ISO 11132:2012 gives guidelines for monitoring and assessing the overall performance of a quantitative descriptive panel and the performance of each member.
A panel of assessors can be used as an instrument to assess the magnitude of sensory attributes.
Performance is the measure of the ability of a panel or an assessor to make valid attribute assessments across the products being evaluated. It can be monitored at a given time point or tracked over time. Performance comprises the ability of a panel to detect, identify, and measure an attribute, use attributes in a similar way to other panels or assessors, discriminate between stimuli, use a scale properly, repeat their own results, and reproduce results from other panels or assessors.
The methods specified allow the consistency, repeatability, freedom from bias and ability to discriminate of panels and assessors to be monitored and assessed. Monitoring and assessment of agreement between panel members is also covered. Monitoring and assessment can be carried out in one session or over time.
Monitoring performance data enables the panel leader to improve panel and assessor performance, to identify issues and retraining needs or to identify assessors who are not performing well enough to continue participating.
The methods specified in ISO 11132:2012 can be used by the panel leader to appraise continuously the performance of panels or individual assessors.
ISO 11132:2012 applies to individuals or panels in training as well as for established panels.