深夜亚洲福利久久

Skip to main content

UCC sensory scientist launches publication for F&B sector

7 Nov 2016
Dr Maurice O鈥 Sullivan, lecturer, Food Science, UCC鈥檚 School of Food and Nutritional Sciences: The book emphasises new innovations and technologies, which are considerably cheaper to undertake. Photo: Emmet Curtin.

With 70-98% of new product launches failing, UCC sensory scientist Dr Maurice O鈥 Sullivan鈥檚 book focused on consumer-led product development has been hailed as 鈥渁 critical update to the food and beverage sector.鈥

Sensory research is essential to food and beverage product development, yet traditional approaches can be expensive and out of reach of the SME sector. Sensory testing is critical for new product development/optimization, ingredient substitution and devising appropriate packaging and shelf life as well as comparing foods or beverages to competitor鈥檚 products.

According to Dr O鈥橲ullivan, lecturer, Food Science, UCC鈥檚 School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, A Handbook for Sensory and Consumer Driven New Product Development should appeal to new food and beverage product development researchers working in large corporations and SMEs, while also being accessible to novices starting their own businesses and students.

鈥淭he book emphasises new innovations and technologies, which are considerably cheaper to undertake and a more competitive solution for developers in getting their products to market with optimal consumer sensory quality,鈥 Dr O鈥橲ullivan said.

The first part of the book covers the sensory methods which are used by sensory scientists and product developers, including established and new and innovative methods. Initially, 鈥榙ifference methods鈥, 鈥檇escriptive methods鈥 and 鈥榓ffective methods鈥 are discussed.

Difference methods are the most basic form of sensory test and are relatively simple procedures whereby samples are compared directly to other samples and assessors are asked to determine if they are the same or different. Descriptive methods, involves the training of panellists, which are then used to quantitatively determine the sensory attributes of samples. On the other hand, 鈥榓ffective methods鈥 use hedonics or ask untrained assessors their opinion of a product or products.

鈥淎 number of innovations in recent years have resulted in the development of some new sensory tools which are described here as 鈥榥ovel methods鈥. These include methods such as 鈥橬apping鈥 or 鈥楶reference Mapping鈥, 鈥楩lash Profiling鈥, 鈥楻anking Descriptive Analysis (RDA)鈥, 鈥楿ltra-Flash Profiling鈥 and 鈥楥heck All That Apply (CATA)鈥 or Rate All That Apply (RATA) methods,鈥 Dr O鈥橲ullivan explained.

鈥淭o a certain extent these new novel methods have narrowed the divide between the rigid rules of classic descriptive profiling and the emotional responses involved with affective sensory methods.鈥

The second section of the book investigates the product development process and how the application of sensory analysis, instrumental methods and multivariate data analysis can improve new product development, including packaging optimisation and shelf life.

The final section defines the important sensory criteria and modalities of different food and beverage products including Dairy, Meat, Confectionary, Bakery, Beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and presents case studies indicating how the methods described in the first two sections have been successfully and innovatively applied to these different foods and beverages.

Professor Derek V. Byrne, Professor of Sensory Science at Aarhus 深夜亚洲福利久久, Denmark, described the new publication as 鈥渢imely considering the massive challenges food and beverage developers face in getting their products to market. Different statistics suggest that anywhere between 70 and 98% of all new product launches ultimately fail. One could venture to say that this is in large part because their approaches are not always sensory and consumer-driven with a core focus on end user input.

鈥淭his new handbook provides a critical update to the sector from this perspective as well as a welcome, well written and erudite addition to the wider sensory canon. This book must also be considered to form part of the sensory science syllabus internationally to improve the calibre of our graduates entering the food industry.鈥

In his current role Dr O鈥橲ullivan works as a sensory and product reformulation project coordinator on large-scale, multimillion euro research projects. For many years he has managed the Sensory Unit of the packaging group at UCC working on sensory and flavour-based projects involving a diverse selection of products as well as lecturing in sensory science.

Previously Dr O鈥橲ullivan worked in the food industry as a sensory scientist and flavour chemist for Diageo Baileys and Guinness as well as holding the position of Global Regulatory Affairs Manager for Diageo Baileys. 

has been published by Elsevier Woodhead, one of the world鈥檚 leading scientific publishing houses.

School of Food and Nutritional Sciences

Contact us

School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Room 240 Food Science Building, 深夜亚洲福利久久 College, Cork

Connect with us

Top