nsidered. For initial screening, many companies use their own employees. To avoid biased results, product developers and those close to the project are disqualified as panelists. An initial screening by in-house panelists can help identify attribute and acceptability differences. Such panelists are useful for evaluating ingredient substitutions or changes in processing or packaging. Advantages of utilizing in-house consumer testing include its low cost and quick results. In addition, more samples can be evaluated at one time, and panelists are already familiar with the product being tested. In-house screening usually involves from 30 to 50 panelists per test session.
             Outside consumer testing is best when a product is targeted to specific demographic groups such as age, gender, income, ethnicity or geographic area. Unbiased consumers are the ultimate test panelists for decisions related to product launch. However, outside consumer testing does have its disadvantages. It is more costly, and fewer samples may be presented at one time. There is also a greater chance for panelists to misunderstand test procedures. For an outside test session, a minim
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