Sensory Evaluation of Foods: Current Practice and Future Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

The field of sensory science has developed rapidly over the last 25 years from its focus on classical sensory analysis, moving through generic sensory profiling, to novel methods, utilising multiviariate data analysis for visual understanding, and on to the specification of causal and predictive sensory and instrumental relationships for applicability to new product development for consumer impact. In that time, there has also been an expansion of cross-diciplinary synergies with, e.g., psychology, sociology physiology, endocrinology, and neuroscience, which continue to grow and synergise with respect to understanding appetite and healthy eating.

Most recently, a focal point has emerged around sensor and visual technologies with the advent of exponential advances in computing power, i.e., biometrics, eye tracking, and the lastest innovations in immersive contexts and virtual reality linked to cognitive psychological measurements. With the emergence of these syergies, the development of sensory assessment as a holistic experience is predicted, which will ultimately generate an exceptional and multi-faceted understanding of food and eating for future generations.

Sensory science concurrently has also steped up to be at the forefront of research into modern global challenges around healthy and sustainable eating and, more recently, the transition in society to green eating. Moreover, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and understanding its sensory effects and eating challenges.

The senses for the future will be central in understanding why we eat what we eat and will be pivotal to a more healthy future in eating. In this Special Issue book, we will take a look at where are we at right now, and where are we going.

Aim: It is timely to take stock and bring together key research and opinion on the status of sensory methods and the potential for new and emerging technologies, as a Special Issue in Foods, a key journal publishing unique high-impact sensory science in contexts across the multidisciplinary space that senses research has now become. We would like to establish an overview of sensory sciences' present applications, uses, developments, or lack thereof, our emerging interdisciplinary links and brand new science areas now linked to perception research, and see what the focuses will be over the next 25 years.

Specific areas of research relevant to this Special Issue are as follows:

-Classical sensory analysis and sensory profiling as they exist today. Qualitative and quantitative methods: how do they reflect the consumer and why?

-Novel and modified sensory techniques, i.e., rapid descriptive methods, so-called fast methods and on to gaming as an emerging method in sensory science; what are the positive outcomes in various fields?

-Sensometrics and data science, the power of computing in perception data.

-Sensory analysis methodologies and their intrinsic elements, e.g., learning effects, vocabulary generation, attribute identification, intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

-Digital and instrumental sensory science, e.g., biometrics, haptics, eye tracking, EEG, and beyond.

-Sensory mimicry and relevance of instrumental devices such as, e.g., e-noses, e-tongues, gustomenters and the like, sensory and instrumental correlation, instrumental versus sensory characterization.

-Modalities: texture analysis and the importance of texture in new foods, visual analysis and extrinsic versus intrinsic elements of the sensory nature of food.

-The lastest immersive contexts and cognitive psychological contributions: how will these reinforce sensory assessment as a holistic experience and generate an exceptional understanding of food and eating?

Research papers, opinion papers, and review articles are welcome in this Special Issue of Foods, with a focus on sensory and consumer methods and approaches as a requirement in the areas mentioned above. The ultimate aim is to publish the Special Issue collection once curated as an open source book volume to act as a status and inspirational volume with respect to current practice and future perspectives in sensory and consumer science related to food and eating.

Prof. Dr. Derek V. Byrne
Prof. Dr. Hildegarde Heymann
Guest Editors

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• classical sensory analysis and sensory profiling
• novel and modified sensory techniques
• sensometrics and data science
• sensory analysis methodologies intrinsic elements
• digital and instrumental sensory science
• sensory mimicry and instrumental devices
• sensory modalities and their specific involvement in food and eating
• new immersive contexts and cognitive psychological contributions how will these reinforce sensory assessment