Chapter 3: Sensory Evaluation: The Human Factor Flashcards
Define sensory evaluation.
The analysis of the taste, smell, sound, feel, and appearance of food.
What is the function of sensory evaluation?
Valid and reliable tests, which provide data on which sound decisions regarding food attributes can be made
What influences our food likes and dislikes?
- Physical
- Psychological
- Cultural
- Environmental
What does odour result from?
Odour results from volatile particles coming in contact with the olfactory bulb.
How do good/bad experiences affect our food taste?
The brain links various nerve stimulations with specific foods and experiences
Name the five senses.
Sight, odor, taste, touch, sound
Name the three sensory characteristics.
1) Appearance
2) Flavour
3) Texture
Describe appearance.
The shape, size, condition, colour of a food.
How can appearance be measured scientifically?
A colorimeter can measure the hue, value, and chroma of a food.
Define flavour.
Combined effect of taste, odor, mouth feel, and trigeminal perception.
Define mouth feel and trigeminal perception.
Mouth feel: sensations on the palate, throat, tongue
Trigeminal perception: sensations when biting/chewing
What are the 5 basic tastes?
Bitter, salty, sour, savoury, and sweet
What can influence flavour?
Temperature, ability to recognize odours, and taking the time to savour (chew and smell) the food
Describe texture.
How a food product feels to the fingers, tongue, teeth, and palate.
What five qualities are used to evaluate the texture of a food?
- Chewiness
- Graininess
- Firmness
- Consistency
What is taste bias?
When positive, or negative, experiences cause individuals to possess a preconceived idea of a certain food.
What are two components of flavour?
Taste & Aroma
When are trained and untrained test panelists most often used to evaluate the sensory characteristics of a food product?
Trained test panelists: product’s development - subtle differences must be identified
Untrained consumers: products already in the marketplace - represent the buying public
List four factors that researchers must control when setting up a taste test panel.
1) Controlling Influences from Other Testers
2) Controlling Environmental Factors
3) Controlling Psychological Bias
4) Creating an Evaluation Form
Name the three classes of test methods.
1) Affective
2) Discrimination
3) Descriptive
Describe the discrimination method.
- Sometimes trained
- Panelists are screened for sensory activity, oriented for test methods
Describe the descriptive method.
- HIGHLY trained
- Panelists are screened for sensory activity, and motivation
Describe the affective method.
- NO training
- Panelists are screened for product use
What is the difference between formal and informal evaluation?
Formal: within a company (descriptive) - McDonald’s
Informal: small food branch (affective) - developing a new menu
What is the use of a taste test panel?
To evaluate food flavour, texture, appearance and aroma.
Trained: discern subtle differences
Untrained: avg consumer review
Name three different types of evaluation forms. Who are they marketed to?
- Numerical scoring system
- Verbal label to describe attributes
- Universal form with images (kids)
How does burning the tongue affect a person’s capability to taste?
Given that taste begins in the mouth with the taste buds on the tongue, if they are affected by a burn, the perception of the taste by the brain will be altered.
How does catching a cold affect a person’s capability to taste?
Catching a cold will prevent odours to reach the olfactory bulb. So, since it is less stimulated, the flavour will be less intense.
How does aging affect a person’s capability to taste?
Loss of olfactory function is a result of aging. People with olfactory loss taste the sweet and sourness of fruits without perceiving the orange, lemon, or strawberry flavour.
What is hue?
Basic colours: red, blue or green
What is value?
Lightness or darkness of a colour
What is chroma?
How intense the colour is
Sour foods are evaluated in terms of what?
Astringency
What is astringency?
The ability of a substance to draw up the muscles in your mouth
