Testing panel consistency with GCAP method in food profile analysis

The analysis of descriptive sensory data is a very complex task in food product development and in food quality management. One of the key issues is the reliability of the panel members in making decisions. The authors created a software - the ProfiSens, based on Visual Basic for Excel (VBE) - for the IT support of food profile analysis. Using this software we have developed a method for testing panel consistency. This method is based on the geometrical properties of the profile polygon. It offers a fast and expressive way for the qualification of the panel, and the authors created its VBE implementation, too, that can be easily linked to the basic ProfiSens software. In this paper we discuss the mathematical background and the algorithm of the method in every detail, and we show several applications in the fields of research, education and industry. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.