Technical services

Sensory Services

Our sensory facilities in Rotherham are available for both sensory testing services and specialised training courses. 

Sensory evaluation is a valuable tool used throughout the product lifecycle, from quality control and shelf-life assessment to benchmarking and understanding consumer preferences. Effective sensory testing relies on clear objectives, robust experimental design, appropriate statistical analysis, and ethical practices to generate meaningful data that support informed decision-making. 

Our services provide insights into consumer acceptance, product quality and market positioning including:

• Hedonic and descriptive testing
• Competitor benchmarking
• Shelf-life studies

All testing is conducted in ISO 8589-compliant sensory rooms, with mobile consumer testing available across the UK and Europe.

Sensory Solutions Courses

Sensory Evaluation – Foundation Level Course

Accredited by the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), our foundation-level sensory evaluation course is designed for individuals new to sensory science or those seeking to build a solid foundation in the field. This course introduces the core principles of sensory evaluation, including the role of human senses, sensory methodologies and best practices for conducting assessments. 
Upon completion, participants can undertake an exam  and earn a recognised qualification in sensory evaluation at the foundation level.

Audit Services

ALS delivers comprehensive, tailored reports with clear, actionable recommendations to meet your specific needs. Our expert guidance is practical and easy to understand, helping to improve processes and reduce risk. In addition, we offer an on-site swabbing and sampling service as part of your audit visit.

We offer flexible reporting packages, including options to manage reports via our Solutions platform or through manual methods. Following an audit, we offer ongoing support to implement improvements and conduct follow-up audits to enable sustained progress. Our Solutions platform enables seamless communication, tracking, and sign-off of actions, creating accountability through a secure, traceable online system that connects employees and management across multiple sites and facilities.

Cooking Validation Services

We offer UKAS-accredited back-of-pack cooking instruction generation and verification to help ensure the consistent production of safe, ready-to-eat products. Trials are conducted by our experienced team to determine the optimum time/temperature combinations with regards to both food safety and the desired quality attributes of the cooked product.

Our purpose-built facility is equipped with a range of appliances for performing cooking validation trials including:

• Gas and electric ovens
• Induction hobs
• Microwaves
• Deep fat fryers
• Air fryers
• Grills

Our team provides support and guidance to help ensure the most appropriate testing is performed to meet your requirements. Following the cooking validation process, we provide a detailed report with options to include cold-spot testing and organoleptic evaluation to help ensure the intended quality of your product is enjoyed by the end consumer.

We also offer additional services relating to your product within our laboratory network across the UK, including microbiological and nutritional analysis and sensory panel testing.