ASTM International has published at the end of August the E3412-25, "Standard Guide to Design, Conduct, and Analyze Sensory and Instrumental Data Relationships," as a novel active standard within BOS Volume 14.03 (DOI: 10.1520/E3412-25). This 11-page guide establishes protocols for correlating trained sensory panel ratings with instrumental physicochemical measurements across food/beverage, personal/household care, and consumer products.

   Instrumental and sensory analyses can be integrated in research to explore complementary, confirmatory, or both types of data, commonly supporting product development, quality control processes, and sensory investigations. This new ASTM E3412-25 offers critical considerations for the design, execution, analysis, and interpretation of relationships between analytical sensory evaluations and instrumental measurements.

  The draft of the German standard VDI 3940 Part 6:2025-07 was published in July this year. This text addresses the determination of disgusting and nauseating odours. This standard is currently in draft stage, accepting comments from interested parties.

  During the last biennial conference of the Association of German Engineers (VDI)on odour management in the environment, held in Salzburg, several interesting presentations took place. One of them moved away from the concept of odour as being “only an annoyance”. In fact, this presentation, given by Dr Kirsten Sucker, addressed the question of whether an odour “merely” constitutes a considerable nuisance or whether it is so disgusting and nauseating that it should be classified as a harmful effect on the environment. But what exactly is the difference and how can this be determined?