Sensory Evaluation 4.0

In the food industry, as in other industrial sectors, impulses are being set for the digital future. The human being is at the centre of the tasks to be mastered in the context of Industry 4.0 and is challenged to use the opportunities offered by information technology and digitalisation and to keep an eye on the possible risks. This development does not stop at the field of sensory evaluation. In many companies, data collection, evaluation and administration of human sensory tests are already computerised. In this respect, various software programs are offered on the market that support the processes around sensory quality assurance and product development. However, further networking and automation of data management of these areas within the company, as well as with suppliers and customers is desirable. Consequently, for efficient sensory evaluation management in the digital environment, individual solution strategies with a high practical benefit must continually be developed. 

Experience has shown that various hurdles must be overcome in the organisational embedding of an increasingly complex information technology. New know-how needs to be learnt and existing processes need to be questioned in terms of their efficiency and targeting, so that routine procedures can be modified or broken if necessary. Due to the flood of information and the often lacking knowledge about the digital world, SMEs are particularly challenged. How should one start in specific terms? Do I need a vision and strategy first? What technologies do I use? At the beginning there are countless unanswered questions, which greatly increases the uncertainty. There is a danger that the issue will be postponed or only tackled half-heartedly. However, a targeted approach to the digital transformation is urgently needed in order to remain competitive in the future and to continue to be part of the increasingly complex value-added chains.

In the food industry, there are many approaches to digitalisation along the entire value chain, from purchasing to logistics, production, quality assurance, marketing, sales and service.  

Digital integration in marketing and distribution is already well established. How will consumers shop in the future? How will they eat and evaluate? These questions are not only aimed at changes in consumer behaviour, but also at the relationship between consumers and the market. Customers are increasingly using social networks and rating platforms where they can publicly share their assessment and criticism of companies and their products for everyone to see. The challenge for sellers and manufacturers is therefore to provide information about their products on the Internet as transparently as possible. 

With the help of Big Data, companies know more about their customers than ever before, and this knowledge will grow with increasing digitisation and data collection. This enables companies to optimise consumer experiences, products and services in the interest of the consumer, to increase customer satisfaction and ultimately to increase their turnover.

In the relationship with the consumer, a company operating in the food industry can convey additional credibility and security through the correct interpretation of Big Data. Especially when the digital transformation is also implemented in the areas of quality assurance and services. Consequently, the topics of digitalisation are not only of high urgency in the food trade, but also among food manufacturers. They are therefore more often on the agenda of management meetings and priority projects of the management.

In the area of appearance and texture/haptics, real-time controls can largely regulate the process for consistent product quality. These physical sensory stimuli, or product characteristics such as colour intensity, spotting, crispness, moisture or creaminess, are measured with sensors and digitally controlled. In contrast, the chemical stimuli relevant for the perception of smell and taste are currently still difficult, or in some cases impossible to determine by means of real-time controls due to their complexity. A process-integrated, continuous measurement of the test characteristics aroma and taste is currently in most situations just possible by means of end product control. But even this primarily human-sensory quality assurance can be digitalised. 

In sensory market research as well as in sensory quality assurance, a digital sensory management system tailored to operational processes and procedures offers many advantages over conventional “analogue” procedures. Of these, the time saved and errors reduced by the elimination of traditional paper-based inspection sheets and result reports represent only a part. The QA managers of the daily tastings, as well as internal clients or external customers of sensory-analytical services, benefit from the higher efficiency and transparency of the sensory test results determined and from the prompt data transfer via networked IT systems. In addition, there is electronically based documentation of examiner performance, which provides those responsible for sensory evaluation with a good database for targeted ongoing examiner selection and examiner or panel qualification. The human being is in this process the analytical instrument for measuring the sensory properties and monitoring the quality of the previously defined parameters.

What are the advantages and critical success factors of digital sensory evaluation technology and what hurdles must be overcome to achieve this? According to Dr Claudia Franke, Managing Director of the consulting company SIREQUA, with 18 years of R&D and QM management experience at well-known food producers, the digitalisation of the sensory evaluation process in the food sector has multiple advantages. In addition to time and cost savings, the focus is on the neutrality of sensory tests, efficient and more detailed evaluations of sensory results and a paperless archive. 

In the digitalisation of food sensory analysis, each participant usually evaluates his sample individually without exchanging information with other participants. The results of all participants are then compiled into a joint results report. On the other hand, in the traditional approach with documentation on paper, the participants often exchanged comments among themselves and a tasting manager compiled the tasting report from the sum of the comments. Neutrality was not always given, especially when participants from different hierarchies were present. Often, personal preference and sensory quality assessment or devaluation were also mixed in this type of tasting. As a result, the original question was not always clearly pursued and the actually desired analytical and objective sensory quality assessment was undermined.

The tasting reports were filed away and were often difficult to find again when questions arose later. In the digital world, however, the tasting reports are stored and, provided a descriptive name has been chosen, can be easily found by anyone. As all data of the tasted products, the tasting process itself and the possibly formulated corrective action, are available in a database, various evaluations can easily be made. For example, trends can be identified or actions can be tracked that affect both the analysed product itself and the involved testers, their qualifications as well as their sensory performance during the test.

The basic prerequisite for digitisation is, of course, a stable and fast IT network and user-friendly software that can ideally be used from anywhere via smartphone, tablet or PC. The security of the stored data must always be taken into account and guaranteed. As current practical experience shows, after the first application, the advantages of digitalisation will also convince participants who previously and actually preferred to work with paper.

„Life was made tremendously easier“ – case study: Emmi Fondue AG, Switzerland  

The SensoTASTE software system covers many of these needs. It also contains clear product, sample and project databases with input boxes which can be customised and it has a flexible questionnaire design. Figure 4 shows an example of the digitalised sensory evaluation process mapped by SensoTASTE. It also illustrates how the basic process can be supplemented by other useful modules. The modules of the basic process are shown there as blue boxes and supplementary modules as green or yellow boxes. This sensory evaluation data management focuses on efficiency, flexibility and transparency.

Project planning is followed by the creation or selection of questionnaires, the recruitment, selection and invitation of panelists, and finely the sample management. 

Every company has the possibility to optimally align the data management process with its own procedures, so individual solution strategies can be created through customising. Report formats, checklists and interfaces are therefore installed specifically according to user needs (see Figure 7: Automatically generated pdf report, Emmi Fondue AG; example of customising: Colouring can be used to support statements of results so that they are immediately understandable for the report recipient). 

The SensoPLUS services for companies in the food sector is complemented off by another software tool of interest to corporate practice, SensoCHECK. With SensoCHECK, the entire quality assurance process is handled efficiently. The on-site recording of all findings and actions, as well as the automatic data transfer and data exchange with ERP, LIMS and CRM systems reduce the workload enormously. SensoCHECK can also be optimally used for inspections and audits. Standardised checklists for HACCP, BRC or IFS can be mapped in the system for this purpose. Findings can be supplemented with photos or drawings for illustration. Due to the high level of transparency, the corrective actions are implemented consistently. The quality manager organises and consolidates less and the production managers are better informed in a timely manner and overall.

With reference to the categorisation of software programs in connection with sensory evaluation, a selection of software offers is compiled below. This provides the basis for further individual research and, if necessary, personal contact.

• https://www.swissmem.ch/de/industrie-politik/industrie-40-digitalisierung.html
• A. Ternès, I. Towers & M. Jerusel; Konsumentenverhalten im Zeitalter der Digitalisierung;
  Springerfachmedien Wiesbaden, 2015; S. 22-23 
• http://www.sensoplus.ch
• Emmi Fondue AG, Simon Blaser, Projektleiter Innovation/Applikation; Lizenzträger von SensoPLUS
  Frau Dr. Claudia Franke, Geschäftsführerin Firma SIREQUA

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