A plant protection product protects crops, but does it alter the taste of our food?

In agricultural and agri-food development, proving the efficacy of a treatment is not enough. It is equally essential to assess its potential unintended effects on the sensory qualities of harvested products, whether they are consumed fresh or processed.

This is where sensory analysis comes in!

👉 How do we do it? Focus on the “Triangle Test”

To guarantee the highest level of objectivity, we use the standardized triangle test method:

🔹 The principle: Our naive panelists simultaneously receive three randomly coded samples. One of the three samples (from either the reference modality or the treated modality) is different from the other two samples.

🔹 The objective: To identify the “odd one out” in a blind test, relying solely on their olfactory and gustatory senses.

🔹 The result: A robust statistical analysis that allows us to confirm, beyond subjective impressions, whether a significant and perceptible difference exists for the end consumer.

But we don’t stop there! When a significant difference is detected, we take the analysis one step further. We ask our panelists to describe precisely what led them to identify the different sample:

🔹 Is it a difference in texture (firmer, more floury/starchy)?

🔹 A gustatory variation (lingering aftertaste, loss of original flavor)?

🔹 An olfactory change?

This approach allows us not only to determine whether the tested product differs significantly from the control, but also to identify which specific sensory attributes are responsible for the difference, providing our partners with highly detailed and actionable descriptive data.

Whether it is to confirm the absence of a persistent aftertaste or an unusual odour, our mission is to ensure that crop protection never comes at the expense of sensory quality.

🙌 Congratulations to our teams and our panelists for their dedication and commitment to these projects!