The program has deep roots within the Department of Food Science and has served the Cornell Community and a variety of companies, from Fortune 500 to small businesses, since the early 1990s.

Our Mission

The mission of the center is two-fold: to provide training and hands-on learning opportunities to students that are interested in the fields of sensory and consumer research, and to help businesses develop and improve their product offering through consumer and sensory testing.

What we do?

We conduct Sensory Evaluation and Consumer Product Research.

Among the standard services that are offered to commercial clients are Consumer Acceptability, Preference and Discrimination Testing. The fees collected from our commercial clients go directly back to the Department of Food Science to support student programs and research (such as student product development teams, travel to conferences and competitions, scholarships, etc.)

In addition, the program provides consultations in all matters related to sensory product testing: appropriateness of particular test method, study sample size, questionnaire design, statistics and analyses, sample blinding and serving sizes, to name a few.

Being a panelist

Sensory Evaluation Center panelists are compensated for their participation in the studies. Typically, the incentive is $5 per session. However, the amount varies depending on the type of the study and products being tested.

If you’re interested in becoming a panelist, please complete the form below and we’ll contact you about the upcoming studies.