Key Takeaways
- Julie Drainville is Edlong’s Senior Sensory Scientist, ensuring flavors meet expectations through detailed sensory analysis.
- She has extensive credentials, including degrees from Purdue University and Rosalind Franklin, along with a UC Davis Sensory Certificate.
- Julie creates and leads a trained in-house panel for sensory testing, using specific scales to evaluate product attributes.
- The sensory analysis team evaluates products like Edlong’s Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream to verify flavor impact and product goals.
- Her expertise helps improve flavor evaluation, enhancing Edlong’s service and customer satisfaction in sensory analysis.
As Edlong’s Senior Sensory Scientist, Julie Drainville’s job is to make sure our flavors are living up to expectations in taste, texture and function. In other words, she’s responsible for the detailed sensory analysis that makes the intangible, tangible. This helps us verify and demonstrate, with data, that our flavors meet formulation goals.
“One of my main goals is to validate our methods, to ensure we are making positive changes to deliver a full sensory experience.” -Julie Drainville
Fortunately for us, she’s been doing this for a long time, with a Double Major in Dietetics and Foods, Nutrition and Business from Purdue University. Julie has a Master of Science in Nutrition Education from Rosalind Franklin and completed the UC Davis Sensory Certificate Program. She’s also an active member of the Society of Sensory Professionals. In short, few people have Julie’s credentials when it comes to analysis of sensory properties.
At Edlong, Julie is using her expertise to create a trained, in-house panel of sensory professionals. Those individuals have to pass a special screening and participate in ongoing training sessions. You could say that they get quite a taste of what’s expected—even before they begin to taste. Each person on the team is trained to use specific scales that rate specific product attributes, all of which are evaluated through sensory analysis techniques.
Sensory Analysis and Capabilities
For example, for a recent sensory evaluation of Edlong’s Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream, a team of twelve trained panelists evaluated blind and randomized ice cream samples, both flavor and unflavored. Responses were entered into a document for sensory analysis. This was done to determine what significant differences existed between the samples in areas such as fatty mouthcoating, astringency, grittiness and waxiness. As a result, this process allowed us to empirically verify that the flavors being used in the application were having the desired impact. Therefore, we knew we were achieving the product goals.
The descriptive sensory analysis provided by Julie and her team not only validates what has been done, but also provides insights to improve the ways we use our flavors to create winning products with our customers. In addition, leveraging sensory analysis insights further helps Edlong achieve better results in product development. By leading, leveraging and continuing to develop these capabilities within Edlong, Julie is helping us improve the way we evaluate our flavors. In turn, this helps us provide even better service.
We’re delighted Julie has joined our team and we’re equally delighted with the advancements she’ll continue to help us make in our sensory capabilities through robust sensory analysis.
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