The panel of Aigües de Barcelona: 15 years of history

Abstract

The Aigües de Barcelona Laboratory has been working on odour and taste research in water for 15 years. During the entire period its basic tool has been the FPA (Flavour Profile Analysis) standard method, used by a group of trained tasters. This paper reports the main activities of the panel in recent years, such as the recruitment and training of panellists, the wheel of descriptors used, the Aesthetic Quality Index (AQI) developed for the quality control of water supplies, various research studies, and taste and odour episodes in which it has helped.