If you’ve ever looked at a sensory star profile and thought it looked more like a spider’s web than a graph, you’re not alone.
Star profiles are one of the most common forms of sensory analysis used in Food Technology and Hospitality and Catering, but they can sometimes feel confusing at first. Once you understand how they work, they are actually one of the easiest ways to compare food products visually.
A star profile allows us to compare the sensory characteristics of a food product by scoring different attributes and plotting them on a graph.
What is a sensory star profile?
A sensory star profile (sometimes called a radar chart or spider diagram) is used to show the strengths and weaknesses of a food product visually.
Testers score a range of sensory characteristics, usually out of 10, such as:
- appearance
- aroma
- flavour
- texture
- sweetness
- saltiness
- crispiness
- moistness
The scores are then joined together to create a star-shaped graph.
This makes it easy to identify which characteristics are strongest and which characteristics may need improvement.
Why do we use star profiles?
Star profiles are useful because they allow us to:
- compare several products quickly
- identify strengths and weaknesses
- evaluate recipe modifications
- compare tester opinions
- justify improvements to a product
They are often used during product development and practical investigations.
Example
Imagine that we are comparing two biscuit recipes.
| Characteristic | Original recipe | Reduced sugar recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | 8 | 7 |
| Sweetness | 9 | 5 |
| Texture | 7 | 8 |
| Aroma | 8 | 7 |
| Overall acceptability | 9 | 6 |
A star profile would immediately show that the reduced sugar recipe has lower sweetness and overall acceptability scores.
This helps us to identify where further improvements may be needed and draw some comparisons we can write about.
Common mistakes when using star profiles
One of the biggest mistakes students make is choosing sensory words that are too vague.
For example:
- nice
- bad
- disgusting
- tasty
Instead, try to use more specific sensory vocabulary:
- crispy
- buttery
- rich
- bland
- sweet
- salty
- chewy
- crunchy
- moist
The more precise your sensory vocabulary, the stronger your evaluation will be.
How do I interpret a star profile?
When looking at a star profile, ask yourself:
- Which characteristic scored the highest?
- Which characteristic scored the lowest?
- Are there any obvious strengths?
- Are there any weaknesses?
- How could the product be improved?
Remember that there is rarely a perfect product. The purpose of sensory analysis is to identify opportunities for improvement.
When should I use a star profile?
A star profile works particularly well when:
- comparing two recipes
- reducing sugar or salt
- developing healthier products
- evaluating practical work
- comparing commercial products
- gathering feedback from several testers
Create your own sensory star profile
Want to create your own printable sensory star profiles? Check out this free to use star profile toolkit
You can also try our free Sensory Analysis Toolkit, which allows you to generate:
- hedonic scales
- ranking tests
- triangle tests
- JAR scales
- sensory evaluation sheets
You may also find our Sensory Words for Food Evaluation guide helpful when choosing sensory vocabulary for your star profile.
