Sensory science

Human perceptual analysis involves 6 sensations. Name them in the order in which they occur when selecting and then eating a food.

1) sight, 2) smell, 3) texture, 4) taste, 5) hearing, and 6) trigeminal ("feeling factors")

Give the definition of sensory evaluation.

A scientific displine that evokes, measures, analyzes and interprets responses to foods and other materials as perceived by the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, and feeling factors(trigeminal sensations)

Discuss consumer acceptance testing: Differentiate between affective and analytical tests. Name two common hedonic scales. Explain one factor that can bias consumer responses.

Affective vs. analytical tests: Affective tests: Measure liking or preference (consumers) Analytical tests: Measure specific sensory attributes (trained panelists) Two common hedonic scales: 9-point hedonic scale, 7-point hedonic scale One factor that can bias responses: Brand information, Color or appearance, Order of presentation, Expectations or context

Explain the difference between analytical, descriptive, and affective sensory tests and give one application of each.

Analytical tests determine whether products are different (e.g., triangle test), descriptive tests quantify sensory attributes using trained panels (e.g., QDA), and affective tests measure consumer liking or preference (e.g., hedonic scale). Each serves a different role in product development and quality assessment.

Name the receptors that detect the quality parameters of the appearance, odor, taste, and mouthfeel of foods.

Appearance – photoreceptors Odor – chemoreceptor (olfactory cells) Taste – chemoreceptors, taste buds Mouthfeel - thermoreceptor, mechanoreceptors, and trigeminal nerve endings

What are the major attributes measured in sensory evaluation?

Appearance, aroma, flavor, texture and consistency, viscosity, noise.

List four factors that can bias sensory evaluation and one control strategy.

Bias sources include order effects, expectation, fatigue, and carryover; controls include randomization, blinding, palate cleansers, and panelist training.

In regard to sensory evaluation, differentiate between "triangle test" and "duo-trio test".

Both are classified as difference tests. A triangle test consists of three samples, two are the same and one is different. The participant is asked to identify the different sample. A duo-trio test consists of three samples in which two are the same and one is different. One of the samples is presented as the reference sample and the participant is asked to identify the matching sample.

Describe four aspects of appearance of a sample in sensory evaluation.

Color: hue + saturation + luminance Consistency: stickiness + loose particles Size: diameters + geometry Texture: shine + smoothness + roughness Shape Surface characteristics

List 5 types of biases that may be caused by order of presentation in sensory evaluation

Contrast effect, group effect, error of central tendency, pattern effect, time error/positional bias

What are the functions of the following parts of the eye in seeing color? Cornea, lens, iris, retina, fovea

Cornea and lens: focus light onto the retina; Iris: regulates light entering the eye; Retina: contains rods and cones; Fovea: critical in color detection.

Compare descriptive analysis and consumer acceptance testing in terms of panelist training, data output, and applications.

Descriptive analysis uses highly trained panelists to generate quantitative sensory profiles, while consumer acceptance testing uses untrained consumers to assess liking or preference. Descriptive tests provide detailed attribute intensity data, whereas consumer tests yield hedonic data used for product optimization and market positioning.

Explain the difference between descriptive analysis and affective (hedonic) testing in sensory evaluation.

Descriptive analysis: Uses trained panelists to quantify product attributes (objective). Affective/hedonic testing: Uses consumers to measure liking or preference (subjective).

In sensory science, "Thresholds" are critical. Briefly define the "Detection Threshold" versus the "Recognition Threshold."

Detection Threshold is the lowest concentration at which a stimulus can be detected but not necessarily identified. Recognition Threshold is the lowest concentration at which the stimulus can be identified (e.g., "it tastes sweet").

Differentiate between difference testing and descriptive analysis, giving one example method for each.

Difference testing determines whether products differ (e.g., triangle test). Descriptive analysis quantifies sensory attributes (e.g., QDA).

What are the three basic categories of sensory tests? Give one example of each.

Discrimination: Triangle or duo–trio test Descriptive: Flavor profile or QDA Affective: Hedonic rating or preference test

Name 3 types of sensory difference tests.

Duo-trio, triangle test, difference from control, sequential tests, similarity tests

Name the four types of papillae on the surface of human tongue.

Filiform, fungiform, circumvallate (or vallate), and foliate

Discuss the physiological basis of flavor perception, including taste, aroma, and trigeminal effects.

Flavor perception integrates gustatory taste, retronasal olfaction, and trigeminal sensations such as heat or cooling, processed together in the brain to create a unified flavor experience.

What are the descriptors in texture profile analysis?

Hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, chewiness, gumminess