SENSORY EVALUATION The sensory attributes of food can be evaluated by using discri inatory! difference! descri"tive!

and affective ethods# $elo% is a descri"tion of a variety of tests used# I# &iscri inatory testing These tests are used to recogni'e or identify taste# These tests are used for training and(or selecting "anelists as %ell as for )uality control "ur"oses A# Recognition of *ri ary Tastes The "anelist receives several coded sa "les that re"resent the four "ri ary tastes +salty! s%eet! sour! bitter, and is as-ed to identify the taste of each sa "le# $# Taste threshold These tests are conducted to deter ine the lo%est concentration of a substance that can be detected +absolute threshold, or the lo%est concentration of a substance re)uired for identification of the substance or taste +recognition threshold,# Several coded sa "les of various concentrations of so e taste substance are "resented in order to the "anelist %ho is as-ed to indicate at %hat "oint he(she can "erceive the taste# .# Ran-ing Solutions of a *ri ary Taste *anelists are as-ed to taste coded sa "les that re"resent varying concentrations of a certain "ri ary taste and to ran- those sa "les in order of increasing concentration of that taste# II# &ifference testing These tests are used to identify characteristics and to deter ine %hether or not there is a difference bet%een sa "les but not the si'e of the difference# These tests can be "erfor ed by trained or by untrained "anelists +consu ers,# They are often used for screening or training taste "anelists# A# Triangle Test The "anelist receives three coded sa "les! is told that t%o sa "les are ali-e and one is different! and is as-ed to identify the odd sa "le# Analysis of results is based on co "aring the nu ber of correct ans%ers %ith the nu ber you %ould e/"ect to get by chance alone! if there %as no difference bet%een sa "les# In this test! the odd sa "le %ould be selected by chance one0third of the ti e# If the "anelist identifies the odd sa "le correctly! then the ans%ers to )uestions 1 and 2 can be analy'ed# If not! they are ignored# This test is useful in )uality control to deter ine if "roduct fro different "roduction lots is the sa e or if ingredient substitution results are detectable# This test ay also be used for screening "anelists %ith only those %ho can detect a difference selected for the "anel# The triangle test does not usually indicate degree of a ount of difference! and the "anelist should be as-ed to s"ecify the characteristic that is different# $# &uo0Trio Test Three sa "les are "resented to the "anelist3 one is labeled R +reference, and the other t%o are coded# One coded sa "le is identical to R and the other is different# The "anelist is as-ed to identify the odd sa "le# This test is less efficient than the triangle test because the "robability of selecting the correct ans%er by chance is 456# The duo0trio test has the sa e uses as the triangle test! but less sensitive because it is easier to guess right# This test is used so eti es %ith strong flavor "roducts due to less tasting re)uired# The "anelist should be as-ed to s"ecify the characteristic that is different# .# *aired .o "arison

A "air of coded sa "les is "resented for co "arison of a s"ecific characteristic! such as sourness or s%eetness# *aired co "arisons indicate if there is a detectable difference in a characteristic! but give no indication of degree of difference# The "robability of selecting the right sa "le by chance is 456# This test can also be used for "reference testing! %hen either res"onse can be correct# &ifferent statistical tests ust then be ade# A "aired co "arison test is a""ro"riate for use in )uality control! ho%ever! the s"ecific characteristic evaluated is entioned# No easure of the si'e of difference is noted %ith this test# &# 7ulti"le .o "arisons Test This is si ilar to the "aired co "arisons test e/ce"t that a reference or standard sa "le +labeled R, is "resented to the "anelist %ith several coded sa "les# Each sa "le is co "ared %ith the reference sa "le on the basis of a s"ecific characteristic# Nu erical scores can be assigned to the ratings and statistical analysis +analysis of variance, "erfor ed# E# Ran-ing The "anelist receives three or ore coded sa "les! and ran-s the for a s"ecific characteristic +Note8 This is si ilar to ran-ing for a "ri ary taste but uses food sa "les! not "ure solutions#, The results can be chec-ed for statistical significance using "re"ared tables# This is a ra"id ethod for testing several sa "les at once and is often used for screening for one or t%o of the best sa "les in a grou"# No easure of si'e of difference can be noted# II# &escri"tive Tests A# Scaling(scoring 7ethods These tests! also called 9scoring9 ethods! deter ine the intensity of so e characteristic or characteristics# The "anelist records his :udg ent on a structured +graduated, scale or an unstructured scale# The si'e! intensity! and direction of the differences can be deter ined! and statistical analysis +analysis of variance, is used to ascertain if differences are significant# These tests ust be "erfor ed by e/"erienced or trained "anelists since they re)uire ore discri ination# ;# Scoring on a structured scale A single characteristic is rated on a structured scale! labeled %ith nu bers and(or descri"tive ter s# The ter s should not be sub:ective +too s%eet! :ust right! not s%eet enough,! but ob:ective +very s%eet! s%eet! not s%eet,# The s"ecific intervals on the scale are later converted to nu bers for analysis# 1# Scaling on Unstructured Scale These scales have verbal anchors at the ends and(or the center# The "anelist ar-s the "osition of each sa "le on the scale# A nu erical value is later assigned by the e/"eri enter! not the "anelist! based on the "osition of the ar- +usually by easuring distance on the line,# This ty"e of scaling is used in )uantitative descri"tive analysis +<&A, %hich is %idely used in the food industry# $# Other &escri"tive 7ethods *rofiles of te/ture and(or flavor and <&A +)uantitative descri"tive analysis, are tests "erfor ed by highly trained "anelists in the food industry %ho are usually e/"erts on a fe% "roducts# These are considered the ost so"histicated sensory ethods! and re)uire training and "ractice# III# Affective Tests These tests are used to deter ine degree of "reference or acce"tability for a "roduct# They are

ost often used in consu er "anels! although they ay be used for 9in0house9 "roduct evaluations as %ell# Affective testing is useful %hen evaluating the acce"tance and )uality of ne% food "roducts# In "reference testing! the "reference is a forced0choice %hereas in acce"tance testing the "anelist is as-ed to indicate the degree of li-ing for one or ore sa "les# A# *aired *reference The "anelist is as-ed to indicate %hich of t%o sa "les he "refers# This is a si "le! easy to "erfor test! used %hen the desirability of one sa "le is -no%n# +A "anelist ay "refer one of the sa "les! but find neither one desirable#, $# Ran-ing for *reference The "anelist is as-ed to ran- t%o or ore sa "les for "reference#

.# =edonic Scale The "anelist is as-ed to e/"ress his degree of li-ing for a "articular "roduct# A nine0"oint scale is ost often used! ho%ever! other odd0nu bered scales can be used# >hen conducted se"arately on t%o "roducts! the evaluator can co "are the acce"tability! ie %hich is ore acce"table# So eti es! acce"tability can be an indirect indication of "reference#