Threshold itself can be described at three different levels:
—Detection threshold. Can an odour be detected?
—Recognition threshold. Can an odour be identified?
—Difference threshold. Is there a difference between two odours?
The detection threshold is the lowest stimulus intensity (odour concentration) that the subject can distinguish from an odour-free situation. The subject’s response indicates whether the presence of an odour has been perceived or not. Correspondingly, the recognition threshold is the minimum concentration at which an odour can be identified.
Such data provide important fundamental information, such as identifying levels at which an ingredient can be perceived in a product base, or quantitative information describing the activity of odour materials.