There’s so much more to taste than the yum factor. Sensory ­scientist Michael Nestrud of Ocean Spray said enjoying food is a multisensory experience that includes scent, color, temperature, and ­clarity. Nestrud likes to call himself a culinary psychologist because he’s always seeking to explain why ­consumers prefer certain flavors over another — particularly when it comes to Ocean Spray’s cranberry and juice drinks. Nestrud spoke with Globe correspondent Cindy Atoji Keene about how the Lakeville-based producer uses taste tests for new flavor development.

“Our Ocean Spray labs have over 1,200 taste-testers in our registry — these are folks who become panelists at our Sensory Research Center in Lakeville. They sit in booths with computerized questionnaires, tasting drink prototypes and cleansing their palate with unsalted crackers and filtered water in between.

“Does the product taste sweet or tart? Are the flavors balanced? We get roughly 4,000 data points for ­every taste test we run, then look for a consistent picture and trends. Technology allows quick analysis and ­results that allow us to focus on ­interpretation and not spend all our time crunching data.

“It’s my job to understand and communicate the consumer ­language of food and determine how flavor systems and processing technology all impact the end ­product. Ultimately, I have to make a decision about how to interpret what the consumer is saying and combine that with a gut feeling that is based on expertise and decades of experience. I draw on my background in computer science and a degree from Culinary Institute of America to solve food combination problems.

“My personal favorite flavor here is the iconic cranberry juice cocktail. To me, it’s the pure essence of what Ocean Spray stands for. It has the right blend of natural sweetness and flavors to overcome the bitterness and astringency typically ­associated with cranberry juice. I have to admit, if I am eating at a ­restaurant, it’s hard to turn off the sensory scientist in me. My taste buds are always at work.’’

Cindy Atoji Keene can be reached at cindy@cindyatoji.com.