Persons involved in sensory and consumer testing are invited to develop standards designed to ultimately improve food and personal care products with the Just About Right Scales Task Group, newly organized at the April meeting of Committee E18 on Sensory Evaluation of Materials and Products in Toronto.

Lori Rothman, associate technical principal, Kraft Foods, Glenview, Ill., will co-chair the new task group with Merry Jo Parker, president, Food Perspectives, Inc., Plymouth, Minn.

Rothman and Parker describe just about right (JAR) scales as bipolar attribute scales, with intensity anchors on the endpoints (e.g.: ‘much too weak’ and ‘much too strong’) and a midpoint anchor of ‘just about right.’ The scale measures both intensity and liking of product attributes, such as color, appearance, aroma, texture, taste, etc., and is used when conducting consumer research.

The task group will develop a standard practice that describes the relevance, techniques, and applications of using JAR scales when collecting and interpreting consumer derived information. The document will assist sensory and market research professionals responsible for consumer testing and the interpretation of consumer data.

To participate or comment, contact Lori Rothman, Kraft Foods, 801 Waukegan, Glenview IL 60025 (708/848-6536), or Merry Jo Parker, Food Perspectives, Inc., 2880 Vickburg Ln., Plymouth, MN 55447 (753/553-7787). Committee E18 meets Oct. 17-19 in Phoenix, Ariz. For meeting or membership details, contact manager Jim Olshefsky (610/832-9714). //

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