ASTM Committee E18 on Sensory Evaluation of Materials and Products will present a Continuous Product Maintenance Workshop, Oct. 10-11, at the Le Centre Sheraton, Montreal. The workshop is the fourth in a series about sensory applications in product development. It will occur the morning of Oct. 10 and the afternoon of Oct. 11, during E18 Committee week, Oct. 8-11, in Montreal.

The committee will use formulations from their April 2001 workshop to set acceptable criteria and shelf-life parameters during product maintenance.

The pre-market segment will cover:

• Issues to tackle during the scale-up phase;
• Accumulation of “little changes” along the way that can lead to delivering a different product than the one proposed;
• Releasing your “child” to manufacturing; and
• Helping to ensure future “maintenance” of the product.

The in-market segment will cover:

• Developing and maintaining product standards during reformulations that often occur due to cost reductions, process improvements, or alternate suppliers.
• Implementing quality control measurements, and
• Auditing the product on the shelf.

The committee will discuss how implementation of competitive benchmarking will help sensory professionals and marketers assess a product’s marketability in the field, and if it meets its original concept criteria.

To register, contact Jim Olshefsky, ASTM technical committee manager (phone: 610/832-9714). Registration is requested in advance by Sept. 1, but a registration fee of $250/ members or $350/non-members can be paid at the door. For further workshop information, contact Jeanette Ziegler, Ziegler Consulting, Kenosha, Wis. (phone: 262/859-9460). //

Copyright 2002, ASTM