Survival Analysis Applied to Sensory Shelf Life of Foods

TLDR

Survival analysis concepts, including the survival function and censoring, were introduced for sensory shelf‑life studies to model consumer acceptance over time. The authors applied these concepts to data from 50 consumers who tasted seven yogurt samples at varying storage times and reported whether they would consume each sample. The censored data yielded nonparametric and parametric models that enabled estimation of yogurt shelf life.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Survival analysis concepts to be used in sensory shelf life studies were introduced, together with the equations necessary for calculations. The survival function was defined as the probability of consumers accepting a product beyond a certain storage time. Censoring phenomena, a key concept in survival analysis, was defined and has been shown to occur in sensory shelf‐life data. Concepts and calculations were applied to a data set obtained from 50 consumers who each tasted seven yogurt samples with different storage times, answering “yes” or “no” to whether they would consume the samples. From this censored data set, nonparametric and parametric models were obtained that allowed shelf‐life estimations.