SENSORY EVALUATION

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Describe the sensory organs and their actions.

2. Identify the characteristics of food that can be evaluated by using
human senses.
3. Explain how to select and train sensory panelists.
4. Decide the appropriate sensory testing to incorporate in a
research study.
5. Design scorecards for sensory evaluation.
Introduction

● Most people consciously and unconsciously evaluate

food quality
○ Choices of food are influences by previous experiences with
specific brands and various foods
● Coverage
○ Senses
○ Interactions with food
What is Sensory Evaluation?

● Also known as affective testing

● Purpose : quality control
● done by panelists to assess color, taste, aroma, flavor, and texture (the aspects of food
that involve the senses).
● Evaluate samples and improves the product
● TRAINED or SEMI TRAINED PANEL
○ Done in house to measure the acceptability of the product of the staff
● CONSUMER TEST
○ Also done for public to identify acceptability
○ Provide valuable sensory evaluation related to potential consumer acceptance
of the product
Physiological Bases of
Sensory Evaluation
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
OLFACTORY -sense of smell

● Important preliminary cues to the acceptability of a

food before that food enters the mouth
● Odors are volatile chemical compounds that interact
with millions olfactory receptor neurons
● When food is in the mouth- volatile compound
travel upward from the mouth to the nasal cavity
● When aromatic compounds come in contact with
olfactory receptor neurons, electrical messages are
transmitted to the brain via the CNS.
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
OLFACTORY -sense of smell (cont’n)

● Volatile compounds also can be brought into

contact with the oral receptors by
○ Sniffing a food or its headspace (repetitively)
○ Swallowing the food
○ Deliberately exhaling sharply after swallowing the food
( aftertaste)
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS

● Approximately 10,000 taste receptors

● Mostly found in tongue
● Taste buds are found in the papillae of the tongue
● 2 types of papillae contain taste buds
○ Mushroom like fungiform- on the sides and tip
○ Circumvallate - elevated, large papillae in the form of a “V” toward
the back of the tongue) always contain taste buds.
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS (cont’n)

● Children have increase perceptions - additional

taste buds in their cheeks ,hard and soft palates
● Taste buds atrophy as children grow older
● Adults- reduced to about 4k to 6k
● Elderly have only about half as many functioning
taste as they had in early adulthood.
● There is also individual variation in the ability to
taste at all ages
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS (cont’n)

● Taste message is initiated when a

substance is dissolved on the tongue
and comes in contact with taste cell
● Basic Taste
○ Salty
○ Bitter
○ Sour
○ Sweet
○ Umami (L-glutamate and monosodium glutamate
(derivatives of glutamic acid, an amino acid) are the
substances that comprise umami to enhance the
flavor of some foods. )
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS (cont’n)

● SALTINESS
● The perception of a salty taste is caused by ionization of
inorganic salts, such as sodium chloride.
● It is important to note that dry salt cannot be tasted, but
when it is moistened by water or saliva, the taste is
perceived.
● The other tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, and umami—also
require solution of the compounds for perception
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS (cont’n)

● SWEETNESS
● Hydroxyl (OH2) groups are credited with contributing to
the taste described as sweet. When dissolved in water, the
various sugars have different apparent levels of sweetness.
● In pure solutions, fructose is the sweetest of the sugars,
followed in descending order by sucrose, glucose, and finally
lactose.
● Some amino acids, alcohols, and aldehydes also are
perceived as sweet
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS

● SOURNESS
● Sour is the taste impression created by the presence of the
hydrogen ions (H1).
● In the case of organic acids, the presence of the hydroxyl
(OH2) group may modify the apparent sourness of a
compound
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS (cont’n)

● BITTERNESS
● The ability to detect phenylthiourea is found in
approximately 75 percent of the population, but the
remaining quarter cannot detect this bitter compound.
● This ability is genetic in origin, providing evidence that some
people are limited as tasters. The bitter quality of
phenylthiourea is attributed to the 2 C 5 S N moiety.
● This configuration is found in cabbage and turnips.
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS

● THRESHOLD LEVELS
● The level at which a taste can be noted is designated as the
threshold level.
● This level varies somewhat from individual to individual.

● Below threshold levels, however, various taste compounds

still can have an influence on the overall perception of taste.
● This effect of subthreshold levels enables
○ salt to increase the apparent sweetness of a sugar
solution or to reduce the apparent sourness of an
acid; the effect on citric and acetic acids is less
pronounced than that on tartaric and malic acids.
○ Acid at subthreshold levels increases the apparent
saltiness of sodium chloride.
○ Sugar at subthreshold levels reduces saltiness,
sourness, and bitterness
Other ORAL SENSATIONS

1. Astringency
2. Coolness or Pungency
3. Spiciness
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation

TASTE RECEPTORS

● ASTRINGENCY
○ Tannins and various other
polyphenols create a puckery
sensation in the mouth, a
characteristic that is easily
detected when drinking tea
that has been brewed for an
extended period.
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation

TASTE RECEPTORS

● SPICINESS
● Various compounds classified as capsaicinoids are the very
pungent substances in chili peppers, black pepper, and ginger
that give a burning sensation in the mouth and evenon contact
with the hands and eyes.
● This reaction occurs when these molecules come in contact with
nociceptors, a class of neurons.
● Glucosinolates in mustard and horseradish contribute pungency
and cause flavor excitement. Unlike the fiery substances in the
capsicum or pepper family, these irritating sulfur-containing
compounds impact the nasal passages, sometimes causing
sneezing.
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation

TASTE RECEPTORS

● COOLNESS OR PUNGENCY
○ Certain chemical compounds in foods can create feelings of
coolness and heat (or even a bit of pain) in the mouth. These
characteristics of coolness or pungency contribute to how a
food is perceived in the mouth.
○ Examples : menthol or peppermint and some sugar alcohols
or polyols (e.g., xylitol and sorbitol). Menthol creates a cool
feeling by binding with receptors containing ion channels,
which allow certain electrically charged ions to pass through
the cell membrane.
○ The extra sensitivity and cool feeling created by the menthol
is particularly obvious when a deep breath of air is inhaled
with the mouth open.
 Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
WHAT IS FLAVOR?
● odor signals are blended with the taste messages from the
tongue to provide the overall impression termed flavor.
● Flavor in food is extremely important in determining
acceptability and quality.
● All of the factors discussed earlier contribute to what is
collectively considered the flavor of a food.
● The word is simple, but its dimensions are complex.
● Perception of flavor in a specific food is determined by the
combined action of the taste buds, the olfactory receptors, and
the mouth cavity of the diner.
● The importance of the use of the nose as well as the mouth in
detecting flavors is evident when nasal passages are congested
by a cold.
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
VISUAL RECEPTORS
Some of the first cues a person receives about a
food are its shape, texture, and color— messages
that are received through the eyes.
 SENSORY
CHARACTERISTICS
APPEARANCE
● COLOR
● the aspect of appearance that is often deemed the most critical
● Extensive use of food-coloring agents in commercial products attests to the value placed on
color appeal in foods.
● Expectations of richness in vanilla puddings and some cream soups are generated by a creamy
color.
● Uniform, golden-brown crusts generally are desired in baked products; browning also is an
important aspect of cooked meats.
● color often triggers the mind to expect particular flavors.
● Commonly, people will expect a red-colored food to have a flavor of strawberries or other red
fruit and will identify such a food as being strawberry even when it is something quite different
in flavor.
● Because the color of food establishes expectations of the actual product, evaluation and
control of color are important aspects of product development and production.
● Although color can be measured objectively ( COLORIMETER), this attribute is so important
from the human standpoint that it should be included on scorecards for sensory evaluation.
● Color is evaluated by sensory methods to obtain information on the desirability or
acceptability of the food color in human terms—that is, the psychological importance of the
color of the food.
APPEARANCE
● SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
● also contribute to their appearance.
○ A baked custard with a very wrinkled surface
does not meet accepted standards for the
product.
○ Scrambled eggs with a very dry surface also
would be rated as less acceptable than those
with a suggestion of moistness.
○ Fudge with a glossy surface receives a high
rating, whereas a batch with a coarse, gritty
appearance would be scored considerably
lower.
● In some products, the volume of the item will
influence the evaluation of appearance. This clearly
is true in the rating of a soufflé or cake
APPEARANCE
● INTERIOR APPEARANCE
● Lumps in a pudding or gravy are visible to the eye, as well as obvious
on the tongue.
● Cell size, uniformity of cells, and thickness of cell walls are all of
interest in assessment of cake quality, and these are judged by
appearance of the interior of the cake.
● The presence of layering in foam cakes and soufflés also is noted
easily by checking the interior appearance.
● Often, interior appearance is judged most conveniently and
accurately by cutting a clean slice with a sharp knife from the top to
the bottom of the product
AROMA
● The odor or aroma of foods frequently is of considerable importance, particularly if the food
ordinarily is served hot or warm.
● The aromas vary greatly from one food to another;

● some of the descriptive words applicable to various foods include spicy, floral, sulfur, and
woody.
● Acceptability of the aroma is important to the overall acceptability of the food. A pleasing
aroma beckons people to sample the food, whereas a strong, irritating aroma discourages
diners.
● Aroma can penetrate from a distance when comparatively volatile compounds are abundant,
as is true in boiling cabbage, for example. The aroma of boiling cabbage often is quite
identifiable even when the cabbage is out of sight.
AROMA
● The volatility (and, therefore, the detection) of aromas is related to the temperature of the food.

● High temperatures tend to volatilize aromatic compounds, making them quite apparent for
judging; cool or cold temperatures inhibit volatilization.
● This latter observation is illustrated by considering the evaluation of the aroma of ice cream, a
test that clearly would provide little information.
● Because aroma is influenced so much by temperature, it is important that aroma of foods is
judged when they are at the temperature at which they ordinarily would be served and
consumed.
AROMA
● Aroma can be evaluated by sniffing the food.
● It may be helpful to the judge to fan the air above the sample with the hand to direct the aromatic
compounds toward the nose.
● In planning experiments, it is important to avoid competing aromas from different samples.
● The nose quickly becomes saturated with odors
● Tasting booths or other areas where aroma is to be evaluated should be free of extraneous,
competing aromas.
● Ordinarily, when evaluating aroma, judges concentrate on acceptability, but in some experiments
the relative strengths of aroma of the various samples may need to be determined.
FLAVOR
● Flavor represents the composite assessment of taste blended
with odor and sometimes sensations astringency, burning, or
cooling in the mouth.
● This is a very important attribute of a food and yet is difficult to
communicate.
● Often, the mechanism for evaluating flavor subjectively is
simply the level of acceptability of the total flavor.
● Occasionally, the presence of an aftertaste may be of concern, as
may be the case with saccharin-sweetened items. This aspect of
flavor should be assessed as a separate entry on the scorecard
rather than being encompassed within the single rating for
flavor
FLAVOR
● The term hot is used in two ways in food evaluation.
● One definition refers to the physical temperature; the other
refers to the burning sensation in the mouth after a spicy
food, such as hot peppers, is eaten.
● Hot (spicy) foods may effectively mask subtle taste and odor
evaluations.
FLAVOR
● The temperature at which a food is served may have an
important influence on the ability to detect taste and to
evaluate flavor.
● The extremes, whether very hot or very cold, limit the ability
of people to judge food accurately.
● The best temperature range for flavor evaluation is 20°–30°C
(68°–86°F).
● However, this range may be inappropriate for evaluation if the
food is served either above or below this temperature range.
○ Ice cream provides a clear example of the importance of
evaluating a food at its serving temperature rather than
at the temperature range ideal for detecting taste and
flavor.
FLAVOR
● The apparent hotness or burning sensation from a
highly seasoned food may be another characteristic
related to flavor that is best assessed as a separate
category on the scorecard.
● Some other products may also require assessment of
a particular component of the flavor, such as the
comparative sweetness of samples
FLAVOR
● Flavor inhibitors appear to block the taste sites, thus preventing the normal taste
response to a particular food.
● An example is the berry of Nigeria’s miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum), which
blocks the perception of sour.
● When sour perception is blocked in a fruit such as a lemon, the remaining taste is
sweet.
● Sometimes bitterness or other negative taste may need to be masked in a food that is
modified to enhance nutritive value.
● Surprisingly, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (a derivative of licorice) is an effective
flavor inhibitor. It not only masks bitterness but is synergistic in promoting sweetness;
it is as much as 100 times more effective as a sweetener than sucrose when the two
are used together
TEXTURE
● Texture is an expansive term requiring careful definition for persons serving on a sensory panel,
as well as thoughtful inclusion in the scorecard.
● The textural qualities of a food have a relationship to the appearance of a product, as described
previously, and to its evaluation in the mouth, which relies on the mouthfeel of the food.
● The specific aspects of texture that are to be evaluated sometimes need to be listed in separate
categories on the scorecard, but often the item is listed simply as mouthfeel.
● This is quite a general term and may lead to confusion unless each judge is informed of the
specific aspect of mouthfeel that is to be evaluated.
○ For instance, for a corn chip, one judge might be evaluating crispness to obtain the score
for mouthfeel while another judge may be reporting on tenderness
TEXTURE
● Aspects of mouthfeel include grittiness (sandy), slickness,
stickiness, hardness, crispness, toughness, brittleness (how easily it
breaks), pastiness, lightness, crunchiness, smoothness, viscosity
(fluidity), moistness, burning, cooling, astringency, spiciness, and
tingling.
● Not all of these are appropriate for any single food, but they
suggest characteristics to be considered when evaluating texture.
Acceptable mouthfeel is vital to repeated consumption of food
products and must be developed optimally for a product to be
successful in today’s competitive marketplace
TEXTURE
● The tenderness of a number of items can be evaluated meaningfully
by querying the judges regarding this textural feature.
● For baked products, for example, tenderness may range from
samples so tender that they readily become nothing but crumbs to
products so tough that they are extremely difficult to bite or chew.
● The researcher ordinarily seeks a product with optimal tenderness,
neither too tender nor too tough. Judges can convey this
information by using a guide provided on the scorecard.
TEXTURE
● An alternative means of reporting tenderness is to ask the judges to report
the number of chews. Individual judges control their technique for this test.
● The judge is instructed to use a bite of controlled size for the number of
chews test and to chew the sample in the same location in the mouth to
exactly the same endpoint for each sample tested.
● This number is recorded as the number of chews. Although different judges
will have different numbers of chews because of differences in their tooth
surface area for chewing, the relative scores of the various judges for the
same samples should be consistent in their rank order.
● Since judges perform this test, it is considered a sensory evaluation device,
but the mechanical nature of the chewing also makes it possible to view it as
a somewhat objective testing method.
Sensory Evaluation
Sensory Panels

● Selection and training are necessary to develop competent,

effective panel members.
Selecting Panel Members

● Interest in participation is necessary to ensure that panelists

meet their obligations as panel members.
● health of the potential panelist is important because of the
need to be available for tests on a regular and continuing
basis
● Evaluator should have clear nasal passages and should be
free from having sinusitis
Consumer panel
● Sensory evaluation panel selected from people who happen
to be available at a test site and are willing to participate.
● May range from 200-500 people
● Uses acceptability or preference test
● Untrained panel- no preparation regarding evaluation of the
product
Training Panelist
● Should be briefed prior to the actual collection of data
● Researcher should review the scorecard with the judge
● Clarify any questions
● Ask the judge to explain orally to the researcher what each
score represents
● Train the panel to rinse their mouth with room temperature
water before they taste the sample.
● Explain to them the sequence of evaluating it.
Environment for Sensory Evaluation
● will not have an opportunity to interact with one another while
evaluating the samples.
● Individual tasting booths are recommended to avoid potential
interactions between panelists.
● temperature should be comfortable and the air free of odors other
than those from the samples.
● Smoking should not be permitted in the area
● Appropriate light may include a colored light, usually red, to
obscure food color if the color is anticipated to bias the judges
Sample Preparation and Presentation
● decide on the size of the piece of cake to be given to a judge
● Consistency from day to day is vital to the successful conduct of experiments
● A liquid sample of 15 milliliters or a solid of about 30 g often is enough for
panelists.
● Plans for sampling must include directions for heating or chilling samples that
require this type of control
● The appropriately label samples, necessary silverware, a glass of water at
room temperature, and a scorecard should be arranged in the scoring area.
● Serving containers should be identical and odor free
● Colorless containers are advisable to use since colored containers can result
to bias in the eval of samples
Conditions of Judging
● Not advised to eat or chew gum for at least one hour prior to sensory testing
● Best time of the day to evaluate samples are between 10 to 11 am or 3 to 4pm
although there is not strict rule on this time schedule
● Verbal communications among the judges should be avoided
● Rinse water should be served with most products although rinsing between samples
has to be left open for each panel member
● A duplicate sample of the standard or control is usually served first as conditioner
sample . It increases the judges ability to discriminate between samples. Results of the
evaluation of the conditioner sample are not included in the stat analyses .Judges
should not be aware of the inclusion.
● The use of carriers from samples like spreads ,mayonnaise , catsup is not highly
recommended esp when these are being evaluated for flavor - it will interfere with
evaluation
General Procedure for setting up a
sensory Test

1. Prepare a mastersheet
a. An organized record of the sensory test ,testing date, type of test,
product description, judges, random code assignment and order of
serving the samples
b. Assign a random code number for each sample
c. Use of 3 digit random numbers is usually employed to minimize
superiority
d. Double numbers should be avoided
General Procedure for setting up a
sensory Test

2. Prepare a scoresheet
a. Include instructions on how to evaluate the
samples and code numbers of the samples to be
evaluated following the random order of serving
are in the score sheet
General Procedure for setting up a
sensory Test

3. Set up trays and serve

4. Evaluate the samples
5. Decode score sheets
Gathered and recorded
6, Determine statistical significance of the Test
Types of Sensory Test

1. Single sample
2. Difference
3. Affective
4. Descriptive
1.SINGLE SAMPLE

● Presenting one sample early in an experimental project to

determine acceptability and to aid in the decision on future
development of the product.
2.DIFFERENCE TESTING

● can be used to test the sensitivity of judges

● Sensory testing designed to determine whether detectable
differences exist between products
DIFFERENCE TESTING
1. Paired Comparison - test of difference in which a specific
characteristic is designated, 50 percent chance of being right

Evaluate the samples presented in pair

. Encircle the code number of the
sample within a pair which you think is
sweeter
DIFFERENCE TESTING

2. Duo–Trio Test -
● the control sample is presented first;
it is followed by two other samples,
one of which is the same as the
control.
● The judge is requested to identify
which of the last two samples is
different from the control.
● Again, there is a 50 percent chance
of being right by chance alone in a Ex: One of the coded
duo–trio samples is similar to the
test reference (R) .Circle the code
number of the sample which
you think is the same s the
reference
 DIFFERENCE TESTING

3. Triangle Test
As in the duo–trio test, three samples are
given in the triangle test, but all three
samples are presented simultaneously that
in the triangle test also, two samples are
alike; however, the difference in the method
of presentation reduces the chance of
guessing the right answer to 33.3 percent.
The triangle test is designed to determine
Ex: Evaluate the samples from left
difference to right. Two samples are alike and
one odd. Encircle the code number
of the sample which you think is
odd
SCORECARDS
3. AFFECTIVE TESTING
● Sensory testing to determine acceptability or preference between products
● Individual's feeling on the product
● Based on preference or acceptance , pleasure and displeasure
○ Preference- refers to higher degree of liking

● valuable in developing new food products, assessing market potential,

and in evaluating quality (maintenance or improvement) of a product
● preferences and attitudes of consumers toward food products are vital
● Types
○ Ranking

○ Paired preference test

○ Hedonic

○ Food action rating scale

AFFECTIVE TESTING
1. RANKING -it indicates which
sample is most or least
preferred but do not measure
the degree of preference
difference between samples
AFFECTIVE TESTING

1. PAIRED PREFERENCE TEST

- Widely used because of its
simplicity and ease of sample
 AFFECTIVE TESTING
3. HEDONIC TESTING
● appropriate for consumer panels, and is
particularly appropriate when children are the
judges because they
pick the simple face sketch that shows how they
feel about the sample; words are not used
● Measures the acceptability of the products
● Expressed in words or actions
AFFECTIVE TESTING

4. Food Action Rating

Scale
● Requires the individual to be very
specific about what actions he
would take in terms of the number
of times he would be interested in
eating a food product in given
period
 AFFECTIVE TESTING
5. Profiling
● another approach to descriptive testing
● highly trained panelists works together to develop the vocabulary needed to provide specific
descriptions of food samples.
● Among the qualities that a panel doing texture profiling might
consider are chewiness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness (to the palate, hands, and lips), moistness
or wetness, denseness, gumminess, fracturability, hardness, mouth coating, flakiness,
fibrousness, and viscosity.
● Texture profiling can be done in considerable detail by a trained
panel, just as is true for flavor profiling
 4. DESCRIPTIVE TESTING
● enables researchers to characterize their products through
selective, critical scoring of specific attributes of each sample
● detects deviations between samples, and preference testing
provides information about acceptability of samples.
● Words describing the various sensory attributes of food samples
are essential to the success of this type of evaluation
● Purpose- obtain detailed description like aroma, flavor and texture
● Can be qualitative or quantitative
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sensory-Evaluation-Questions-and-Methods_tbl2_259622487
1. Test aims - Sensory evaluation provides the following types of information that
pertains to the different test aims:
• Discriminative information - determination of differences between
products/samples.
• Descriptive information - focus on the description of products/samples. This
information can be correlated with other forms of analysis such as chemical results
etc. and
• Consumer information - focus on consumer preference, acceptance, liking etc. of
one product over another. Ranking of one or more products or rating of products in
a range (by consumers), can also be the aim.
https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=BM7iZpcCDq8
Physiological Bases of Sensory Evaluation
TASTE RECEPTORS

● UMAMI
● perceived as a savory taste.

● Compounds such as monosodium glutamate and related

amino acid–based compounds can serve as flavor enhancers
and are sometimes added to savory product formulations.