The role of the Consumer & Sensory Sciences Department is to make advances in applied research to help client companies better understand their products and their consumers, and to apply and transfer appropriate techniques and methods to member companies for the measurement of product sensory quality and consumer preference. Key issues of importance to member companies include:

• consumer attitudes and behaviour, product and brand perception;
• integrating sensory and consumer sciences in the product development process;
• transferring consumer and sensory methods to the food industry;
• market place information, new product trends, factors contributing to new product success and improving efficiency of new product development;>
• using methods for measuring sensory quality of foods, applications in quality assurance product specification and shelf life measurements;
• methods for measuring preference and the relationship to sensory analysis;
• understanding consumer expectations.

The Department has an international reputation as a leader in sensory and consumer sciences, with a multidisciplinary and multi-skilled team fully aware of the practical needs of clients.