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Food Sensory

Mérieux NutriSciences’ food sensory services empower you to assess the excellence of your products, uncover fresh consumer perspectives, conduct thorough product comparisons against competitors, and foster innovative product concepts, all in a centralized hub. View our sensory infographic to learn more!

Sensory Services Infographic-1

Exploring Market Potential Through Sensory Insights

We have developed a straightforward process that harnesses the strength of our extensive portfolio of sensory and consumer tools and methodologies. This enables us to assist you in uncovering lucrative opportunities in unexplored markets, optimizing the profitability of your products and actions, and fostering a lasting connection between your consumers and your brand. Our advanced research dives deep into consumer understanding, giving you the power to shape your marketing strategy by precisely measuring and highlighting the sensory elements of your product. We offer the following services:

Descriptive Analysis

We employ a team of skilled experts and advanced techniques to examine product attributes and sensory profiles thoroughly. Our services empower you to fine-tune your products for optimal sensory appeal and consumer satisfaction using descriptive analysis.

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Physical Testing and Specification Creation

We specialize in enhancing the sensory elements of your products. Our team of experts utilizes cutting-edge techniques to carefully analyze and determine the sensory attributes, enabling you to create exceptional products that exceed expectations regarding taste, texture, and overall sensory experience.

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Consumer Testing

Consumer testing encompasses a large portion of sensory objectives to understand your product through your consumers’ perceptions. In addition to collecting data on liking and preferences, we are able to identify the key product characteristics that drive consumers’ overall liking for your product type. Bring your target audience into a centralized, controlled location to receive your consumers’ quantitative and qualitative feedback to ensure the continued success of your product. 

In Home Use Testing (IHUT)

In-home use Testing is vital to understanding how consumers feel about a food or non-food product in the context of their real lives. Mérieux NutriSciences sends consumers home with a testing kit and comprehensive product evaluation instructions. The home users put their feedback directly into our Sensory software system for fast and agile data analysis. 

Focus Groups

Consumers can develop complex relationships with products and ideas. Traditional surveys may not be able to parse out the nuances of these relationships and a deeper dive may be needed. To answer these questions, Mérieux NutriSciences uses focus groups or one-on-one interviews to better understand the thoughts and behaviors consumers have towards food or non-food products or product concepts with comprehensive reporting to summarize the findings from the group.

Difference Testing

When you need to know that your product will not change due to production adjustments, ingredient substitutions, or new supplier onboarding, difference testing is a cost-effective and direct way to determine whether panelists can detect those changes in the final product. 

Training

Mérieux NutriSciences has personable and highly trained Sensory Scientists available to train your diverse teams to meet any needs. An initial consultation ensures the training is customized to meet your company's goals. We work with you to create a training program suitable for your stakeholders, from Operations & Quality, to Marketing and Sales.

Sensory Program Management

Sensory evaluation is an important component of a robust quality monitoring program. Merieux NutriSciences is a partner to host supplier sensory cuttings within one of our testing facilities or at your site. Sensory program management can be set up as a stand-alone service or in conjunction with a Merieux NutriSciences-managed quality monitoring program.

Our Digital Solutions team can even incorporate sensory data into your larger supply chain management systems for long-term data visualization. 

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Sensory Shelf Life Testing

See how consumer liking and product profiles change over time within our Shelf Life Study capabilities.

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Customized Training

Our expert Sensory Scientists offer customizable training tailored to your company's objectives. After an initial consultation, we design a program that aligns with the needs of all stakeholders, including Operations, Quality, Marketing, and Sales. Topics covered include:

Sensory Basics Series
Standardizing sensory language across stakeholders
Understanding product profiles and potential off-notes
Understanding how to taste or score products on a sensory scale

PCQI Chicago Training Course Mérieux NutriSciences

Enhance Your Product and Consumer Insight with Our Analytical Testing Network

Correlation of Sensory with Analytical Testing

Mérieux NutriSciences' Sensory team is able to coordinate your study with our global network of analytical testing services to supplement your sensory data. Quantitative texture, ph, moisture, color, and/or fat oxidation tests are just a few examples of popular tests to correlate with sensory.

Testing With Special Populations and Products

Testing with special populations can be tricky. Mérieux NutriSciences has experience testing with groups like children or specific career professionals; we design these tests to be easily accessible to the target populations. We also test with sensitive products like alcohol, energy drinks, or smoking cessation gum in a manner that is safe for the consumers yet still provides actionable data.

Collaborate with External Partners for Additional Regional Demographics

Through our expansive network, we have access to partner labs to accommodate your project’s regional demographic needs. We work collaboratively with our partners to ensure consistency across all testing locations.

Testing Locations

We guarantee the safety and quality of food across the United States with our laboratories, coupled with our team of seasoned professionals, provide sensory testing and innovative research services, among others.

Addison, IL

Fifteen sensory booths with full service commercial and consumer kitchen equipment. Quick disconnect kitchen equipment allows for temporary installation of custom equipment to support your project.

Bentonville, AR

Sixteen sensory booths with large commercial and consumer kitchens. Specialized commercial kitchen equipment to accommodate particular cooking and holding requests.

Gainesville, FL

Ten sensory booths with commercial and consumer style equipment including commercial fryers - great for testing food service and retail products.

Arkansas • Bentonville

Address
3100 SE C St.
Bentonville, AR 72712

Phone
1-877-777-6375

Services
Sensory

Florida • Gainesville

Address
2183 SE Hawthorne Rd.
Gainesville, FL 32641

Phone
1-877-777-6375

Services
Microbiology
Chemistry
Research and Sensory Services

Illinois • Addison

Address
800 S. Rohlwing Rd
Addison, IL 60101

Phone
(630) 617-2000

Services
Clinical Research
Sensory and Consumer Insights

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Food Sensory Resources

SENSORY

Only Fools Skip Sensory Testing

Launching a new food product requires time, money, and insight. In this blog, learn why sensory testing is crucial for product success.

SENSORY

Love and Affective Testing

Learn how central location, in-home use tests, and focus groups provide valuable consumer insights. Contact Mérieux NutriSciences for sensory...

Get the Sensory Infographic