Papers by Martin Talavera Bianchi
Journal of Sensory Studies, 2010
Sensory descriptive analysis often requires a large set of attributes that needs to be defined an... more Sensory descriptive analysis often requires a large set of attributes that needs to be defined and referenced to make the results replicable. The resulting data are important and necessary for research and development purposes but may be excessively complex for management, marketing, consumer purposes or culinary applications, such as restaurants. This study examined the use of a simplified lexicon, high identity traits (HITS), generated by trained panelists to determine if an understanding of the overall differences and similarities between samples could be achieved with fewer and more user-friendly attributes than in traditional descriptive sensory testing. Ten trained sensory panelists participated in this pilot study with cheese. The number of attributes was reduced from more than 20 for each cheese to include only one to five terms that described the main flavor characteristics or HITS of each cheese. For example, in the flavor profiles, Brie cheese scored at low to moderate intensities for 20+ attributes. In this study, Brie was described only as buttery, earthy and mold-ripened, terms that can be understood quickly and by many different people. This study suggests that the HITS method is a fast procedure that adds additional, general, user-friendly information to traditional descriptive analysis techniques.
Vegetables are popular among consumers because of their versatility of preparation, unique sensor... more Vegetables are popular among consumers because of their versatility of preparation, unique sensory characteristics, and exceptional health benefits. Trends such as organic farming and breeding to increase nutrition and functional health components have increased interest in understanding the flavor of vegetables, such as leafy greens. A lexicon of thirty-two flavor attributes was created to help describe the flavor of fresh leafy vegetables. This lexicon includes five "green" attributes; mouth feel characteristics such as pungent, bite, tooth-etch, and heat/burn; fundamental tastes including bitter and umami; seven terms that describe unique flavors related to specific vegetables such as cabbage, celery, lettuce, spinach, parsley, beet, and radish leaves; and a group of other terms including citrus, piney, woody, water-like, musty/earthy, floral, sulfur, metallic, soapy, petroleum-like, and overall sweet. In addition, our study encompassed a series of sensory tests which will aid in better understanding the effects of several production variables on the sensory characteristics of pac choi and tomato. Variables evaluated were production systems (i.e. organic and conventional), fertilizer amount (i.e. high, low, and no fertilizer), environment (i.e. field and high tunnel), maturity level (i.e. 2.5, 4.5, and 6.5-week old plants at the time of harvest), and shelf life (i.e. 1, 4, 9, 18 days of refrigerated storage). Samples were grown at the Kansas State University Horticulture Research Center located in Olathe, Kansas. Highly trained descriptive panelists from the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University evaluated the samples. There do not appear to be major sensory differences between organic and conventional products specific to the crops and seasons studied. Furthermore, when differences were present, they generally were quite small and showed no clear trends or patterns favoring one production system over the other even after refrigerated storage. However, it is suggested that differences in flavor and volatile composition between organic and conventional pac choi may be more evident at early stages of growth.
Vegetables are popular among consumers because of their versatility of preparation, unique sensor... more Vegetables are popular among consumers because of their versatility of preparation, unique sensory characteristics, and exceptional health benefits. Trends such as organic farming and breeding to increase nutrition and functional health components have increased interest in understanding the flavor of vegetables, such as leafy greens. A lexicon of thirty-two flavor attributes was created to help describe the flavor of fresh leafy vegetables. This lexicon includes five “green ” attributes; mouth feel characteristics such as pungent, bite, tooth-etch, and heat/burn; fundamental tastes including bitter and umami; seven terms that describe unique flavors related to specific vegetables such as cabbage, celery, lettuce, spinach, parsley, beet, and radish leaves; and a group of other terms including citrus, piney, woody, water-like, musty/earthy, floral, sulfur, metallic, soapy, petroleum-like, and overall sweet. In addition, our study encompassed a series of sensory tests which will aid i...
LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2011
... Martin Talavera-Bianchi a , Delores H. Chambers b , Corresponding Author Contact Information ... more ... Martin Talavera-Bianchi a , Delores H. Chambers b , Corresponding Author Contact Information , E-mail The Corresponding Author , Edgar ... b The Sensory Analysis Center, Department of Human Nutrition, Justin Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. ...
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2010
The increased popularity of organic production has amplified the need for research that will help... more The increased popularity of organic production has amplified the need for research that will help in understanding how this production system affects the final quality of vegetables. The effects of organic and conventional production on the sensory characteristics of pac choi (often called bok choy) and tomato were studied. Samples were grown in high tunnel and field environments at the Kansas State University Horticulture Research Center located in Olathe, Kansas. Highly trained descriptive panelists from the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University used previously developed flavor lexicons for tomatoes and leafy greens to evaluate the samples. ANOVA at a 95% confidence level was used to detect significant differences between treatments for individual attributes. Crispness, green-grassy/leafy, piney, and pungent attributes were normally higher in conventional pac choi only for the field samples. Pac choi grown in high tunnels showed slight differences only at individual amounts of fertilizer. Organic tomatoes grown in the field were generally juicier and less mealy compared to conventionally grown tomatoes. In the high tunnel, organic tomatoes were generally stronger in the characteristic tomato aroma. However, all differences generally were very small. It can be concluded that organic and conventional production systems do not create major sensory differences in the vegetables evaluated. The few differences that do exist are so small they may not be of practical importance.
Journal of Food Science, 2010
This study was conducted to identify and quantify the sensory characteristics and chemical profil... more This study was conducted to identify and quantify the sensory characteristics and chemical profile of organically and conventionally grown pac choi (Brassica rapa var. Mei Qing Choi), also called bok choy, at 3 stages of growth (2.5, 4.5, and 6.5 wk). Sensory and instrumental data were correlated using partial least squares regression. Pac choi was grown in late spring. Descriptive sensory analysis was conducted by a highly trained panel and compounds were identified and quantified using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. The findings of the study indicate that the differences in sensory characteristics and chemical profiles among stages of growth are more substantial than the differences between organic and conventional production. Green-unripe, musty/earthy, lettuce, and sweet flavors are representative in pac choi at early stages of growth. When older, pac choi has higher intensities of green-grassy/leafy, bitter, cabbage, and sulfur flavors that are associated with the increase of (Z)-3hexen-1-ol, octyl acetate, 1-nonanol, 2-decanone, 1-penten-3-ol, linalool, camphor, menthol, isobornyl acetate, geranylacetone, and cedrol compounds. Conventional pac choi was higher than organic pac choi in green overall, bitter, and soapy flavors only at 2.5 wk of age. This may be associated with the presence of (Z)-3-hexenal, 2-hexyn-1-ol, and (E)-2-hexenal compounds. Practical Application: The increased popularity of organic production has amplified the need for research that will help in understanding how this production system affects the final quality of food products. This study suggests that the stage of development has a much larger impact on sensory quality than organic or conventional growing of pac choi. Findings from this study promote consumer choice by showing that comparable sensory quality can be obtained using either production system, making the ultimate choice not only based on sensory quality but consumer choice related to environmental beliefs or economics.
Journal of Sensory …, 2008
Many researchers have developed useful lexicons to describe flavor characteristics of different c... more Many researchers have developed useful lexicons to describe flavor characteristics of different cheeses. The objectives of this study were to determine if the terminology established in previous studies was adequate to evaluate a wide range of European cheeses, and to determine if a simplified "general" lexicon can be developed for the description of cheese. A descriptive panel evaluated the flavor of 65 western European cheeses that varied in region produced, milk source, maturation time and processing method. The panel reviewed previously published cheese attributes, definitions and references prior to beginning the testing. During testing, the panel detected and added new descriptors and eliminated terms which did not appear in any of the cheeses. Data inspection, in addition to factor analysis, suggests that 25 attributes are needed to explain the common flavor characteristics found in cheese. However, 19 additional attributes may be used occasionally to describe targeted specific flavor characteristics. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The flavor of cheese, an increasingly popular food, is critical to producers and consumers. A large number of sensory descriptors can be used to describe flavor characteristics of cheese. The research indicates a lexicon with a reduced number of terms that can be used to describe most general flavor characteristics. Other characteristics are needed occasionally to describe specific characteristics of some cheeses.
Journal of Sensory …, 2010
Trends such as organic farming and breeding to increase nutrition and functional health component... more Trends such as organic farming and breeding to increase nutrition and functional health components have increased interest in understanding the flavor of vegetables, such as leafy greens. The main objective of this study was to select, define and reference a lexicon for describing the flavor of fresh leafy vegetables. A highly trained descriptive sensory panel determined a list of 32 sensory attributes that was able to describe the flavor of the fresh leafy greens studied. This lexicon includes five "green" attributes; mouthfeel characteristics such as pungent, bite, tooth-etch and heat/burn; fundamental tastes including bitter and umami; seven terms that describe unique flavors related to specific vegetables such as cabbage, celery, lettuce, spinach, parsley, beet and radish leaves; and a group of other terms including citrus, piney, woody, water-like, musty/earthy, floral, sulfur, metallic, soapy, petroleum-like and overall sweet.
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Papers by Martin Talavera Bianchi