Enhancing the Applicability of Rapid Sensory Evaluation at the Consumer Level: An Improved Pivot‐ <scp>IPM</scp> Approach Incorporating Pivot‐ <scp>CATA</scp>

ABSTRACT In an intensely competitive market, the ideal product evaluation is a critical tool for guiding product innovation and enhancing consumer satisfaction. However, the traditional Ideal Profile Method (IPM) faces challenges in terms of data reliability when applied directly to consumers. This is often due to difficulties in providing descriptive evaluations, the susceptibility of the results to subjective factors, and the reliance on short‐term memory for multi‐product comparisons. To address these issues, this study proposed a novel sensory evaluation method: Pivot‐IPM. This method combined the theoretical framework of IPM with the objective strengths of the Pivot‐CATA approach. The aim was to reduce the difficulty of consumer evaluation and capture consumer perceptions of products more robustly. The research findings indicated that the Pivot‐IPM method effectively improved data quality and made testing more consumer‐friendly, providing a new way to accurately and efficiently obtain ideal product sensory profiles. The method was highly valuable as a reference for product R&amp;D practices and applications.