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THE SENSES: SENSORY TESTING OF FOOD PRODUCTS

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The sensory analysis or sensory testing of food has the mission of evaluating the different characteristics of a product using the five senses: sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. In this way, a series of defined tests are carried out using very rigorous procedures.

According to this definition, sensory analysis is not the same as a “food tasting”. The main difference lies in the series of defined tests that are carried out in sensory analysis and which involve the 5 senses.

In this article we will learn how a food sensory panel can be carried out to develop improvements in the organoleptic of food thanks to sensory analysis.

What are the applications of sensory analysis?

The applications of food sensory analysis are numerous and are used for different purposes: process control, food quality control, acceptability studies or as a tool for making decisions regarding new ingredients or production processes.

Although sensory analysis is traditionally used in the wine and olive oil industry, it is currently used in all types of food. The sensory properties of a food are essential for the product to be accepted by consumers. This is why sensory analysis is so important in the development of new products, as it helps to study whether the organoleptic characteristics of the food will be well accepted by the end consumer and whether it will meet their needs.

What is sensory analysis in the food tasting process?

Sensory analysis in the food tasting process consists of the study of the sensory attributes of food through our senses. This process is carried out through procedures that are governed by a series of rules so that the final results are clear and reproducible. This is what is known as a food sensory panel.

In the following, we will study each sense and the role it plays in the perception of a food’s organoleptic properties:

Sight

The sense of sight will be the first “filter” for the consumer’s acceptance of a food.  Sight can distinguish whether the appearance of the food is normal or abnormal based on the following properties: Colour, Shape, Size and Roughness.

For the sensory analysis of colour, colour scales will be used to study: hue, intensity and brightness. Nowadays, there are very sophisticated devices that allow detecting these variations in the colour of the food in a very precise way, such as the chroma meter.

Smell

Smell is the second “filter” in the acceptance of a food and is based on the stimulation by chemicals in the food that receptors in our nose receive.  Food odour is measured in sensory analysis on the basis of three characteristics: Intensity, Persistence and Saturation Capacity.

Taste

Once we have passed the first two “filters” that can give us an idea of the organoleptic quality of the food, we come to the taste test. The taste or “basic flavour” can detect four types of taste: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Recently, a fifth taste has also been recognised: the umami taste.

It should be noted that both smell and taste are chemical senses that are closely related to each other, increasing the perception of flavour.

Touch

The sense of touch is closely related to the texture of the food. This sensory property is also composed of what is identified by sight and hearing and detects any deformation of the food.

Food texture can be studied according to the following parameters: Hardness, Cohesiveness, Viscosity, Elasticity, Adhesiveness and Chewiness.

Hearing

The sense of hearing is used to complement the analysis of the texture of the food by means of the sounds detected when the food is evaluated in the mouth.

What are the types of sensory tests?

The types of sensory tests for food analysis are classified into affective tests, discriminatory tests and descriptive tests.

Affective tests

Affective tests are subjective tests. In these tests, the judges state in general terms what they thought of the food: whether they liked it or not, whether they disliked it, whether they preferred one product or another, etc.

These tests are further divided into:

  • Preference tests. Comparative tests between different samples that are analysed by means of a questionnaire and significance tables.
  • Satisfaction tests. A numerical analysis is carried out by means of an analysis panel of the sensation produced by the different samples.
  • Acceptance tests. An attempt is made to measure a person’s desire to purchase a product. It is carried out through complex questionnaires in order to determine the ideal public (target).

Discriminatory tests

Discriminatory testing is used to study the differences between different food samples. It is mainly used in the change of formulation or processing of a food.

Examples of discriminatory tests are: Simple paired comparison test, triangular test, paired comparisons test, multiple comparisons test.

Descriptive tests

Descriptive tests use quantitative methods with the aim of objectively defining the properties of a food. These tests are classified into:

  • Unstructured scale rating. Measures the intensity of an attribute.
  • Ranking tests: Ranking according to the intensity of a sensory attribute.
  • Rating by interval scales. Identifies various characteristics of each sample: level of spiciness, bitterness, sweetness, etc. 
  • Rating by standard scales. These scales are similar to the previous ones, but reference foods are used.
  • Proportional rating or magnitude estimation. To jointly evaluate complex attributes of a food, such as taste, aroma and texture.

What are the optimal conditions for a good sensory analysis?

There are a series of optimal conditions that a room should have in order to carry out a good sensory analysis:

  • Temperature and humidity conditions should be comfortable unless the product requires special conditions.
  • The colour of the room walls and furniture should be neutral to not influence the colour of the samples.
  • The analysis room should be kept odour-free by an extraction system if necessary.
  • Ambient noise should be reduced to avoid distractions. It is best to soundproof the sensory panel area.

It should be taken in mind that a sensory analysis is not a mere tasting, but often involves an exhaustive analysis of the characteristics of a foodstuff and it is therefore necessary to take care of all these details.

How to improve the organoleptic characteristics of food by using natural ingredients?

As we have seen, the sensory analysis of food is often a fundamental requirement to evaluate the organoleptic properties of a product before launching it to the market or modifying its processing or formulation. At Amerex, we are always committed to natural ingredients, such as the preservative solutions in the Biamex or Safemix range, which help to improve the shelf life of foods and maintain or improve their organoleptic properties.

We have a wide range of starters (Fermitrat range) that through the enzymatic activities of the microorganism are able to generate a good colour, flavour and aroma in the sausage.

Write to us if good organoleptic properties are also essential for you and get to know our products for all types of food: meat or vegan, dairy, fish, ready meals, beverages and sauces or bakery. We are available for you!

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THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANOLEPTIC ANALYSIS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL FOODS

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Welcome back to the Amerex Blog! In this post we will talk about the influence of organoleptic analysis in the development of a new food. The organoleptic control of a food is established through qualitative assessments of a sample by experts through the senses of sight, smell, taste and touch. This seems to be a very subjective concept, but it is carried out through quantitative and very rigorous methods that ensure high quality results that can be very relevant for the food industry.

The objective of an organoleptic analysis is to determine how consumers will respond to a new product before its launch, in order to have the possibility of improving and changing it in case its quality is not sufficient to make it a successful launch.

Why should food companies be concerned about organoleptic control?

Manufacturers from the food sector are constantly working on the R&D of their products to meet the demands of consumers. These consumers are continuously evolving and requiring new products (different from those existing) and having different needs that are increasingly oriented towards healthy and clean products. However, the latest statistics tell us that not even 25% of the foods developed by these companies succeed in entering the market.

Therefore, they should use organoleptic analysis to predict the success or not of the launch of a new food or beverage on the market. This method enables the use of expert sensory evaluation to understand the consumer’s perception of a product. It also allows to adapt the product to said consumers and to predict its success before the final launch.

Not only R&D but every department of a food manufacturing company (especially manufacturing, marketing and sales) must be aligned to develop and launch products that meet the demands and expectations of their potential consumers.

What stages must a food go through during its formulation to ensure its organoleptic quality?

There are certain stages in the manufacture of a novel food that allow it to achieve ideal consumer acceptance, and thus ensure that its future performance in the market is positive.

A first stage would include everything related to the organoleptic control of the food. Starting with a screening phase of the organoleptic test to be carried out to determine the quality of the food. In this phase we must choose the most appropriate type of analysis for the food depending on the information we want to gather from it. For example, it is not the same to carry out a sensory evaluation of the organoleptic characteristics to find out if a product is liked, as it is to determine the differences between two formulations and to evaluate these differences. Also, a statistical design will have to be prepared to optimise the tests in order to obtain as much information as possible with as few tastings as possible. And last but not least, the panel of tasters should be selected including expert panel evaluators and/or representative consumers.

The second stage is the actual performance of the sensory test, when the tasters evaluate the different organoleptic characteristics of the food: colour, flavour, smell and texture.

A third stage will be the analysis and interpretation of the results, and will end with the fourth stage of validation and redesign of the product to further adapt its organoleptic characteristics and achieve the final food that will be placed on the supermarket.

As a food manufacturer, what can you do to try to ensure a successful launch of your product?

The truth is that launching a product and making it a hit is difficult, and there is no way to predict exactly how a new product will perform in the supermarket. Nevertheless, there are some recommendations to optimise the sensory evaluation of different samples and increase their chances of success.

You can carry out organoleptic pre-testing with different target population groups for the product you are developing. As part of it, you can focus the conditions of the product so that it completely reflect the result of the analysis that has been carried out.

Other factors such as taking extreme care of the quality of all ingredients that are part of the final food, ensuring good practices and being transparent in the information of these ingredients through labelling and product display help in making the product a hit and not a miss.

Finally, to keep assessing end-customer acceptance through different tools such as satisfaction surveys or other market research.

How can Amerex help you improve the organoleptic qualities of your product?

As we have said before, it should not be forgotten that today’s food and beverage consumers are becoming more demanding and expect certain characteristics in their food that were not so much taken into account until the last few years, such as natural ingredients and additive-free labels.

At Amerex, we manufacture preservation solutions that also help to improve the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs. Not only through starter cultures and their enzymatic activities that give good colour, flavour and aroma in the sausage. Also with our wide range of natural ingredients BIAMEX and SAFEMIX that help to maintain the organoleptic condition of the food during its shelf-life.

Is it possible to create a more homemade product without the use of additives or treatments?

Our company can also help you in the reduction of artificial additives and treatments to obtain a more natural and homemade organoleptic in your final product. For example, in ready-to-eat meals that attempt to imitate the most traditional dishes by removing acidifiers that lower pH and change viscosity and colour. You can see an example here.

We are available to answer your questions about improving the organoleptic quality of your product while maintaining microbiological safety and clean labelling through the use of natural and healthy ingredients. Contact us!

imasd@amerexingredientes.es

Phone number: +34 91 845 42 14

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THE ORGANOLEPTIC QUALITY OF FOOD

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The improvement of the organoleptic characteristics of food can be achieved through the use of additives but also with the use of natural ingredients. In this blog post we will find out how this can be done, which tests the food industry uses to upgrade their products, and which examples of natural ingredients help to improve the organoleptic quality of food.

What are the general properties of food?

Consumers value four groups of food characteristics for their consumption:

  • Sensory or organoleptic characteristics – Colour, taste and smell of the food
  • Physical characteristics – Texture
  • Nutritional characteristics
  • Temporal characteristics – Shelf-life of the food
Se muestra una variedad de alimentos

What are the organoleptic characteristics of food?

The four main organoleptic characteristics of food are colour, taste, smell and texture. These are characteristics that we perceive through our senses and which are decisive in the first impression of the food that we are going to eat. It is therefore very important to take them into account.

Colour

Colour is key in the consumer’s perception of food. It is the first thing we see and it tells us what chemical reactions have taken place during the shelf-life of the food, from manufacturing to consumption. Colour changes in food can show up due to the exposure to light or air, both catalysts in the biochemical reaction that create peroxides responsible for food oxidations. This oxidation results in colour changes from fresh to spoil.

Colour measurement is an effective thermometer in many cases to determine this type of deterioration.  Techniques such as spectrophotometry or technologies such as Minolta are used to evaluate colour changes and use well-defined scales to compare the colour of both liquid and solid foods.

Taste

Five types of flavours are identified in the food industry: salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. It is also possible to distinguish between slow tastes and immediate tastes.

In general, all substances have a single taste that is made up of several different flavours.

Smell

Odour is defined by the different volatile substances that are present in food that either come from the food itself naturally, or are the result of adding flavouring ingredients into the food.

When a food is spoiled, it is easy to detect it by the smell.

Texture

Texture is definitely another factor to be taken into consideration, since we use our sense of touch to evaluate food’s condition and choose the one that best suits our own preferences. Some parameters for evaluation are hardness, thickness, viscosity or rigidity. The consumer knows how to detect when any of these parameters becomes unpleasant and that is automatically related to a microbiological alteration that results in us avoiding its consumption.

Se muestra cómo unos técnicos comprueban la textura de un embutido

What additives and ingredients does the industry use to boost the organoleptic quality of food?

Substances used by the food industry to boost the organoleptic quality of food can be divided into two groups: artificial additives and natural ingredients.

Ingredients such as spices, in the same way as salt for preservation or vinegar to extend the shelf-life of food, have properties that improve the organoleptic quality of food.

For example rosemary extract, which not only ensures the flavour and colour of food but also provides aroma and works as an antioxidant. Others such as basil, parsley, oregano or dill enhance flavours, while saffron, turmeric or curry modify the colour while providing food a special aroma and flavour. Other spices provide even more intense flavours, such as pepper or chilli that give a spicy vibe to our food. Many fruits and vegetables also improve the organoleptic characteristics of food thanks to their high pigmentation. Beetroot or blueberries provide more intense tones, while bananas, dates or figs substitute sugars for sweetness.

How to analyse the organoleptic qualities of food in order to know its quality?

We can determine the organoleptic quality of foods by means of many tests to get an idea of their characteristics. One of the most decisive factors in testing is perception, which is evaluated by thresholds. A threshold is the value at which the effects of a stimulus become perceptible to the senses. This threshold is made from the active ingredients in the food within the organoleptic scope. There are several thresholds of perception:

  • The detection threshold, the minimum amount of an odorant to be detected.
  • The recognition threshold is the level of a stimulus needed not only to be detected but also recognized.
  • The differential threshold is the magnitude of change in the stimulus necessary to generate an alteration that is perceptible.
  • The terminal threshold is the maximum value of a stimulus above which an increase in intensity is not perceived.

Perception is the response to organoleptic characteristics. It is therefore a true reflection of food quality that the food industry uses to evaluate consumers. The trend analysis for this evaluation are carried out by quality technicians with different backgrounds such as nutritionists, chemists and engineers. In order to determine the organoleptic quality of a foodstuff, the so-called organoleptic analysis or tasting panels are also carried out. These are qualitative expert assessments based on the evaluation of a sample through the senses. The senses involved in organoleptic analysis are sight, smell, taste and touch, and this analysis is subjective in any case.

How to improve the organoleptic characteristics of food by using natural ingredients?

At Amerex we are always committed to natural ingredients as preservative solutions, which not only help to improve the shelf-life of foodstuffs but also their organoleptic properties.

We have a wide range of ripening starters that through enzymatic activities of microorganisms are able to generate a good colour, flavour and aroma in the sausage. In addition, preservative solutions that maintain the organoleptic condition of the food during its shelf-life. Or even solutions based on yeast technology to provide specific and traditional organoleptic characteristics to the final product.

Replacing chemical additives with natural ingredients is possible, and it also means an upgrade in those products that consumers are increasingly demanding. The clean label philosophy is here to stay, and many manufacturers are committed to meeting the needs of a more demanding end customer.

Contact us to find out about our products that can fit in any food, from meat to vegan products, dairy, fish, ready meals, beverages and sauces or bakery products. We are available for you!

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