APPLICATIONS OF SENSORY SCIENCE WITHIN THE HOME CARE BUSINESS

Sensory evaluation methods and procedures originally developed for the food and beverage industry are also utilized to conduct evaluations of products for furniture and floor care, laundry care, air care, and insect control. In addition to measuring sensory properties and dealing primarily with “the other senses,” home care product evaluations incorporate assessments of perceived performance as the product interacts with a substrate. Consequently, laboratory evaluations employ a variety of controlled usage conditions — each having specific physical requirements, and evaluations of total performance are conducted under multi-environmental conditions with product users. This presentation examines how traditional sensory methods have been modified and expanded to accommodate the multidimensional aspects of home care products and R&D decisionmaking.