ISO 11132:2021 provides guidelines for evaluating the overall performance of a quantitative descriptive panel as well as the performance of individual panel members. It is relevant for validating the training of both individual assessors and panels, in addition to monitoring the performance of established panels. However, it does not apply to panel performance in descriptive methods where individual scores are not recorded, there is no unified list of attributes common to all assessors, or where dominance is measured instead of intensity. Thus, methods such as consensus profile, free-choice profile, flash profile, and temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) fall outside its scope.
The methods outlined in this document are intended for assessing and monitoring a panel’s and its assessors’ ability to differentiate between products, the level of agreement among assessors within the same panel, and the consistency of these assessors in their intensity ratings. Reproducibility, which includes comparisons between different panels and evaluations conducted under varying conditions (i.e., separated by time), is not covered by this document.
The specified methods can be utilized, either fully or selectively, by the panel leader to continuously evaluate the performance of panels or individual assessors. The listed methods are not comprehensive, and other suitable methods may also be employed.
