The use of analysis of variance and three-way factor analysis methods for studying the quality of a sensory panel

Summary in the original language of the document

In sensory analysis a panel of assessors evaluate a collection of samples/products with
respect to a number of sensory characteristics. Assessments are collected in a threeway
data matrix crossing products, attributes and assessors. The main objective of the
experiment is to evaluate products. However, the performance of each assessor and of the
panel as a whole is of crucial importance for a successful analysis. At this aim univariate
analysis for each sensory attribute as well as multi-way analysis considering all directions
of information are usually performed. The present work studies the quality of a panel
using both methods. The basic idea is to compare results and investigate relations between
the two different analytical approaches.