About the Sensory and Consumer Research Center
About Us
The Sensory and Consumer Research Center at Kansas State University has served industry and academia for nearly 40 years. It's located at the K-State Olathe campus, just minutes away from some of the most densely populated areas of Kansas City. This lets us be responsive to the needs of diverse businesses and manage a large database of real consumers — not students — from the area.
Our professional team consists of faculty members and staff. Graduate students also assist in preparing and conducting each study.
Services Offered
- Acceptance and preference testing
- Central Location Testing (CLT) and Home Usage Testing (HUT)
- Difference testing (Tetrad, 2-AFC, Triangle, etc.
- Descriptive analysis (Modified Spectrum Method)
- Qualitative research (Focus Groups, 1-1 Interviews, Ethnographics)
- Sensory training workshops
- Test design and execution
- Advanced statistics and data analysis
About Our Research Facility
- Multipurpose rooms for large consumer studies (up to 45 per session)
- Focus group rooms with video cameras for real-time viewing capabilities
- Theatre style rooms for viewing audiovisual material
- Demonstration kitchen for viewing food preparation or food handling and training
- Industry kitchen and equipment allowing for multiple capabilities
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