CO2 OPEN PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (SINGLE ROUND)

CO2 OPEN PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (SINGLE ROUND)

The CO2 Open Proficiency Program (Single Round) is a sensory calibration program for beverage industry professionals responsible for CO2 quality. Using pharmaceutical-grade GMP Flavour Standards, it evaluates a taster’s ability to detect ten key CO2 off-flavours, providing objective data on individual strengths and weaknesses without the commitment of an annual subscription.

£350.00 GBP

Quantity:

We ship globally – shipping costs may apply depending on your region

Minimum Order: £275

WHAT IS THE CO2 OPEN PROFICIENCY PROGRAM?

The CO2 Open Proficiency Program is a structured sensory calibration scheme for professionals responsible for CO2 quality in beverage production and quality control. It uses FlavorActiV’s pharmaceutical GMP Flavour Standards, the same quality benchmark used in regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing, to train panellists, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, and track improvement over time.

The Single Round option provides the full proficiency testing experience on a pay-as-you-go basis. It is ideal for teams new to the programme, running a one-off calibration exercise, or evaluating the scheme before committing to an annual subscription.

 

WHO IS THIS PROGRAMME FOR?

This programme is designed for:

– Brewers, soft drinks producers, and water bottlers use CO2 in their processes
– Quality assurance and sensory panel managers
– Laboratory technicians involved in sensory or flavour QC
– Any production team looking to validate taster performance against a recognised standard

 

Single Round vs Annual Program: Which Is Right for You?

The table below compares the two options so you can choose the format that best fits your team.

Annual Program Single Round
Number of Rounds 2 (April & October) 1
Cost Per Round £300 £350
TVS Access Full access Limited
Certification Yes — on completion Not included
Proficiency Test IN-OUT IN-OUT
Subscription Type Annual subscription Pay as you go

 

How Does the CO2 Proficiency Program Work?

Step 1 — Train First
Proficiency testing assumes tasters have already been trained to recognise the target flavour compounds. FlavorActiV CO2 GMP Flavour Standards, available to purchase from the online store, are used for initial training. Once your panellists are familiar with each off-flavour, they are ready for proficiency assessment.

Step 2 — Receive Your Kit
Upon order confirmation, your Single Round kit ships directly to you. FlavorActiV ships globally with distribution partners in key markets including Brazil, China, Japan, India, and the USA.

Step 3 — Conduct the Tasting
Each taster completes a structured IN-OUT proficiency test using the supplied GMP Flavour Standard capsules. Capsules are individually blister-packaged, protecting the integrity and accuracy of each sample until use.

Step 4 — Log Results on the Platform
Once the tasting is complete, log your results on our CO2 Open Proficiency Program software platform. The platform is mobile-friendly and accessible worldwide. It benchmarks each taster’s performance, highlights strengths and weaknesses, and supports ongoing skill development.

Step 5 — Review Performance Data
The software generates individual performance data showing which compounds a taster detected correctly and where gaps exist. This allows training managers to identify strengths and weaknesses at individual and panel levels and target further development accordingly.

 

WHICH CO2 FLAVOURS ARE COVERED?

The programme covers ten key flavour compounds commonly found in industrial and food-grade CO2. Each represents a real-world quality risk in beverage production and carbonation.

GMP Flavour Standard Why It Matters for CO2 Quality
Acetaldehyde Green apple / acetone note; common fermentation by-product
DMS (Dimethyl Sulphide) Cooked vegetable/sweetcorn aroma; cellar contamination marker
H2S (Hydrogen Sulphide) Rotten egg; sulphur compound from yeast stress or contamination
Nonanal Fatty / tallowy; lipid oxidation indicator in food-grade CO2
Onion (Swampy) Pungent sulphurous off-note associated with microbial activity
Rotten Vegetable Decay-type aroma; signals biological contamination in the beverages
Rancid Fish Oil Oxidised fat odour; indicates hydrocarbon or oil carry-over
Motor Fuel Petroleum / hydrocarbon; traces from compression equipment
Fermented Ethanol / yeasty note; contamination from fermentation sources
Plastics Polymer / packaging migration; pipe or vessel material off-note

All FlavorActiV Flavour Standards are manufactured at pharmaceutical GMP quality, encapsulated, blister-packaged, and individually marked with our authenticity seal. The same flavour standards used in the proficiency program are available to purchase separately for in-house training.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Do I need to be trained before taking the proficiency test?

A : Yes. Proficiency testing is the next step after initial training. Tasters should already be familiar with the ten CO2 off-flavours included in the scheme. FlavorActiV CO2 GMP Flavour Standard training kits are available in the online store.

Q: What is the difference between the Single Round and the Annual Program?

A : The Single Round is a pay-as-you-go option with one round shipped per order, priced at £350. The Annual Program includes two rounds per year at £300 per round, full TVS access, and certification. The Single Round is the best starting point for teams new to the programme.

Q: What does TVS access mean?

A : TVS (Taster Validation System) is FlavorActiV’s proprietary platform for managing and tracking taster performance data. The Annual Program provides full TVS access, while the Single Round includes limited access.

Q: Is certification included with the Single Round?

A : No. Certification is available to participants who complete the full Annual Program. Those who complete multiple rounds through the Annual subscription receive a formal certificate of proficiency.

Q: What proficiency test format is used?

A : The programme uses an IN-OUT format. Tasters are presented with a set of samples, some containing a flavour standard and some without, and must correctly identify which contain the compound. This format tests both detection sensitivity and false-positive rate.

 

Get Started Today

The CO2 Open Proficiency Program (Single Round) provides your team with a practical, credible, and scientifically grounded way to validate and develop CO2 sensory skills, with no annual commitment required.

 

FlavorActiV GMP Flavour Standards

Only Pharmaceutical Quality GMP Flavour Standards provide sufficient quality for professional sensory panels to train and validate with.

We produce encapsulated GMP (Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practice) Flavour Standards that are safe to both smell and drink. The compounds within our capsules impart the aroma, taste and mouthfeel of a specific defect or positive flavour into a beverage for the purposes of taster training, calibration and quality control.

Our individual flavour GMP Flavour Standards are sold by flavour, each flavour pack contains 5 capsules, each separately blister packaged. Our sensory kits contain a mixture of flavours, each separately blister packaged, read the product description for flavour details.

We ship globally, and have over 20 years of experience at it. Our GMP Pharmaceutical Flavour Standards are produced to the highest standards, and as such, their shelf-life is strong and their quality consistent.

FlavorActiV’s flavour centre is the world’s only pharmaceutically run facility dedicated to the production of flavour reference standards. The Flavour Centre is a state-of-the-art facility housed within the campus of world-renowned Quay Pharma near Liverpool in the U.K.

The Flavour Centre was designed by FlavorActiV from the ground up at the direct request of global customers as they looked to move away from inferior food grade ‘certified flavour standards’ to GMP Pharma, a standard that ensures safe, stable, traceable, consistent and long shelf-life products.

All FlavorActiV’s industry-leading encapsulated flavour standards are manufactured following GMP at our Flavour Centre. All aspects of manufacture are overseen by Quay Pharma who are audited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory agency (MHRA). We also welcome customer audits.

Only FlavorActiV GMP flavour standard capsules bear our mark of authenticity.

We brand each of our capsules so that our customers know they’re getting the Pharmaceutical GMP Quality that only FlavorActiV provide.

Industry leading packaging and shelf-life

FlavorActiV flavour standards are blister packaged, which extends shelf-life and protects capsules from potential contamination. The average shelf-life of FlavorActiV flavour standards is 18 months to 4 years, depending on the flavour compounds.

We will never ship in pots or plastic packaging, here’s why…

Blister packaging protects capsules from the environment until they are ready for use. Blister packaging greatly reduces the amount of headspace for possible flavour escape. As each capsule individually blister packaged, making use of one capsule still leaves all others protected. FlavorActiV Flavour Standard packaging is 100% recyclable, as opposed to polypropylene which is not widely recycled.

Pots are semi-porous, they allow molecules to pass through and flavour to be lost, their significant headspace also adds to substantial flavour escape as a gas, even when using just one capsule all those remaining in the pot are exposed.

Payment & Security

Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.

Please select your country to see shipping prices

Related products