Evaluation of Food Quality Flashcards
The relative acceptability or appetite appeal of foods
Palatability or Eating Quality
*Two types of Eating Quality
A. sensory properties of food
B. attitude of the eater toward the food
Human Senses as Instruments in Determining Food Quality
Eyes, Nose, Tongue
- first organ to pass initial judgment on a food
- perceive the size, shape, appearance, and color of food
The eyes
- second organ that passes judgment on a food
- odors are important preliminary cues to the acceptability of a food before the food enters
the mouth
The nose
- taste is initiated by contact of an aqueous solution of a chemical w/ the taste buds on the
surface of the tongue - taste buds are organs capable of detecting sweet, sour, salt, and/or bitter
The tongue
Six Basic Tastes
- sweet
- sour
- salty
- bitter
- spicy
- umami
concentration of a taste compound at a barely detectable level
Threshold level
concentration of a taste compound at a level that is not detectable, but can influence other
taste perceptions
Subthreshold level
substance that blocks the perception of a taste by blocking the taste sites
- Example: miracle fruit of Nigeria – blocks the perception of sour
Flavor Inhibitors
compounds that enhance the flavor of other compounds w/out adding its own unique flavor
- Example: monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Flavor Potentiators
Sensory Characteristics of Food
Appearance (color, surface characteristics, inferior appearance)
Aroma, Flavor, Texture
triggers the mind to expect particular flavors
color
food can be evaluated on the basis
of the desirable surface features commonly taken as signs of quality in the particular food item
Surface characteristics/Exterior appearance
often judged accurately by cutting a clean slice w/ a sharp
knife from the top to the bottom of the product
Interior appearance
