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Strategic Research

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Sensory Evaluation of Food

Part of the book series: Food Science Text Series ((FSTS))

Abstract

Sensory professionals often assist their companies with strategic research. One common example is the category appraisal, in which competitive products are evaluated relative to one’s own. Often the information is summarized by perceptual mapping, using multivariate statistical analyses. An important part of product development is optimization of specific attributes. A third area involves identifying patterns of consumer preferences and groups to whom different versions of a product may be appealing.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy … Therefore I say: ‘Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril.’

—Sun Tzu, The Art of War (Ch. 3, v. 4, 31)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Stocking Hall, Room 106, Ithaca, 14853, USA

    Harry T. Lawless

  2. Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California – Davis, 2003 RMI Sensory Building, 95616, Davis, CA, USA

    Hildegarde Heymann

Authors
  1. Harry T. Lawless
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  2. Hildegarde Heymann
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Lawless, H., Heymann, H. (2010). Strategic Research. In: Sensory Evaluation of Food. Food Science Text Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6488-5_19

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