Monitoring calibration of descriptive sensory panels using distance from target measurements

Training targets can be established from product profiles that provide an objective representation of the underlying sensory characteristics of a group of products. If available to a panel leader, these training targets can be used to calibrate a panel and measure the accuracy of their responses. Response accuracy can be determined either by frequency counts-how often the target was hit versus how many opportunities there were to hit it-or by distance from target measurements-which attempt to further quantify the degree to which the target was hit or missed. In addition to the frequency counts, four distance-from-target methods are presented and discussed-Distance from Target, Distance from Range, Adjusted Distance from Target, and Adjusted Distance from Range-each of which provides insights into the degree to which the panel is calibrated.