EXPERTS VERSUS CONSUMERS - A COMPARISON

This paper compares experts and consumers to determine the degree to w hich they agree with each other on ratings of 37 sauce products, using the same sensory attributes. The paper also assesses the degree to wh ich sensory attribute ratings correlate with objective physical measur es. The ratings of experts (1-9 scale) and consumers (0-100 scale) agr ee quite highly, as shown by the high correlation between the two pane ls across the 37 products. The paper refutes the notion that consumers are incapable of validly rating the sensory aspects of products. The paper therefore presents the case for using consumers to assess the se nsory characteristics of products.