Meat stick flavor map (qualitative mapping)

A qualitative map of meat stick flavor for 14 samples.

Sensory napping or qualitative mapping is a great method for gaining a base understanding of a category, when you are in the early phases of research, selecting samples for additional sensory testing, or just want to learn about the sensory features of a category.  Samples are mapped qualitatively on a grid or series of grids, based on their objective sensory properties.  The axes of the grids are frequently defined in broader terms, e.g. “total flavor,” but individual attributes, such as salt, may also be mapped if important for the category.  Though the map output is similar to descriptive mapping (descriptive analysis + principal component analysis), qualitative mapping can be conducted by a group of people who are familiar with the method but not necessarily trained in descriptive analysis – saving time and money when quantitative data is not necessary for the research objective.

Typically, the process looks like this -

1.       To identify the attributes for the grids, a sensory professional or a small group of personnel familiar with lexicon development review a subset of the products and select the attributes ahead of the session. 

2.       Once the attributes are selected, the qualitative mapping with the full group starts –samples are shown one-at-a-time with blinding codes and a session moderator helps the group align on final sample placement. 

3.       After all products are reviewed and placed on grids, the sample names are revealed and the moderator leads a discussion

The map here represents a small portion of the beef meat stick flavor space.  Mapping total beef flavor (and other protein) and total seasoning (e.g. smoke, garlic, black and red peppers, citrus, herbs…).  Basic tastes are not included in the seasoning attribute, but salt and sweet may be mapped on a separate grid (and definitely are differentiated in the space!).  Samples to the top of the map are more seasoned, while those towards the bottom are milder.  Samples to the left have stronger beef (lean, fat, liver) flavor, while those to the left are lower in beef flavor and/or have other protein notes (pork, poultry, soy).

For more information on qualitative mapping or this meat stick flavor map, please reach out to us using the contact button above or at info@koecon.com.