| CODE | FSN3015 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Sensory and Consumer Science | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will look into: - basics of the sensory testing of food, including a description of the five senses, how we perceive them, and how they are affected; - the five basic tastes and the complexity of aromas; - trained panel testing theory; - discriminatory testing; - consumer testing theory; and - statistics to interpret the results of sensory testing. This unit will also have a practical element, where the students will be trained to participate in a sensory panel. This will include training on individual sensory attributes, as as well as on commercial products. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to introduce the student to sensory testing and the different methodologies used in this field. These include testing by a trained panel, as well as consumer testing, and the various statistical ways to interpret the results. The study-unit also aims to provide basic practical sensory training. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - distinguish between taste, aroma and flavour, and how each of the five senses are involved during sensory testing; - demonstrate the differences in testing carried out by a trained panel and consumers; - describe how to carry out basic statistical analysis of sensory data. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - design an appropriate trained panel and consumer testing protocol for a given product; - build a suitable taste and aroma wheel for trained panel sensory testing purposes; - distinguish between the five basic tastes, and identify a range of aromas. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Text - Gastrophysics; Spence, C.; Viking (2017). Supplementary Text - Sensory Evaluation of Food: Principles and Practices, 2nd ed.; Lawless, H. T., Heymann, H.; Springer (2010). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study and Practical | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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