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
evaluated by sniffing the food; the judge can fan the air above the sample to direct the aromatic compounds toward the nose
Aroma
the sensory message resulting from the combination of taste and aroma
- represents the composite assessment of taste and the blend of odor in the mouth
- the level of acceptability of the total flavor is often the mechanism for evaluating
flavor subjectively
Flavor
related to the appearance of a product and to its evaluation in the mouth
- texture evaluation relies on the mouthfeel (textural qualities of a food perceived in
the mouth) of the food
Texture
Types of Sensory Tests
Preference Testing
Difference Testing
➢ Sensory testing designed to provide information on selected characteristics and to
indicate preference or acceptability of products
➢ Valuable in developing new food products and in evaluating quality
Preference testing
Sensory testing designed to determine whether detectable differences exist
between products
Difference Testing
to determine acceptability and aid in the decision on future development of the product.
Single sample
Difference test in w/c a specific characteristic is designated
Paired comparison
Difference test in w/c two samples are judged against a control to determine w/c of the two samples is different from the control
Duo-trio test
