Independent sensory evaluation provides valuable information to food marketers and product developers, as well as quality assurance and research & development groups. Sensory evaluation panels are helpful in determining changes in raw ingredients or packaging (for cost reduction / supplier changes), product acceptability, new product flavor, competitor product analysis, correlations to instrumental analysis, or product changes during storage. Maintaining an in-house trained sensory panel in a food manufacturing facility can be difficult because time and resources are limited and internal panelists may be biased.