Sensory analysis includes use of the senses of smell, taste, sound and touch.
Evaluation of food texture by touch includes the use of the fingers, as well as the lips, tongue, palate and teeth in the mouth. As would be expected, sensory methods of analysis are subject to wide variability, though this variability can be reduced by using trained assessors. It is sometimes preferable to use instrumental methods of assessing food texture rather than sensory analysis because they can be carried out under more strictly defined and controlled conditions. Furthermore, problems of experimental variability are more likely to be caused by sample heterogeneity than by instrumental imprecision. Another reason for instrumental analysis may be that often changes in ingredient levels cause several simultaneous changes in product characteristics.