Sensory Methods for Shelf Life assessment of Foods

Food is subject to a variety of changes from the moment it is produced until it is consumed. During this period of time, food loose some of its desirable sensory characteristics, which can adversely affect their acceptance in the markets. Given this condition, evaluating the time to loss of those desirable sensory properties using sensory-based methods would be an important step to recognize the relation exists between food and its consumer. This chapter provides a detailed description of different sensory evaluation methods that have been predominantly used in the past to measure the shelf life of foods. An in-depth description of each method was provided to correctly establish the testing and the end of the shelf life. Following the best practices, one could strengthen the efforts to better control eating qualities and minimize food wastage. Sensory shelf life methods could prove instrumental in establishing quality standards for food products.