New sensory course to upskill food industry professionals

Passionate food professionals now have the chance to develop a new set of skills with the latest online short course from Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh – an institution known for its rich history in food studies.

Whether you work at a food company or have set up your own business, QMU's ‘Developing a Food Sensory Analysis Panel’ course will equip you with the knowledge to set up your own food sensory panel, develop your own sensory tests and analyse the results you obtain.  

This flexible course has been designed to fit into people’s busy lifestyles. Running from September to December 2024, it combines online workshops and practical work, which will be carried out within the work environment.

QMU has a rich history of food education expanding over nearly 150 years. For the last twenty years, QMU has developed strong commercial experience in food development and innovation and has years of experience of developing and running consumer food panels for the food industry. 

‘Developing a Food Sensory Analysis Panel’ will be delivered by two of QMU’s specialist tutors with experience in both academia and industry, Dr Julien Lonchamp and Dr Anil de Sequeira.

The fully online course will provide you with the practical understanding of the principles and techniques of food sensory analysis. This includes choosing the relevant type of sensory test, setting up a consumer panel and a trained panel, creating your sensory questionnaire, evaluating the performance of the panel and analysing the relevance of the results.

Dr Julien Lonchamp, Reader in Food Science at Queen Margaret University, says: "We have been training and developing sensory panels for the past ten years in collaboration with food industry professionals, food entrepreneurs and food graduates.  Being able to obtain reliable, objective sensory data is crucial for the development of new products and new solutions for the industry. This course is designed to help participants develop these key skills and apply them to further their career or expand the scope of their current projects."

Each year, the University offers a range of these interesting short courses aimed at people wanting to learn something new or who are perhaps considering returning to higher education but want to dip their toe in the water before fully embracing a postgraduate degree.

Most of QMU’s courses are designed to be studied in a flexible way, helping you manage your work, family or caring commitments, while still investing in yourself and developing crucial skills for the future. 

‘Developing a Food Sensory Analysis Panel’ costs £800 per person.  Applications must be submitted by 31 July 2024. 

Get more course information at  ‘Developing a Food Sensory Analysis Panel and start strengthening your skills and experience in food analysis.