Sensory and Consumer Evaluation Workshop
Engage in an immersive sensory science workshop facilitated by industry-leading experts in world-class facilities.
This short course unpacks how products are perceived, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to plan, conduct and interpret structured evaluations with confidence.
Tailored for professionals working in the food and beverage industry with an interest in product evaluation and consumer perception, the course blends theory with interactive application to ensure learning can be immediately applied in real-world settings.
This course is delivered by an internationally-renowned expert from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), with funding from the Queensland Government, and support from UQ Skills.
How you’ll learn
This course is delivered on campus. Participants have the option of booking into one day, 2 days, or the full 3-day workshop.
- Day 1: Sensory theory
- Day 2: Sensory in practice
- Day 3: Advanced food quality
Assessment
Participants will assess their own interpretations of taste, smell and tactile sensations of foods/drinks as part of the sensory practical experience.
Dates
20—22 July 2026
You must:
- be 18 years of age or over
- work in the food manufacturing sector
- have the support of your supervisor or employer.
Please also advise if you have any food allergies, as there will be food tastings.
The following groups are highly encouraged to apply as this training was designed with them in mind:
- researchers, junior technical staff or graduates seeking to develop skills and knowledge in sensory and consumer science and product development
- SME owners and food industry professionals looking to develop skills and knowledge in sensory quality of products
- primary producers looking to value add or develop new food products for market.
All UQ Skills programs require access to a computer with a Windows operating system, up-to-date versions of Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader, and a reliable internet connection.
Create your USI
You must provide a Unique Student Identifier (USI) before we can accept your enrolment.
Resources
2026 UQ Skills Student Handbook (PDF, 1.4 MB) (includes student support and guidance on fees, withdrawal and other policy information).
Full fee: $2,200
Per day: $800
Day 1: Sensory theory
- Human sensory perception – the basics
- Consumer evaluation and hedonics
- Difference testing and quality control
- Descriptive profiling and trained panels
Day 2: Sensory in practice
- Sensory principles in practice
- Sensory consulting – understanding the problem – matching solutions
- Sensory in new product development
- Applying sensory for cost reduction
Day 3: Advanced food quality
- Sensory statistics and reporting
- Flavour chemistry principles and practice
- Method development for flavour analysis
- Sensory-instrumental relationships