Systematic monitoring reveals continuous improvement in the sensory quality of private-label dairy products in Slovenia

Kolenc, Borut (author), Malovrh, Špela (author), Čanžek Majhenič, Andreja (author), Paveljšek, Diana (author), Mohar Lorbeg, Petra (author), Treven, Primož (author)

Sensory quality plays a key role in consumer acceptance and can contribute to the growing market share of private-label dairy products. In this study, the sensory quality of private-label dairy products in Slovenia was investigated over a 4-year period (2020–2023). A total of 2,188 samples from 5 major Slovenian retailers were analyzed using a modified sensory evaluation method (ISO 22935). Each retailer conducted about 4 samplings per year. The products were categorized into 11 groups and evaluated by trained panelists according to appearance, color, odor, taste, and product-specific characteristics. The results showed a continuous improvement in overall sensory quality, particularly taste, across most retailers and product categories. We observed an overall reduction in deviation from target sensory profiles. Sensory and taste scores improved significantly for ice creams, flavored fermented milk, creams, and cheeses, with no significant change for pasteurized and UHT milk. Trends in cheese taste defects showed a decrease in major technological defects, such as bitter and unclean flavors, and indicated emerging issues such as flat taste. We observed a high incidence of flat taste in butters (38.5%–76.0%) and too sweet ice creams (12.5%–48.8%). The proportion of inharmoniously sour fermented milk products increased linearly from 18.3% in 2020 to 60.7% in 2023. These results show that private-label products can achieve high sensory standards through systematic monitoring of sensory quality and targeted improvements.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sensory quality, quality control, private label, dairy products
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.04.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 3609-3619
• Numbering: Vol. 109, issue 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181378
• UDC: 637.1
• ISSN on article: 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.2025-27692
• COBISS.SI-ID: 274156547
• Publication date in RUL: 03.04.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of dairy science
• Shortened title: J. dairy sci.
• Publisher: American Dairy Science Association
• ISSN: 1525-3198
• COBISS.SI-ID: 520752665

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mlečni izdelki, lastne blagovne znamke, senzorična kakovost, Slovenija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0097
• Name: Prehrana in mikrobna ekologija prebavil