Laboratory sensory analysis: a standard to standardize the various methods

The new voluntary international standard ISO 13299 describes seven methods commonly used in laboratories to establish a sensory profile. It is a consensus document in which France played a key role.

No more scattered methodologies! Since last June, laboratories specializing in sensory analysis have had access to a new voluntary international standard, ISO 13299, which provides a comprehensive description of the seven main methods used in this field. In industry, the list of products that can undergo sensory profiling is endless: food, cosmetics, textiles, packaging, automotive, sporting goods… The process involves having specialized consumer panels evaluate these products and samples using the five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

Consumer sentiment

Sensory analysis is widely used in laboratories to gauge consumer perceptions and thereby identify areas for improvement. To this end, several types of assessments are possible: hedonic assessments ( I like it / I don't like it ) or descriptive statistics.

The second category, that of descriptive measures, has the advantage of being free from subjectivity and placing a strong emphasis on objectivity. Several methods exist: consensus profile, flash profile, free-choice profile… Although most are described in the literature, there was a need to compile them into a single document that serves as a universal reference, explains Irène Bacle, an expert at Pierre-Fabre Dermo-Cosmetics Laboratories and project leader of the working group that brought the project to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

A collaborative work guide

The text provides a comprehensive description of the general methodology for sensory profiling and includes, in the appendix, the seven different possible protocols along with the corresponding statistical analyses. This ensures that laboratories worldwide have access to a single, standardized working guide that provides guidelines approved by consensus.

The ISO working group incorporated the bulk of the French contributions

“We’re very pleased,” says Amy Michel, AFNOR Standardization project manager, who chairs the national committee on the subject, designated V09A. Led by Irène Bacle and Lucie Perrin, who is taking over from her on this committee, the French working group has facilitated discussions with various countries involved, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Argentina.