Sensory Evaluation: Sensory Rating and Scoring Methods

This article aims to present the different types of scale (nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio) and compare the different methods using scales in the assessment of product acceptance in order to help identify the most appropriate method to the needs of the research. The nine-point hedonic scale has been used routinely in Food Science for over 60 years to evaluate the acceptance and preference of products. However, new methods with scales have been developed so that, besides the acceptance itself and the possible differences in acceptance, the ratio of such differences among products and among consumer groups can also be quantified.