Why can’t we describe the flavor of foods without using other foods? This week Gail was interviewed for the Every Little Thing podcast to help teach the food averse to identify WHY they like and don’t like specific foods. Check it out!
To our partners and industry colleagues:
A response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
As COVID-19 continues to interrupt businesses and generate substantial uncertainty, I would like to update you on Sensory Spectrum’s business continuity plan and our industry recommendations. The health and safety of our staff, panelists and consumers is of utmost importance to us, and as such we remain committed to following best practices of the CDC. We are experiencing some disruptions in our food panels; however, our personal care panels are running with enhanced sanitary protocols and screening to ensure that any illness is not spread among our staff or study participants. We are continually monitoring the evolving situation regarding COVID-19 and continue to make adjustments to protect our employees, panelists, and consumers.
Many of our clients are faced with limitations on their travel and interrupted research timelines. We can help! Sensory Spectrum can arrange virtual evaluations, which provide all the benefits of our experienced tasters or consultants while travel is still restricted. Home-Use Tests, virtual focus groups and online one-on-one testing options may also helpful. We have been able to help many clients by taking on data analysis and reporting while many offices experience temporary short handedness. We can help you develop creative solutions to keep your projects going during these disruptions.
Speaking on behalf of our team, we appreciate your trust and confidence as we navigate through this time of uncertainty together. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me. Any further updates will be posted on our LinkedIn, so we encourage you to follow this page.
Bob Baron, Ph.D.
Vice President
Sensory Spectrum Inc.
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Carol joined Sensory Spectrum in 2008. As the Director of Accounting, her duties are varied, in addition to running Sensory Spectrum’s business interests; she is a key liaison to our clients’ purchasing and procurement departments.
Carol earned a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Accounting from Montclair State University in New Jersey. Her work experience includes working in the entertainment/music industry and the Catholic Church.
Amy Trail has been working exclusively in the sensory and consumer insights domain for over 20 years. Her tenure crosses a range of different company experiences including consumer goods, supplier side business, and consulting. Amy has explored almost every food and beverage and spent extended time on chocolate, coffee, vanilla, fruits, and dairy. Consulting also expanded her expertise beyond foods to cover personal care products, fragrance, and clothing. Amy has been leading descriptive trainings and workshops, managing consumer studies, interpreting data, and working in the diverse world of consumer qualitative throughout her entire career. Her passion for sensory and consumer research all started with a B.S. in Food Science from Virginia Tech and a M.S. in Food Science from North Carolina State University.
Lee’s experience in sensory and strategic consulting leverages her deep understanding of the descriptive sensory properties of foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal and home care products, and paper and fabrics to provide information and insight to her clients and colleagues. Lee studied Food Science at Clemson and NC State University and held several positions involving product development, quality, technical sales, and sensory prior to joining Sensory Spectrum in 1998.
As Director of Training & Education, Lee leads Sensory Spectrum’s trainers in refining the Spectrum training model to meet the evolving needs of its clients and oversees Spectrum’s public courses. Whether providing training & support for descriptive analysis or sensory quality, facilitating development of objective sensory language for cross-functional groups, moderating sensory-focused qualitative research, coaching, or evaluating, Lee feels that working at Sensory Spectrum provides her never-ending opportunities to learn and to share knowledge.
With more than 20 year’s experience in sensory science, 15+ with Sensory Spectrum, Joanne has participated in evaluating the sensory properties of a great span of products. Her industry background in both food and non-food allows her to offer clients a blend of scientific precision with a real world, practical approach well-suited to the corporate world.
Joanne has experience in both qualitative and quantitative testing. However, Joanne’s true passion lies in food product descriptive analysis (DA). Having trained many panels, both internally & externally, she has depth as both a trained panelist & a descriptive panel leader and has taught the Descriptive Panel Leadership & Flavor Courses for close to a decade.
As the Director of Consultancy, it is Joanne’s responsibility to develop newer consultants and enable them to create a skillset that has both depth & breadth. Joanne monitors the flow of work within the consultants, directing incoming projects in a manner that allows each consultant to increase their overall knowledge of sensory methods.
As Director of Managed Services, Marie draws on a diverse background of leading and managing descriptive analysis panels; planning and execution of consumer studies; and, development & management of human resource programs to propose, negotiate and oversee all managed service contracts. Her business focus provides maximum benefit for all parties while ensuring that the contract terms and conditions are upheld.
Marie has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Cook College, Rutgers University and a Master’s of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology.
With a strong background in consumer research and descriptive techniques, Annlyse Retiveau Krogmann has developed skills and expertise in evaluation methods for a diversified array of products – including foods and beverages as well as non-food products, such as home care, air care and personal care products.
She especially enjoys working with fragranced products and has done extensive research (including descriptive testing, qualitative and quantitative consumer research) on fragrances, focusing on understanding the impact of fragrance hedonics and sensory properties on consumers’ perception, imagery, emotions and moods.
Across all product categories, she enjoys uncovering the sensory story underneath the data and revealing the interrelationships between products sensory properties and consumer acceptance and perception.
Annlyse holds a PhD in Food Science / Sensory Analysis from Kansas State University. She also holds a M.S degree in Human Nutrition / Sensory Analysis from the same university and the equivalent of a B.S. in Food Science and Engineering from France.
Ivy Koelliker joined Sensory Spectrum in 2010. As a Director at Sensory Spectrum, Ivy manages a team of consultants whose expertise spans a wide variety of consumer product categories and sensory research techniques. Ivy specializes in food descriptive analysis and training food descriptive panels, and has expertise in statistical techniques, including linking consumer and descriptive data.
Ivy has an M.S. degree in Food Science from Rutgers University and completed her B.S. in Biological Sciences there, as well. She also has a Grand Diploma in the Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute.
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Nicole joined Sensory Spectrum in 2006. As Technical Operations Manager at Sensory Spectrum, Nicole manages a wide variety of projects with a focus on technology and innovation. She has extensive experience in non-food descriptive analysis, as well as expertise in statistical techniques, including linking consumer and descriptive data.
Nicole has a BA degree in History and Political Science from Rutgers University.
As a member of the senior staff at Sensory Spectrum, Clare leads work and development at both Spectrum’s NJ and NC facilities.
Clare listens to the clients, asks questions and then designs and implements innovative methodology to meet their product and consumer understanding needs.
She has tasted, smelled, felt and looked at a wide range of foods, beverages, personal care products, paper products, fabrics and pharmaceuticals. Clare leverages deep understanding of sensory properties to provide information, insight, training and coaching to her clients and colleagues.
In her work in linking consumer and product understanding Clare actively seeks tools, techniques, and ways of thinking to assist her and Sensory Spectrum in understanding consumer decision criteria and motivations as related to desired sensory product features.
For the Society of Sensory Professionals (SSP), Clare used her creative problem solving training and co-designed and co-facilitated the SSP ideation at the inaugural conference. She is an active member of both the Professional Development and Strategic Planning Committees. In addition, Clare co-chaired the 2012 SSP Conference.
Clare has a Bachelors’ of Science in Food Science from Rutgers University, NJ. She is a long-time leader and presenter for the Creative Problem Solving Institute and is currently enrolled in the Polarity Management mastery Program.
She spends her free time volunteering with youth ministry at her church where she has done everything from playing monopoly at 3:00 am to mission work involving rolled roofing, hammer and nails.
Bob has over 20 years of experience working in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. As a former Research and Development Director, Bob has served on many senior leadership teams focusing on strategy, business growth, and associate development. This level of leadership experience is a tremendous asset to Sensory Spectrum and its clients.
Bob’s expertise includes Sensory Evaluation, Consumer Insights, Product Development and Innovation. He has been deeply involved in all aspects of the product life cycle from ideation to launch, followed by product maintenance. Bob’s expertise also includes a wide range of sensory evaluation methods, quantitative and qualitative consumer research techniques, raw material functionality, product development approaches, and innovation management.
Bob uses his extensive background and experience in the industry to provide solutions for our clients, develop new approaches for product understanding, and provide sensory leadership through training and education. Additionally, Bob continually enhances our client partnership through building strong strategic relationships, working to solve difficult problems, and creating a collaborative environment.
Bob holds a PhD in Food Science and Technology from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Science degree in Food and Nutrition Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Gail Vance Civille, President of Sensory Spectrum, Inc., has pioneered advanced sensory evaluation approaches for industry, academia and the government. For over 50 years her application of strategic business initiatives to R&D and marketing projects has impacted sensory science globally. Her fundamental development of flavor, texture, fragrance, Skinfeel and Fabricfeel Spectrum Descriptive Analysis methodology, references and protocols is the foundation for sound analytical tools in sensory science. As an expert in the evaluation of sensory properties, Ms. Civille has worked with thousands of food and personal care products using sophisticated consumer and descriptive techniques.
As a course director for Sensory Spectrum and the Center for Professional Advancement she has developed diverse original workshops and courses in basic and advanced sensory evaluation methods and theory, as well as, consumer testing, panel leadership, quality control and leadership in sensory programs.
Ms. Civille has published articles on general sensory methods, as well as, sophisticated application of sensory strategy, and is co-author of Sensory Evaluation Techniques (5th Edition), Sensory Evaluation in Quality Control and co-editor of Aroma and Flavor Lexicon for Sensory Evaluation.
Ms. Civille was awarded in 2002 the David R. Peryam Award given to outstanding professionals in the applied sensory science field by the ASTM Committee E18. In 2006 she was awarded the ASTM Award of Merit.
As part of the organizing and founding committee Ms. Civille was instrumental in the establishment of The Society of Sensory Professionals and has served as its Chair.
After graduating from the College of Mt. St. Vincent, New York (for which she serves on the Board of Trustees) with a BS degree in Chemistry, Ms. Civille began her career as a product evaluation analyst with the General Foods Corporation.