Consumer perception is driven by the sensory characteristics of products as experienced by all five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and sound. Therefore, sensory evaluation is an essential tool for optimising consumer acceptance of food products and is vital in gaining an understanding of how we perceive flavour, taste and texture in food.
New product development
You'll have access to the Sensory Science Centre when evaluating food products developed on your course, such as in the New Product Development module in the final year of your undergraduate degree. By ensuring that we are at the forefront of developments within the food industry, we are also able to tailor our teaching to reflect the changing trends and technologies facing the food sector.
Are you an industry professional?
The Sensory Science Centre has both the depth of experience and innovative approach to new methodologies needed to deliver sensory understanding and competitive advantage to your products. Our experience covers food and non-food products, processed foods and fresh produce, raw materials and shelf-life. Whatever your sensory query, we take a fresh approach to find the right solution.
Food Processing Centre
Our Food Processing Centre is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the UK, with a floor space of 1,100 square metres. The Centre contains processing equipment for food product development work, allowing you to simulate and recreate industry conditions.
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition
The Hugh Sinclair Unit is a leading centre for human clinical nutrition studies, exploring the relationship between diet and the risk of chronic disease.
The Flavour Centre
Understanding the chemistry of flavour is crucial to developing successful new products. Our Flavour Centre helps to ensure that both new and existing products are as appealing as possible.