Overview
ISO 22935-1:2023 - "Milk and milk products - Sensory analysis - Part 1: Recruitment, selection, training and monitoring of assessors" provides authoritative guidance for building and maintaining sensory assessment capability specific to dairy products. The standard focuses on practical procedures for recruiting panel candidates, screening sensory ability, selecting assessors (including expert sensory assessors), and implementing training and ongoing monitoring to ensure consistent, reliable sensory data in milk and milk-product testing.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Recruitment and pre‑screening: Guidance on candidate pools (internal or external), pre‑screening interview forms, availability and health considerations (e.g., lactose intolerance, dentures, smoking, fingerfeel limitations).
- Structured screening sessions: Recommended multi‑session screening covering:
- Odour recognition (using standard aroma materials and scoring; e.g., 3/2/1 point system),
- Basic taste recognition (sweet, sour, salty, bitter),
- Ranking tests (texture/body/creaminess),
- Difference testing (triangle tests on milk powder, butter, cheese),
- Descriptive ability and group discussion (round‑table evaluation of cream and cheese).
- Sample preparation and presentation: Practical advice such as preparing test samples on the day of evaluation and serving samples in a consistent order for screening.
- Selection criteria and panel requirements: Defines procedures for selecting assessors and expert sensory assessors with demonstrated sensitivity and repeatability for dairy products; supplements general guidance in ISO 8586.
- Training and monitoring: Procedures for initiating and maintaining assessor competence through training modules, reference materials, and performance monitoring to ensure long‑term panel stability and data quality.
- Performance assessment: Methods and marking schedules to evaluate candidates’ sensory acuity and descriptive skills.
Practical applications and users
ISO 22935-1:2023 is intended for organizations involved in sensory evaluation of dairy products, including:
- Dairy manufacturers (quality assurance and product development)
- Sensory laboratories and contract testing facilities
- Food R&D teams working on milk, cheese, butter, cream and milk powders
- Regulatory and standards organizations implementing sensory protocols
- Universities and training providers delivering sensory assessor courses
Using ISO 22935-1 helps ensure panels are competent, testing is reproducible, and sensory data can support product development, quality control, shelf‑life studies, and claims verification.
Related standards
This part references and supplements several key sensory standards, including:
Keywords: ISO 22935-1, milk sensory analysis, sensory assessors, dairy sensory panel, recruitment selection training monitoring, triangle test, odour recognition, sensory evaluation of milk and milk products.