Training and Control of Performance of a Tactile Sensory Panel

The sensory measurement provided by a panel of experts to be objective, it must have the same level of reliability and reproducibility as the measurement obtained with a measuring instrument. These two essential criteria are in particular obtained by a sufficient training of the panel. The aim of this research is to establish a sensory evaluation method more reliable and reproducible by using a trained panel which helps the company to foresee the sensory profile of its products. And afterward predict the degree of consumers’ satisfaction of their products. This study, present the methodology followed to set up an objective sensory evaluation method using a trained panel for the evaluation of the textile fabrics handle. Indeed a group of judges is selected and trained to identify and to quantify the perceptions obtained, following the handling of the fabrics samples of various aspects. A list of 16 handle attributes is drawn up after principal components analysis. The performance of the panelists on the level of repeatability is controlled in order to diminish the variableness of the provided measurements. A control of the panelists’ performance is carried out during the test-retest study using the analysis of variance. These analyses permitted to set up a group of 10 experts selected among 15 trained judges according to the importance of their repeatability. This panel is validated to help the company to foresee the sensory profile of its products with a subjective evaluation method more reliable and reproducible.