Introducing 21st Sensory

Kathleen Pillsbury Rutledge

President/CEO

kprutledge@21stSensory.com

www.21stSensory.com

918 333 1011

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21st Sensory has become the preferred contract sensory testing company for nearly 200 food, beverage, OTC pharmaceutical, polymer, and personal care companies globally. Testing spans all foods, beverages (including licensing to test alcohol), and personal care products (toothbrushes, wipes, soaps, and razors etc.).

A 6,200 sq ft downtown Bartlesville building and a 2,400 sq ft warehouse were purchased 2006. The completely remodeled offices and lab were completed in October 2007 and feature multiple panel and consumer testing rooms, a personal care testing suite, commercial and domestic kitchens, internet access to observe panels in session and more.

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Who we are

We hire intelligent, curious and obsessively detailed professionals and staff. Our descriptive panelists undergo months of training. The consumers that participate in studies are carefully prerecruited to match target customers.

We are a company focused solely on product and consumer research by applying established and developing innovative sensory testing methods, so we strive to be the best at what we do.

The Sensory Tool Box

Objective! Objective! Objective!To design your test, our first question is “what exactly do you need to know?”

Analytical

Trained or Semi Trained

Measure the attributes of the product itself

Subjective

Untrained and Naive Consumers

Test the Subject’s response to the product

•Descriptive AnalysisIdentify, define and measure product characteristics by standardized methods

•Discrimination Testing Difference, Similarity, Multiple Paired Comparisons

•Discriminationcan consumers detect a difference

•Acceptance/Preferencehow much does consumer like or prefer products

Descriptive Analysis Panels

Mobile Panel Testing at Client’s Site

Sensory Descriptive Analysis

Descriptive analysis provides detailed analytical data that precisely identifies and measures all of the perceived sensory attributes of products.

This is sometimes referred to as a sensory “fingerprint.”

In other words, we describe perceived sensory characteristics in detail and provide accurate measures of each of the attribute intensities.

Using descriptive analysis, we become your product's “experts” providing base line “fingerprints” of how the product tastes, smells, looks, feels or sounds.

Sensory data provide a means of objectively measuring the impact of formulation changes, storage, packaging, abuse, different processes, and suppliers.

Sensory data are used to compare products to competitors products and to establish history over time.

Descriptive analysis

21st Sensory Descriptive Analysis methodology is based on using what are referred to as “universal” scales. These scales are to sensory testing what rulers, meters, and other devices are to measuring weights, distance, sound etc.

Universal scales are unique in that we use seemingly unrelated products as benchmarks to measure the perceived intensity of sensory experiences.

Universal scales are relational. This allows the intensity of unrelated attributes to be compared to one another using the same scales.

“Universal” scales

Similar concepts apply to measuring sound in decibels. The intensity of a bird’s song can be compared to the sound intensity of an engine.

The bird and the engine are unrelated but the units measuring sound intensity are the same.

A feather and a rock are unrelated, but the same scales are used to measure their weights.

Universal scales…

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Panelists = calibrated instruments

•After a lengthy selection process, panelists train 150 hours minimum before joining regular panels as interns for 50 hours and are closely monitored

•Hundreds of hours of experience result in panelists becoming masters of sensory analysis resulting in quick project turn around due to brief learning curves with accuracy and reliability

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Standard Panel Method

10 – 12 panelists assigned to project

Suitable for studies when robust test designs having randomization and statistical data analysis are important

Suitable for studies with many samples, designed experiments, and high risk decisions

Data analyzed by 21st Sensory or may be sent to client or designated sensory statistician

Panelists work independently balloting samples in designed sequential order

Report includes tables of data means separation analysis, graphs of data, summary of findings, lexicon, and conclusions

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Standard panel data set with means separation analysis

Descriptive Flavor Analysis, 3 Cereal SamplesTable of Means Scores and LSD Mean Separation Analysis

Plant A Plant B Plant CGrain 4.1 a 3.8 ab 3.6 bFruit impression 3.2 3.4 2.8Caramel 6.3 ab 6.0 b 6.7 aVanillin 3.3 3.1 3.3Brown spice 2.7 3.0 2.5Almond 1.4 1.5 1.5Cardboard 2.2 2.4 2.5Salt 3.3 3.5 3.3Sweet 10.9 10.5 11.1Sour 1.7 1.7 1.5Bitter .4 .6 .4Astringent 3.1 b 3.3 ab 3.4 aUmami 2.5 2.5 2.5Sweet burn 3.0 ab 2.8 b 3.4 a

*means in the same row with different letters are statistically different a p<0.05

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Consensus Panel MethodUses a smaller group of 5 – 6

highly trained panelists who evaluate sequential samples independently then discuss similarities and differences and agree on attribute scores

Suitable for studies with fewer samples

Appropriate for studies is which both attributes data and experienced qualitative comparisons are beneficial to the decision process

Report includes summary of findings and conclusions with consensus data tables, lexicons and “spider” charts

Measuring amount of stretch

of fried cheese appetizer

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Can the client use this alternate vendor?

Consensus Flavor Texture Evaluation of Honey French Dressing

0.0

5.0

10.0

Overall

Tomato

Vinegar

Onion/Garlic

Oil

Salt

SweetSour

Bitter

Bite/Burn

Firmness

Mixes with saliva

Oily Mouthcoat

Control One

Control Two

Test

Two samples from the current vendor are compared to the test from the proposed new vendor. The test sample falls within the inherent variation of the two controls and is deemed to be a near match with the exception of a stronger onion/garlic that needs to be adjusted.

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Descriptive Analysis is used forGold Standard “fingerprinting” and maintenance

Measuring plant output consistency

Guidance for product matching or reformulation

Guidance in product development and marketing decisions through the use of statistical data analysis

Alternate supplier qualification

Competitor product analysis

Category and preference mapping studies

Package barrier performance; flavor and odor transfer

Shelf Life Studies – freezer, ambient

Trouble shooting, flavor taint identification

Qualifying materials used in refrigeration

units and transoceanic containers

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Descriptive analysis time lines

• 30 trained panelists are assigned work for upcoming week each Friday

• Descriptive studies – Prefer to allow 2 – 3 weeks' lead time for planning

• Most projects are completed during the week they are scheduled

• Topline data emailed the day after the panel completes analysis

• Most projects-in by Friday, with results sent following week

• Pre-screeners are broadcast by email to a diverse database of local residents drawn from two colleges, a career tech, employees of global companies including Schlumberger, Siemens, ConocoPhillips, 35 fund raising organizations, and civic groups.

• Respondents are called, further qualified, then scheduled to test in Consumer Testing Center.

• Focus groups, home use and central location tests conducted.

• Routinely test foods, beverages, QSR competitive studies, home use personal care (razors, cremes, toothpastes, tooth brushing systems, personal care) and much more.

Consumer Testing Center

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Consumer testing timeline

• Prefer () 3 week scheduling in advance.

• Prescreener and ballot completed week before test

• Screener broadcast emailed/faxed week prior to test

• Prequalified consumers called, qualified further, scheduled for test

• Ballots scanned day after test

• Topline tables emailed within 48 hours after test completed

• Final report with tables and findings usually sent 10 days after testing completed

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Sample consumer dataon hand held sandwich

Just About Right Means**

Current Trans fat

free

Amount of cheese topping (too little – too much) 2.4 b 2.7 a

Color of cheese topping (too light – too dark) 3.0 b 3.5 a

Thickness of crust (too thin – too thick) 3.1 3.1

Texture of crust (too soft – too hard) 2.7 2.7

Texture of crust corners (too soft – too hard) 2.9 3.0

Ratio of filling to crust (too little – too much) 2.3 b 2.8 a

Amount of meat (too little – too much) 2.3 b 2.7 a

Texture of meat (too soft – too tough) 3.0 3.0

Amount of cheese (too little – too much) 2.6 b 3.0 a

Texture of cheese (too runny – too thick) 2.8 b 3.0 a ** This scale is also known as the Goldilocks scale. The scale goes from 1 to 5. A score of three is “Just About Right”. Scores moving away from 3 indicate either too much or too little of the attribute. Samples in the same row with different letters are significantly different at p<0.05.

The trans fat free product was just about ideal in crust thickness and texture, meat texture, amount of cheese and cheese texture. The trans free crust was too dark. The Current formulation had too little cheese topping, not enough filling, meat, cheese and the cheese texture was a little too runny.

Consumer Advisory Panels

• 8 to 24 product users are recruited to participate in a series of facilitated focus groups.

• Sequential sessions build a body of knowledge about consumers’ feelings and attitudes about product characteristics.

• Used to gain in-depth insight about prototypes, competitor products, consumer sensitivity to product variables (that is, can they tell and does it matter)?

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Sensory services also include:

• Extended Home Use Testing projects with meticulous oversight

• In house training food, beverage, personal care product assessment

• Custom developed training modules, lexicons and references for company internal panels

• Collaborating with respected sensory statisticians and other sensory testing groups to produce preference mapping studies across US

• Integration of descriptive data and consumer opinions to establish scaled ranges of consumer acceptability for specific product characteristics

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Site Support Features• Personal care testing suite with 6 sinks and 4 showers

for descriptive and consumer product studies

• Consumer testing area with one way mirrors and live remote internet observation for tests in progress Commercial gas range, oven, grill and fryers

• Matching GE Profile conventional/convection ovens

• 900 and 1000 watt domestic microwave ovens

• Commercial 2000 watt microwave

• 8 X 8 Walk in freezer

• Commercial hood with gas and both single and three phase commercial power hook ups for client equipment

• Live remote internet observation of projects in progress

For more information

• www.21stSensory.com

• KPRutledge@21stSensory.com

• BettySapp@21stSensory.com

• Call 918 333 1011