
- Hard Cider
Basic Pricing and Services
A printable file of this information can be found here.
Consulting
- Can be virtual or on-site
- Base rate = $140 per hour
- For non-confidential questions or advice, check out our team’s office hours
Discrimination Testing
- Used to determine if two products are noticeably different
- Tetrad, duo-trio, AFC, same-different testing
- 2+ samples
- Targeting 65-120 panelists
- Starting at $4,300
Affective Testing
- Used to determine how consumers feel about your products, including how consumers like your product compared to a competitor
- 3+ samples
- Can include purchase intent, product concept approval, or other behavioral questions
- Targeting specific screening criteria, and 75-200 panelists
- Starting at $7,500
Novel Methodologies
- Rapid descriptive methods (including Rate-all-that-apply, Check-all-that-apply) with advanced data analysis
- Sorting tasks
- Text mining, biterm topic modeling
- Flavor wheel development
Qualitative Consumer Research
- Used for openly asking consumers about perceptions, ideas, and habits
- In-house moderation and transcription services available
- Full facility and technology use (two-way mirror, audio and video recording)
- Optional support for data analysis
- Starting at $4,000
Descriptive Testing
- Used to determine the attributes that can describe and differentiate samples
- 4-8 week project start-up and panelist training period
- 8-12 trained panelists
- Final pricing based on desired number of attributes, samples, and time estimates
Resources
The Sensory Lab has a variety of resources, equipment, and references available to the public.
Please reach out to our Sensory Manager with any questions.
Our Resources and Equipment
- Central Location Testing rooms for large consumer studies
- Spanish-translation services
- Community engagement and extension personnel for targeted recruitment strategies
- Access to Spur’s 2nd Saturday events (for testing with children and families)
- Compusense software
- Branded marketing opportunities
- Consumer database (>1700 local participants)
- Trained Panelist database (>20 participants)
- Tools and skills for advanced data analysis, visualizations, and text mining in R software
In addition to all of the equipment listed here, we also have:
- Multiple microwaves
- Warming trays
- Various beakers and cylinders
- Black wine glasses
Useful Links and References
- Sensory Evaluation of Food: Principles and Practices by Harry T. Lawless & Hildegarde Heymann
- Sensory Evaluation in Quality Control by Alejandra M. Munoz, Gail Vance Civille, & B. Thomas Carr
- Novel Techniques in Sensory Characterization and Consumer Profiling by Paula Varela & Gaston Ares
- Successful Qualitative Research by Virginia Braun & Victoria Clarke
- Market Research for Market Readiness Manual by Catherine Durham and Ann Colonna (Oregon State University)
Want to Become a Taste-Tester with us?
Calling all Taste Buds! Being a taste-tester or sensory panelist is a fun and unique way to contribute to your food system.
CSU Spur’s taste testing lab is always looking for people to evaluate all kinds of food, beverage, and even non-food items (like cough drops and lotion!). Many local and regional companies need input from consumers just like you to help them make better products!
As a taste-tester in our database, you will:
1
Look for emails from us
We’ll let you know about new and upcoming opportunities where you can GET PAID! We usually send ~1-2 emails per month and we never provide your email address or information to any third parties.
2
Set up a Compusense Account!
Compusense is a software program that we use to schedule and execute sensory tests. Through our Compusense platform, you will be able to make your own account as a panelist, schedule your participation in specific studies, and take screener surveys to qualify for specific tests. When you set up your Compusense Account, it is important to remember your log in credentials.
3
Come to CSU Spur to Taste!
Taste tests are held at CSU Spur in the Terra Building, located at 4780 National Western Drive and free parking is available in the N lot, which is a large parking lot directly behind the horse stables of the Vida building. If you need visual instructions, check out this link.
4
Get Paid!
Most but not all sensory studies will pay you to participate, and payment is usually dependent upon how long a test will take or how many panelists we need. If you have any questions about payment, contact any of our Sensory Lab personnel before you participate in a study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be a sensory panelist?
The word “panelist” refers to any individual that participates in a sensory study, or taste-test. Being a sensory panelist means that you get to try lots of different foods and beverages and share your opinions.
Are all taste-tests paid?
No! Taste tests are often organized for one of two reasons: (1) for a food or beverage company, or (2) for research. Sometimes, if we urgently need certain people for a study, then we will pay our participants. Other times, the budget of running a test is tight. In this case, we will not provide an incentive; but your feedback is still important.
Where do taste-tests take place?
Most taste testing takes place in the Spur Sensory Lab, which is on the first floor of Terra at the bottom of the staircase. Sometimes, our studies can take place in other parts of the building, in which case we will provide specific instructions and have signage placed in the building to help you find your way.
Do I need training to be a taste-tester?
No! Almost all studies do not require any training. But, fun fact: you can be a trained taste-tester if you want! We have a special group of dedicated sensory panelists that meet once a week to train their palate on a variety of products and sensations. If you have a flexible schedule and are interested in joining us, email us at CSUSpurSensory@colostate.edu.
What ages are you looking for?
We are looking for all ages! It makes the most sense to have an adult over 18 years of age to sign up for our database. However, we run studies with people of diverse ages, including kids and toddlers. Recruitment emails that we send out will always include information about age restrictions, so be on the lookout.
Is this a job?
No. Taste-testing is like volunteering and is a type of active learning. Usually, payment for sensory studies is minimal and sporadic, so it is not a form of stable income.