Evaluation of trends and future prospects in the use of the descriptive Check-all-that-apply method

The Check-all-that-apply (CATA) method has emerged in scientific circles as a simple, fast, and cost-effective way to study consumer's sensory perception. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric survey on scientific production related to the use of the CATA. Based on the results of this research, the diversity of foods and beverages that have already been sensory evaluated using the CATA method was noted, and among the years analyzed in 2017, there was an increasing evolution until 2021, reaching the peak of publications, with the areas of food science and technology and agriculture having the highest concentration of research. In this way, the study provides a broad perspective on the growth of research in the field of sensory analysis using the CATA descriptive method, as well as presenting the interactions between collaborations between authors, countries, institutions, and the most used keywords, which can help other researchers in future researches.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-01818-x.