- Jul. 04
- Richard Parker
Why Is Sensory Testing so Important?
If you take a look online, you will see a wealth of companies offering sensory testing. This is an imperative service that should not be overlooked. It is available for all companies to take advantage of, yet is especially beneficial for those making and selling food or drink, as well as companies selling medication and pharma products.
This type of testing uses a wealth of sound scientific strategies to assess human responses to products. It narrows in on all aspects of the product. This encompasses everything from appearance and smell, to texture and taste, to even the temperature of the product.
The results of sensory testing are extremely telling for businesses. It would be very risky to put a product onto the market without it being tested first. A sensory test gives a good indication as to whether your product is going to be a success or not. If the results aren’t as you would have hoped, you can work on altering the product before you release it onto the market. If the results are as you hoped, you can be confident that now is the right time for the public to have the opportunity to purchase your product.
There is a lot more to a sensory test than meets the eye. The wealth of information you can find out is truly astounding. Of course you will gain an insight into the general reaction to your product. Nevertheless, sensory testing can be used as an excellent basis for comparison. You can compare your products with your competitors. Moreover, a lot of companies actually have several batches of their products compared against one and other to ensure they are reaching high levels of quality control.
In fact, in recent times, a lot of businesses are revelling in the opportunity to use a sensory test as an opportunity to try out a new ingredient or an alteration to the recipe of a product. You will often see adverts of medicine bottles or food wrappers stating a product has a ‘new improved recipe’. You may assume that the company have merely taken it upon themselves to claim that the recipe is better. However, it is likely that sensory testing has led them to this conclusion.
As mentioned earlier, to avoid this service is to put yourself at a massive risk. All products and services need testing before they are suitable for consumer purchase. For example, a website will be tested several times before it goes live. Why should this be any different when it comes to medication and supplements or food and drink? The potential for failure is massive if you release your products onto the market with absolutely no indication regarding how they will perform. Specialists providers will test products in all environments too, from a medical fridge in a hospital to use in a person’s home to see if there are differences.
Last but not least, it is certainly worth considering sensory testing in relation to your brand and your company’s image. You showcase that you place great emphasis on quality. This is something consumers will respond well to. It is not uncommon for companies to brand a product based on the fact that it has passed sensory testing. After all, this lets potential consumers know that your product is of an exceptional quality.
When you take all of the points that have been mentioned into account, you can easily see why sensory testing is so important nowadays. If your business has anything to do with the food and drink industry, no matter whether you run a beverage manufacturer or a restaurant, you should definitely look into a sensory test. This will give you a great platform for high profit and future growth.