BLOG

In today’s Global Food & Beverage industry, consistency is everything. Consumers have expectations of a product to have the same taste, aroma and quality- no matter where they are in the world.

However, achieving this level of consistency across multiple production sites is one of the biggest challenges multinational companies face. Variations in raw materials, equipment, climate, and even cultural perceptions of flavour can all impact the sensory experience of a product.

The challenges of Global, Multi-site Sensory
For Global brands, sensory management is often far more complex than it appears. Even with robust quality systems in place, challenges can still arise. Let talk about a few that may arise…

1. Variability in Training and Evaluation Standards
Different sites may use unique sensory protocols or terminology, leading to inconsistencies in how quality is perceived and reported.
2. Cultural and Regional Differences
Flavour perception can be influenced by culture and local taste preferences. Without a harmonised approach, what one region considers “acceptable bitterness,” another might classify as “too harsh.”
3. Inconsistent Reference Materials
Without Global Standardised Flavour References, the same “off-flavour” may be interpreted differently between sites, resulting in quality discrepancies and decision-making delays.

The Role of Standardised Sensory Training
Standardised sensory training plays a critical role in ensuring that sensory teams around the world evaluate flavour and quality in consistent and objective way. Without a common framework, sensory results can vary widely, making it difficult to compare data across sites or track performance trends over time.

Using FlavorActiVs GMP Flavour Standards and globally recognised training methods have become a benchmark for aligning sensory panels in the food & beverage industry. By using pharmaceutical grade products, that are stable and consistent across regions, can ensure companies share an understanding of what constitutes the key flavours, whether desirable or faulty, in their products.

Standardisation at this level not only reduces variability in sensory data but also strengthens validity of decision making. When every site measure flavour performance against the same criteria, organisations can trust that their sensory evaluations are comparable across markets.

Building a Global Sensory Culture
Global Sensory Culture- what do we mean by this. It’s all about embedding sensory solutions globally, growing awareness and sharing quality ownership across sites. Consistently trained and calibrated teams form a stronger quality network, ensuring that data is reliable, and decisions are comparable.

Industry studies show that standardised sensory programs can improve cross-site agreement by 30-40%, reducing quality deviations and enabling faster issue resolutions. By using GMP Flavour Standards and developing a shared sensory language, global teams can align perceptions, strengthen communication, and maintain product integrity worldwide.

Conclusion
Achieving global consistency isn’t just about processes and products, it’s about people, alignment and communication. Standardised sensory training builds a common language of quality, ensuring that every site contributes to a single unified brand experience. By embedding these practices and principles across organisations, companies can protect product integrity and meet consumer expectation with confidence, wherever in the world they operate.