Trends and Directions of Preference Elicitation and Assessment in Food Science: Single-, Pair-, and Multi-Criteria Ranking Methods

Different ranking methods have long been used in sensory testing. Their diffusion was mainly due to their simplicity, their standardized methods, their software support, and their wide range of applications. However, a number of research and industrial problems have emerged recently that cannot be adequately solved by the standard approaches, making it necessary to apply and adapt methods from other disciplines. This article discusses the ranking methods of international sensory standardization (single-, pair-ranking methods, balanced incomplete block design (BIBD) according to the structure of standardization). We overview ranking methods in international sensory competitions. We evaluate some potential applications of ranking methodological developments pair ranking, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), multi-criteria decision making (MCDM), graph theory, developed and applied by other disciplines, which are less used in sensory sciences. The principles and applications of these methodologies are summarized, and factors affecting their effectiveness and limitations are discussed. Preference modeling and quantification are key questions of decision and sensory sciences. Both areas require true, unbiased individual responses as well as their appropriate aggregation. Competitions are typically multi-criteria problems, evaluated by several decision makers. To better understand consumer preferences and to explore complex consumer choices, different methods and software from other disciplines—decision and social choice theory, operations research, economics (e.g., ranking based on pairwise comparisons, AHP, MCDM, graph theory)—are adapted and disseminated. In addition to surveying latest trends, we propose some areas of future research development.