Introduction

This book tackles what has become a hot topic in sensory and consumer science in the last 10 years: sensory description by nontrained assessors. Sensory description methods-also known as sensory characterization or product proling-are nowadays used as never before in the food industry with the use of consumers, and the line between sensory and consumer science is becoming blurred. The hypothesis that consumers are capable of accurately describing products from a sensory point of view is becoming day by day more accepted within the sensory science community. Furthermore, the realization that this kind of approach gives quick and exible answers to the changing needs of the industry has increased interest in consumer product proling tools. Industries as varied as food and beverages, cosmetic, personal care, sound, fabrics, or automotive are more and more interested in these kinds of methodologies.