COMPARISON OF ATTRIBUTE LIKING AND JAR SCALES TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF MILK DESSERTS

Just-about-right (JAR) scales and attribute liking questions are usually used to study consumer perception of the sensory characteristics of food products. The aim of the present work was to compare the performance of attribute liking and JAR scales to evaluate consumers' perceived adequacy of flavor and texture of milk puddings. Two groups of consumers were asked to evaluate eight milk desserts using (1) overall liking followed by attribute liking for texture and flavor and (2) overall liking followed by JAR scales for thickness, creaminess, sweetness and vanilla flavor. Overall liking scores were significantly different when JAR scales or attribute liking questions were considered. Texture, flavor and overall liking scores were highly correlated to each other, providing the same information. JAR scales correlated better with the intensity of sensory attributes evaluated by a trained sensory panel, being JAR percentages a reliable tool to study the adequacy of sensory attributes.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Results from the present work showed that consumers might not be able to independently evaluate their liking of different sensory attributes of a product. For this reason, the use of attribute liking questions for studying the adequacy of sensory attributes in complex products would not be recommended. JAR scales were better indicators of the adequacy of sensory attributes. Consumers were able to independently evaluate texture and flavor attributes using JAR scales. However, the influence of JAR scales on overall liking scores should be taken into account when including these scales on consumer studies.     

EFFECTS OF RESIDUAL TOOTHPASTE FLAVOR ON FLAVOR PROFILES OF COMMON FOODS AND BEVERAGES

Because toothpaste and other menthol/surfactant‐containing products have residual effects, researchers should ensure that enough time has elapsed between use of toothpaste and evaluation of food products. In this study, orange juice, coffee, sausage and processed cheese were profiled under controlled conditions and at 4, 12, 30 and 60 min after panelists brushed with a strongly mentholated toothpaste. Residual effects of the toothpaste at 4 min reduced several aromatic attributes, but did not affect most fundamental taste or texture attributes. A mint aromatic was observed in some food products after toothpaste use, even after 12 min. Chemesthetic attributes were diminished when a product was presented within 12 min of brushing. Results suggested that the amount of time needed between brushing and tasting depended on the food product. Orange juice, an acidic beverage, required at least an hour's delay; fatty, solid foods could be tasted almost immediately after toothbrushing if provided a warm‐up sample first.     

DEVELOPMENT OF A LEXICON FOR BEEF FLAVOR IN INTACT MUSCLE

ABSTRACT

A lexicon describing the flavor characteristics of beef across different cuts, grades, and cooking temperatures and methods was developed. Four major cuts of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) quality grade beef were cooked to five endpoint temperatures using braising, broiling (oven broiling and electric charbroiling), roasting and grilling (indoor and outdoor grilling). Six highly trained panelists identified and defined a total of 38 aroma and flavor characteristics in 176 beef samples. Beef identity, brown/roasted, bloody/serumy, metallic, fat‐like, overall sweet, sour aromatics and five tastes were present in practically all samples. Other attributes were present only in certain samples, depending on either the sample group or the cooking method/endpoint temperature combination used. This lexicon potentially offers the beef industry a standard tool to identify and quantify flavor attributes as impacted by temperature, cooking method, aging process, storage time, diet regime, packaging, USDA quality grades, etc.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Until now, the beef industry's main focus has been to assess beef tenderness and juiciness, with an emphasis on ways to improve beef texture. Meat companies and academic institutions have been using the 1995 American Meat Science Association guidelines to assess the flavor of beef, which are not comprehensive. Recent work has focused on flavor, and the industry needs a standardized flavor lexicon that can be used for many projects. It is important for the industry to be able to systematically identify and quantify flavor attributes that drive consumer acceptance.     

Effect of a warm‐up sample on stabilizing the performance of untrained panelists in time–intensity evaluation

To improve the reliability of sensory evaluation, it is necessary to minimize response bias. In this study, we investigated the effect of a warm‐up sample on time–intensity evaluation of after‐flavor. Untrained panelists evaluated continuously perceived intensity of bitterness and retronasal aroma, using four types of samples (two brands of coffee beverages × two types of lids). Half of participants evaluated bitterness intensity in the first session and retronasal aroma intensity in the second session, whereas the other half evaluated them in the opposite order. Each session consisted of four trials, and we regarded the first trial sample of each session as a warm‐up. Results revealed that perceived intensity was significantly lower in the first trial than in the following trials, and that the time courses of the second, third, and fourth trials were similar except when participants evaluated bitterness intensity in the second session. In other words, the use of a warm‐up sample stabilized the performance of time–intensity evaluation of bitterness and retronasal aroma in the first session. Furthermore, no warm‐up sample was needed in the second session when participants evaluated bitterness intensity, but a warm‐up was needed when they evaluated retronasal aroma intensity.

Practical application

Based on the results of this study, we concluded that the use of a warm‐up sample stabilized performance in time–intensity evaluation of after‐flavor by untrained panelists. We proposed that in order to obtain reliable performance in time–intensity evaluation of after‐flavor, untrained panelists should be provided a training trial using warm‐up sample before staring the test trials.     

NOTE ON COMPUTERIZED DATA COLLECTION IN CONSUMER SENSORY EVALUATION

Panelists with computer experience (n = 24) and without (n = 26) rated three foods representing liked, neutral and disliked categories using a 9-point hedonic scale on computer and paper ballots. In paired t-test results between computer and ballot ratings, no differences were found in overall acceptance, flavor and appearance attributes. Regression analysis indicated a significant (p<0.01) linear relationship between computer and paper ballot ratings. Computer ballot ratings for overall acceptance were comparable to paper ballot ratings in a consumer sensory evaluation test. Slight differences in overall acceptance were found between computer and paper ballot responses from panelists with and without computer experience. GLM indicated the group without computer experience rated overall acceptance and flavor attributes for cereal, and appearance and flavor attributes for potato chips significantly higher (p<0.05) than panelists with computer experience.