Chapter 3: Sensory Evaluation: The Human Factor

Question 1

What is Sensory Evaluation?

Answer 1

is the analysis of the taste, sound, smell, feel and appearance of food

Question 2

what is the primary function of sensory testing?

Answer 2

to conduct valid and reliable tests , which provide data on which sound decisions regarding food attributes can be made

Question 3

What are some influences on food likes and dislikes?

Answer 3

Physical
Psychological
Cultural
Environmental

Question 4

How does Physical influence affect a persons food likes or dislikes?

Answer 4

body chemistry, umber of taste buds, age and gender affect the ability to detect flavours

Question 5

How does Psychological influence affect a persons food likes or dislikes?

Answer 5

taste bias: is a like or dislike of certain foods linked to past positive or negative experiences

Question 6

How does Cultural influence affect a persons food likes or dislikes?

Answer 6

beliefs and behaviours strongly influence exposures too food and resulting food preference

Question 7

How does Environmental influence affect a persons food likes or dislikes?

Answer 7

people are more likely to eat what is available and economical

Question 8

What is a food desert?

Answer 8

food that is not readily available in some areas of the world

Question 9

What enhances flavour?

Answer 9

flavour is enhanced by visual appearance

Question 10

What is a colorimeter?

Answer 10

is a device that measures the colour found in foods in terms of hue, value and chroma

Question 11

What is flavour?

Answer 11

flavour is he combined effect of taste and aroma

Question 12

what is the overall impression of flavour?

Answer 12

is a combination of taste odour, mouthfeel, and trigeminal perception

Question 13

How is taste recognized?

Answer 13

taste is recognized through the taste buds

Question 14

What are the 6 basic tastes?

Answer 14

1. Sweet
2. Salty
3. Savoury
4. Bitter
5. Sour
6. Astringency

Question 15

What is Astringency?

Answer 15

foods such as lemon, tea and sour-balls are evaluated in terms of astringency

Question 16

Does temperature have an affect on the taste of food?

Answer 16

temperature of food may affect the flavour of the food

Question 17

What does odour result from?

Answer 17

Odour results from volatile particles coming in contact with the OLFACTORY BULB

Question 18

Appearance is ?

Answer 18

Appearance refers to the shape, size , condition and colour of a product

Question 19

Sensory Characteristics of Food Products: Texture?

Answer 19

is how a food product feels to the tongue, mouth, teeth and palate

Question 20

What are the different types of texture?

Answer 20

1. Chewiness: ability to slide without breaking
2. Graininess: the size of the particles
3. Brittleness: how easily a food breaks apart
4. Firmness: food’s resistance to pressure
5. Consistency: the thinness or thickness

Question 21

What are test methods?

Answer 21

they are classified based on primary purpose and most valid use

Question 22

What are the three most commonly used test methods?

Answer 22

1. Affective
2. Discrimination
3. Descriptive

Question 23

Describe the testing method: Affective?

Answer 23

Panelists are screened for product use; mostly untrained

Question 24

Describe the testing method: Discrimination?

Answer 24

Panelists are screened for sensor acuity and oriented test method, sometimes trained

Question 25

Describe the testing method: Descriptive:

Answer 25

Panelists are screened for sensor acuity and motivation , are highly trained
- each have a different goal and selection criteria for panelists

Question 26

What is a formal Evaluation?

Answer 26

R&D at corporate offices (McDonalds, Wendy’s, etc.)

Question 27

What is an Informal Evaluation?

Answer 27

Wait Staff sampling daily specials; customers-specials of the day; developing new menu items (trial and error)

Question 28

what are taste test panels?

Answer 28

evaluates food flavour, texture, appearance and aroma

- trained panelists discern subtle sensory differences

Question 29

What are consumer test panels?

Answer 29

help determine products average consumer will prefer

• these untrained panelists represent the buying public
• factors that could sway the results must be controlled

Question 30

Control of Influencing Factors: Influence of other testers?

Answer 30

products may be tested by one person at a time, or by testers in separate rooms to prevent seeing facial expressions (Panelist must remain quiet during evaluation)

Question 31

Control of Influencing Factors: Environmental Factors?

Answer 31

light levels in the testing rooms are the same, test takes place in room separate from food preparation, testers sip water between samples. All samples are served at the same temperature

Question 32

Control of Influencing Factors: Psychological Bias?

Answer 32

scientists identify with the 3-digit codes to prevent a bias for the lowest number (1) and letter (A)
- research shows that tasters can only reliably have 4-5 samples at a time

Question 33

How do you create an evaluation form?

Answer 33

participants fill out an evaluation form that may be…

• numerical scoring form; ranking foods
• verbal label form that describes various attributes of each food
• universal form that uses simple images to convey how a person feels about food