PRACTICAL- 4

Date: 09/02/2023
SENSORY EVALUATION

INTRODUCTION
Determining how food products affects consumers’ senses is one of the most important goals of the food
industry. It also is a primary concern for nutritionists and dietitians who develop healthier recipes.
Therefore, consumer reaction, as perceived by the five senses, is considered a vital measure of food
development. Sensory evaluation is a scientific method that evokes, measures, analyzes and interprets
responses to products, as perceived through the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. Reliable
sensory evaluation is based on the skill of the sensory analyst in optimizing four factors: definition of the
problem, test design, instrumentation and interpretation of the results. The characteristics of food are
perceived by the five senses: sight, smell, taste, sound and touch.
• Sight – The eyes perceive the initial quality of food, receiving such information as color, size, shape,
texture, consistency and opacity.
• Smell – Our sense of smell, or olfactory sense, also contributes to our evaluation of food quality. The
volatility of odors is related to temperature. The volatile molecules in the form of gas, carry odor. Hence,
it is easier to smell hot foods than cold ones.
• Taste – Taste, or the perception of gustatory input, is the most influential factor in a person’s selection
of a particular food. Taste is perceived by the taste buds which are primarily on the surface of the tongue,
by the mucosa of the palate, and in areas of the throat. Four basic taste recognized – sweet, salty, sour,
and bitter. A fifth, Umami, was recently added.
• Sound – Sound is used in evaluating food quality. Sounds such as sizzling, crunching, popping,
bubbling, dripping, crackling can communicate much about a food. Most of these sounds are affected by
water content. Thus, their characteristics indicate a food’s freshness and ripeness.
• Touch – The sense of touch delivers impressions of a food’s texture to us through oral sensations or the
skin. Texture is very complex perception. Texture is the sensory manifestation of the structure or inner
makeup of products.
VARIABLES CONTROLLED DURING SENSORY EVALUATION
During sensory evaluation, panelists are typically seated at tables, cubicles, or booths, and the food is
presented in a uniform fashion. To obtain valid, reproducible results during a sensory evaluation, the
environment in which the sensory panel evaluates should be carefully controlled. Two general types of
panels are used in sensory evaluation –
• Descriptive Panel – It is commonly used to determine differences between food samples. The
descriptive panelist is experienced in the type of food being tested and receives extensive training prior
to the testing.
• Consumer Panel – It is selected from the public according to the demographics necessary to taste test a
product.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS
Physical and chemical factors present at the location of the sensory evaluation must be carefully
controlled so that any possible extraneous effects of the surroundings on the test results are minimized and
each panelist experiences the food in the same environment.
• Temperature and Air circulation
The ambient temperature should be comfortable and the surroundings should be quiet and odor-free. A
slight positive pressure should be maintained in the booth areas to prevent odor contamination.
• Color and Lighting
The color and lighting in the sensory lab should be planned to permit adequate viewing of samples while
minimizing distractions. The walls of the sensory evaluation area should be off-white, the absence of hues
of any color will prevent unwanted effects on food appearance. Illumination in the booths should be
uniform and shadow-free.
TYPES OF SENSORY TESTS
1. Analytical Tests – These tests are based on discernible differences. Analytical tests are divided into
two types of tests –
• Discriminative test – Difference tests are testing samples for their differences from each other. For
example, Triangle test, Duo trio test, Ranking test, Paired Comparison test, Ordinal test
• Descriptive test – It is the most comprehensive and informative test used in sensory evaluation. It
enables the researchers to characterize their products through selective, critical scoring of specific
attributes of each product. They require a well- trained panel and tend to be expensive.

2. Affective Tests – These tests are based on individual acceptance or preferences. For a food product to
be successful in a marketplace, consumers must prefer it over other products. Hence, consumer panels
often are used to indicate preference of one sample over another. The panelists rate his or her
preference for one of the samples on a specific quality on the score sheet. Hedonic rating scales can be
used to measure the degree of pleasure experienced with each sample.
DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES OF FOOD:
1) Appearance The appearance of a food can be evaluated in terms of colour, surface characteristics such
as smoothness of a surface, dry surface, glossy surface or the exterior appearance such as lump formation,
thickness or thinness, layering etc.
2) Taste Individuals respond to a product on the basis of their sensory perception and judge the product
quality differently. The auditory sense is the least used in appreciation of food quality, however, the
senses for taste stimulation has a strong influence on the acceptability of food quality. Taste is sensed by
taste buds, which you may already know by now, are located in the papillae on the tongue. Taste buds are
located in the epithelium and on the parts of the tongue where the food contacts the most during chewing
and swallowing. Taste sensations which the taste buds register are sweet, salt, sour and bitter. Taste buds
near the tip of the tongue are more sensitive to sweet and salt, those on the sides to sour and those near the
back to bitter.
3) Flavour- Flavour is composed of two subcategories, which are taste and odour. Flavour of a food is
judged on the basis of the sensory message resulting from the combination of taste and aroma. The
temperature at which the food is served may have a very important influence on the ability to detect taste
and to evaluate flavour. The extremes, whether very hot or cold, limit the ability of people to judge food
accurately. The best temperature range for flavour evaluation is 20-30°C. However, some foods like ice
creams should be evaluated at their serving temperature rather than at the temperature range ideal for
detecting taste and odour.
4) Texture- Texture indicates the characteristic of a food and would include descriptive parameters like
graininess, softness, chewiness, brittleness etc. 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 as well. Mouthfeel
would include the textural qualities of a food perceived in the mouth. 5) Consistency 102 Both texture and
consistency characterize the mouthfeel of the product. As the term creamy indicates the consistency in an
ice cream but is the textural attribute in the fudge. Sensory Evaluation of Foods With a brief review on the
different attributes of foods, we will move on to describe the various tests involved in sensory evaluation
of food.
OBJECTIVES
Describe the appearance, taste, flavor, and texture of various food samples by using the human senses,
specifically:
1. Identify a taste and a flavor.
2. Conduct a paired-comparison test and participate as a sensory panelist.
3. Conduct a triangle test and participate as a sensory panelist.
4. Conduct a duo-trio test and participate as a sensory panelist.
5. Conduct a ranking test and participate as a sensory panelist.
LAB INFORMATION
Sensory evaluation is a scientific testing method for accurate measurement of human responses as
perceived by the five senses. Because sensory evaluation provides valuable information for consumer
reaction towards a food product, it is often applied in many situations in food research and development. It
can be used for new product development, quality control, process change, storage stability, selection of
new supplier, recipe modification, panelist training and correlation with objective test data. The specific
sensory characteristic that will be evaluated in this lab include appearance, taste, flavor and texture. Flavor
is the combined sense of taste, aroma and mouth feel.
MATERAILS AND METHOD
PART A: IDENTIFICATION OF FOOD SAMPLES WITH DESCRIPTIVE TERMS
Descriptive method of sensory evaluation provides quantitative descriptions of a sensory attributes of a
product taking into account all sensation that are perceived: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory,
kinesthetic and so on. A descriptive method enables us to relate specific process variables to specific
changes in some of the sensory attributes of a product, for example, the flavour changes in milk at high
temperature processing. A descriptive test involves relatively few judges, who have been screened,
selected and trained for the particular product category. Training of this group is primarily focused on
development of descriptive language, which is used as a basis for scoring a new product, developing a
definition of each attribute and familiarizing the judges with scoring procedures. There are numerous
applications for descriptive analysis including monitoring competitions, storage stability/shelf life, product
development, quality control, establishing physical/chemical and sensory correlation. Some of the
popularly used descriptive method are flavor profile, texture profile etc.
Ingredients and equipment:
Bite Size samples of breadstick, Jellies, Potato Chips and Cheese slices.
Methods:
Evaluate the appearance, taste, flavor and texture of each food sample using the following descriptive
terms. Record your answer in table 1.
Appearance: pale, burnt, rounded, pebbled, curdled, light brown, dark brown, transparent, opaque, dull,
shiny, glossy, dry, smooth, rough, grainy and fizzy.
Taste: sweet, salty, sour, bitter
Flavor: peppery, astringent, spicy, minty, eggy, fatty, rancid, metallic, nutty, fruity, soapy, flour,
pungent, pucker, flowery, stale, pasty, musky, tangy and sharp
Texture: adhesive, cohesive, chewy, hard, tender, dense, crispy, brittle, smooth, firm, viscous, gummy,
gritty, springy, pasty, rubbery, tough, flaky, mealy, rough, crackly, crusty, limp, creamy
Table.1- Evaluation of Food Samples Using Descriptive Terms

Food sample Appearance Taste Flavor Texture

128 Dry Sweet Eggy Smooth
267 Light brown Salty Tangy Crispy
453 Shiny Sweet Fruity Viscous

Fig.1 Descriptive analysis

PART B: IDENTIFICATION OF PRIMARY TASTES

Taste each of the labeled solutions and write the code number of the solution that corresponds to the taste
sensation that you perceived in your mouth. Compare your results with the compare your results with the
composition of the solutions.
Prepare solution for each taste with 2g of sugar, coffee powder, salt MSG and citric acid in 250 ml of
water.
Table.2- Identification of Primary tests

Identification Bitter Sour Salty Sweet Umami

Panelist Code 672 721 279 436 853

Correct Code 672 721 279 436 853

Fig.2 Identification of Primary tests

Discussion
A total of 21 students participated in the sensory evaluation of the identification of primary taste. The
codes given for all 5 tastes were, sugar 436, bitter 672, salty 279, sour 721 and umami 853, respectively.
All students (100%) identified bitter taste correctly, and 19 students (90.4%) identified sour and salt taste
correctly. However, 2 of the students were unable to identify. 18 students (85.7%) identified sweet taste
correctly out of which3 of the students were unable to identify due to error in the preparation of the
solutions or unable to differentiate the taste.17 students (80.9%) identified umami taste correct while 4
students were unable to identify. This could be due to the unfamiliarity of subjects with this stimulus.

PART C: IDENTIFICATION OF FLAVOR AND TASTE

Ingredients: 2 varieties of flavored chips:
1) salty chips
2) chilli chips

Methods:
1. Pinch your nose and put a popcorn in the mouth. Chew the popcorn with your nose still pinched.
Record the intensity of the popcorn’s flavor.
2. Now release your nose and notice the changes in these sensations and notice the flavor of the
popcorn.
3. Record the flavor of the popcorn and evaluate the intensity of the flavor.
4. Repeat the steps for the second popcorn.
Table.3- Identification of Flavor and Taste of Chips
5. Sample Tested
Sample 1 – 683 Sample 2 – 741
• Taste identified – salty Taste identified – spicy
6. • Flavor identified – salty flavor identified – potato

Flavor Identified –

Fig.3 Identification of Flavor and Taste

Discussion
There were 22 participants in the Identification of Flavor and Taste. Majority of the panelists (73%, n=
16) were able to identify correctly the two tastes as salty (683) and spicy (741) and the two flavors as
potato (683) and tangy (741). The other flavors detected by the remaining 27% panelists were umami,
creamy onion, chili and tomato. The identification of flavors as chili and tomato could be biased due to the
color of the chips (red). The other two flavors identified could be due to experimental error, lack of
experience in identifying flavors or due to the presence of other foods for sensory evaluation around,
which may have masked the flavor.
DIFFERENCE TESTS
Difference tests are the simplest test of the food product testing. They are used to determine whether there
is or not a difference between two samples or one sample is preferred to another. This method is a routine
quality control and the effects of change is monitoring in production. This test is a good step to determine
the complex sensory evaluation of the products. Commonly used Difference Tests:
• Paired Comparison Test - Two samples are compared. One to be selected (1-tailed) where preference
is asked. Either sample can be correct (2-tailed).
• Triangle Test – Only one response can be correct.
• Duo Trio Test – Difference to reference/control
Table.4- Paired Comparison Test Score Sheet
Sample code: 321
Sample code: 432
Sample code: 642
Which sample is the sweetest?
Sample Code 321

PART D: PAIRED COMPARISON TEST

The Paired comparison test is a test of difference in which a specific characteristic is designated. The
panelist is asked to test the two samples presented to identify the sample with the greater amount of the
characteristic being measured. The subject has a 50% chance of being right by chance alone in paired
comparison testing.
Ingredients:
Two similar beverage products coded with three digit random numbers.

Method:
1. Taste the samples. Rinse your mouth with water between samples and wait for 30 seconds before you
taste next sample
2. Determine which sample has a greater intensity in sweetness
3. Write down the code of the sweetest sample.
4. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar dissolved in 250ml water (less sweet)
5. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar +1g of citric acid dissolved in 250ml water (More sweet)
 Table.5- Triangle Test Score Sheet

Please taste the samples from left to right. Two samples are same and one is
different. Circle the number of the sample that is different.
Sample code: 021

Fig.4 Triangle Test

Discussion
A total of 23 students participated in the test. They were provided with 3 samples and was asked to find
the sweetest among them. The samples were coded as 321, 642, 432 ( 321 being the sweetest, 642 and 432
were similar products ). 16 students who participated correctly identified 321 as sweetest.

PART E: TRIANGLE TEST

The triangle test is a discriminative method with many uses in sensory science including: gauging if an
overall difference is present between two products. Selecting qualified panelists for a particular test.
Determining whether shifts in processing or ingredients have significantly changed a product.
Triangle test is most well-known and more frequently used out of the three difference tests. As its name
implies, it is a three-product test in which all the samples are coded and the panelist’s task is to determine
which two are most similar or which one is most different from the other two. Triangle test is more
difficult test because the panelist must recall the sensory characteristics of two products before evaluating
the third and then make a decision.

Ingredients:
Three Identical beverage samples coded with three-digit numbers.

Method:
1. Taste each of the three coded samples from left to right. Rinse your mouth with water between samples
and wait for 30 seconds before you taste the next sample
2. Identify which sample differs from the other 2.
3. Count the total number of panelists who correctly identified the odd sample in the class
4. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar dissolved in 250ml water
5. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar +1g of salt dissolved in 250ml water
 Table.5- Triangle Test Score Sheet

Please taste the samples from left to right. Two samples are same and one is
different. Circle the number of the sample that is different.
Sample code: 021

Fig.4 Triangle Test

Discussion
Three samples were kept for the analysis with the respective codes -019 , 021 , 022 . Sample 019 and 022
were sweet and the sample 021 was salty. All the 21 students who participated in the analysis correctly
identified the sample 021 to be salty.
PART F: DUO-TRIO TEST
A Duo-Trio Test is an overall difference test which will determine whether or not a sensory difference
exists between two samples.
This test is a modified paired comparison test. One sample identified as the reference (R) is first given to
the panelists for evaluation. Subsequently two coded samples, one of which is identical to reference, are
presented. The panelist is asked to indicate, which of the two samples is the same as ‘R’. The test is
suitable for products that have relatively intense odour, taste and/or kinesthetic effects such that sensitivity
of evaluator is significantly reduced.
Ingredients:
Two identical food samples: One sample is coded as reference and the other is coded with a three digit
random number. One similar food sample coded with a three digit random number
Method:
1. Place the reference in back and the two samples in front
2. Taste the reference first and then the two samples from left to right. Rinse your mouth with water
between samples and wait for 30 seconds before you taste the next sample
3. Identify which sample is the same as the reference.
4. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar dissolved in 250ml water (Reff)
5. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar dissolved in 250ml water (Identical)
6. Prepare solution with 2g of sugar +1g of salt dissolved in 250ml water (different)
 Table 6- Duo-Trio Test Score Sheet
7.
8.
9.Taste the samples from left to right. The left-handed sample is the reference. Circle the
number of the sample that matches the reference. If no difference is apparent between the two
10.
unknown samples, you must guess.
11.
12. Reference
Sample code: 180 Sample code:135

Figure5 - Duo-Trio Test

Discussion:
A Duo-trio test is an overall difference test which will determine whether or not a sensory difference
exists between two samples. This method is particularly useful:
1. To determine whether product differences results from a change in ingredients, processing, packaging
or storage.
2. To determine whether an overall difference exists, where no specific attributes can be identified as
have been affected.
The principal of this test is to present to each subject an identified reference sample, followed by two
coded samples, one which matches the reference sample. Ask the subjects to indicate which coded sample
matches the reference. Count the number of correct replies and refer to a table for interpretation. Two
design options are available for a duo-trio test. The conventional approach is a balanced the reference
between the control and test products; however, in some situations, the reference may be kept constant.
All should be familiar with the format, task, and evaluation procedure for the Duo-Trio Test. An
orientation session is recommended prior to the actual test to familiarize subjects with the test procedures
and product characteristics.
Offer samples simultaneously, if possible, or else present samples sequentially. Prepare equal numbers of
the possible combinations (control and tests) and allocate the sets in a balanced design among the subjects.
Space for multiple Duo-trio tests may be provided on the scoresheet, but do not ask supplementary
questions (e.g., the degree or type of difference or the subject’s preference) as the subject’s choice of
matching sample may bias his or her response to these additional questions. Count the number of correct
responses and the total number of responses. Do not count “no difference” responses; subjects must guess
if in doubt.
In this test, 22 members have participated. Among these 22 participants, 21 members had identified the
correct one and 1member identified the wrong one. This could be due to environmental disturbances and
may be because the individual had done the sensory evaluation of different other products prior to the test.
PART G: HEDONIC SCALE SENSORY TEST
Hedonic relates to the psychology of pleasurable and non-pleasant states of consciousness. In hedonic
method, psychological states of like and dislike are measured on a rating scale. Normally rating scale has
been categorized into five forms, viz. numerical, graphic, standard, cumulated points and forced choice
forms. The Nine points numerical scale as given below has been most extensively used for new product
development and consumer studies.
Rate the three samples from dislike extremely to like extremely
• Tang juice
• Fresh lemon juice
• Packed lemon juice
• Lemon squash

Table.7- Hedonic Scale Sensory Test

Extremely acceptable y Very much acceptable, y Moderately acceptable, Slightly acceptable,
y
Neither acceptable nor unacceptable , Slightly unacceptable, Moderately unacceptable,
✔
Very much unacceptable Extremely unacceptable

Fig.6 Hedonic Scale Sensory test

Discussion
A Total 21 students participated in the HEDONIC scale sensory test. The codes were given as 568(tang
juice), 773(fresh juice), 661(packed lemon juice) and 884(lemon squash) respectively. As per instructions
they were guided to taste the samples and indicating them by specific preferences. The students
participated had different perception of taste which varied with their acceptance too, which have been
statistically represented by taking up the mean value. The Code 568 had mean of 3.5, Code 661 had mean
of 3.6, Code 884 had mean of 4.6 and Code 773 had mean of 7.1. It concludes that, the code mostly
accepted by participants was Code 773(fresh juice)
PART H: RANKING TEST
A ranking test is a difference test in which more than two samples are simultaneously presented and the
panelists rank the samples according to the intensity of the particular characteristics being evaluated. The
sample with the greatest intensity is ranked as number 1.
In ranking method two or more samples are provided to the panelists who are asked to arrange them in an
ascending or descending order of intensity of a specific attribute, e.g. sweetness. Ranking is often used for
screening inferior from superior samples in product development. This method is also suited for
comparison of market samples of different brands. Samples may be ranked in order of degree of
acceptability or in order of general quality or by a specific attribute.
Ingredients:
1 slice of 3 types of cheese coded with 3 digit numbers.
001 - Britannia Cheese slice
002- Nilgiris Cheese slice
003 - Amul Cheese slice

Methods:
1. Taste each of the 3 coded samples from left to right. Eat a bite size of it and cleanse your mouth with
water between samples and wait for 30 seconds before the next sample is to be tasted.
2. Rank the samples in descending order of preference. No ties are allowed in the ranking.
Table 8- Ranking Test Score Sheet

Taste each of the coded samples in the set in the sequence presented from left to right. Please
cleanse your mouth with a bite-sized water cracker between samples and wait for 30 seconds
before you taste the next sample. Rank the three samples in descending order of preference.
You may re-taste any of the samples while ranking the samples according to preference. No
ties are allowed in the ranking. Remember that the most preferred sample should be ranked as
1.

Reference Sample code: 341 Sample code: 289 Sample code: 163
Part I:
Ranking: 3 1 2

1. Sample code:341 - Laughing cow

2. Sample code:289 - Milky mist
3. Sample code:163 - Amul

Effect of color on Taste

Taste each of the coded samples and find which has less sour
Table.8 -Ranking Test Score Sheet
RANK ORDER
SAMPLE CODE 341 289 163
Preference 3 1 2
Discussion
A total of 22 participants participated in the ranking test as part of sensory evaluation. The participants
were instructed to rank the products in the order of 1 to 3 , with 1 being the most preferred and 3 being the
least preferred. Majority of the participants (n =14 ) preferred sample number 289 ( Milky mist) the most
compared to the other samples. 3 out of 22 participants preferred sample 341 ( Laughing Cow) as the least
, compared to sample 163 ( Amul , n= 5).
QUESTIONS
1. How does acid influence the perception of sweetness?
Even though sugar acid mixtures are very often used in foods and drinks, little is known about the
mechanisms of perception and the interactions between these two ingredients, especially in complex
media. In general, sugar addition decreases the sourness intensity of acid solutions. Sugar also enhances
total flavor intensity and fruitiness of flavored aqueous solutions of fruit nectars. Acid may depress or
have no effect on, or even enhance sweetness intensity.
However, a study done by Gregson & McCowan in 1963 demonstrated the influence of the psychophysics
method on the response of mixtures at the threshold level, explaining some of the dissimilarities reported
in the literature. In addition, organic acids balanced sweetness and enhanced flavor of sweetened fruit
nectars, whereas acid addition to unsweetened nectars decreased apparent flavor intensity. The
interactions between sugar and acid have been studied in relatively simple media, focusing on limited
sensory characteristics, mostly related to taste. More information is necessary to determine and quantify
the effect of those two variables on several flavor characteristics in complex media, such as foods or
beverages.
The sweetness intensity suppressive effect was independent of the sucrose concentration, i.e. sweetness is
suppressed by acid to a similar degree at both sugar levels.
Sugar addition depressed sourness at high acid levels. Sweetness suppression depends on acid
concentration, whereas the degree of sourness suppression depends both on acid and sucrose
concentration. Increasing acid doesn’t increased the intensity of sweetness.
2. How does salt influence the perception of sweetness?
This has to do with the levels of flavour compounds needed for us to be able to detect them. For instance,
in order to be able to perceive a sweet, or sour flavour, those flavour compounds must be present at
a threshold concentration. This is the minimum amount required for us to taste them, and they are not the
same for everyone. Some people, for instance, might have a lower threshold for bitter or sour.

However, this does not mean that when substances are present in levels below this threshold, they do not
influence taste. Substances present in subthreshold levels, while not detectable to us directly, can still
influence how and if we perceive other flavour compounds. So, subthreshold levels of salt can both
decrease our perception of sourness, and perhaps bitterness as well, while increasing ou perception of
sweetness.

As per the research paper (M.S. Spetter, P.A.M. Smeets, C. de Graaf, M.A. Viergever, Representation of
Sweet and Salty Taste Intensity in the Brain, Chemical Senses, Volume 35, Issue 9, November 2010,
Pages 831–840, https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjq093)
The taste intensity is represented in the middle insula(part of brain). Despite similar subjective intensity
ratings, modulation of taste activation in the anterior insula by NaCl increased more with concentration
than that by sucrose. This greater responsiveness of the anterior insula to saline (compared with sucrose)
intensity differences, as well as the modulation of amygdala activation by NaCl taste intensity and
concentration can be explained by the fact that intensity and pleasantness are closely related and valence is
an important factor when perceived intensity changes. Given the potentially unpleasant and artificial
nature of a pure NaCl and sucrose solutions, subsequent studies should use sweet and savoury foods to
corroborate and extend our finding. This may further elucidate potential differences in satiation for sweet
and savoury foods.

3. How does the structure of sugar influence sweetness?

Chemical modification of sugars and their simple analogues indicates that these types of compound are
almost always sweet, bitter, or bitter/sweet; hence, the two basic tastes may be intimately associated
features of the same molecule. Stepwise modification at each chiral center around the sugar ring allows
the sapid functions in these molecules to be mapped and leads to the inescapable conclusion that sugar
molecules may be "polarized" on taste bud receptors, so that one end of the molecule elicits sweetness
and the other bitterness. However, more extensive chemical modification evidently causes the molecule
to realign itself in entirely different ways on the receptor. In most oligosaccharides only one sugar
residue is likely to bind to the taste receptor, and this is probably a nonreducing end group, because the
anomeric center of glucopyranose types of structure does not appear to affect sweetness. Sweetness
depresses bitterness and bitterness depresses sweetness. Hence, it is not possible to make structural
comparisons between analogues without correcting for these effects. However, some semiquantitative
studies have established the value of current hydrogen bond theories of sweetness and the ideal
oxygen-oxygen interorbital spacings for sweetness criteria in sugar molecules.

4. Elaborate on various sensory methods like Duo-trio, Triangle, Paired Comparison and Hedonic
test.
Difference or Discriminative Testing.

Difference test is one of the most useful sensory tests. It is generally used for selection and training of
sensory panellists. Difference test is designed to discriminate difference between two or more samples.
Within this general class are a variety of specific methods, viz., paired comparison, duo-trio, triangle and
multiple sample tests. The main features of these difference tests are:

a) Paired Comparison Test: It is two products (A & B) test, and the panellist’s job is to compare these
and identify whether the samples are similar of different. If different, which attribute, such as sweetness,
acidity, hardness, colour etc. is responsible for this difference. This part of the test is called as directional
difference test. The test can be further extended and the preference component of the panellist can be
included. The paired comparison test is relatively easy to organize and implement. The two coded samples
in order of AA, BB, AB, BA are served simultaneously, and panellist has to decide if there is any
difference or not. Paired comparison is typically used in comparing new and old processing techniques,
change of ingredients in a product, preference testing at the consumer level, etc.

b) Duo-trio Test: This test is a modified paired comparison test. One sample identified as the reference
(R) is first given to the panellists for evaluation. Subsequently two coded samples, one of which is
identical to reference, are presented. The panellist is asked to indicate, which of the two samples is the
same as ‘R’. The test is suitable for products that have relatively intense odour, taste and/or kinaesthetic
effects such that sensitivity of evaluator is significantly reduced.

c) Triangle Test: Triangle test is most well-known and more frequently used out of the three difference
tests. As its name implies, it is a three-product test in which all the samples are coded and the panellist’s
task is to determine which two are most similar or which one is most different from the other two.
Triangle test is more difficult test because the panellist must recall the sensory characteristics of two
products before evaluating the third and then make a decision.

Hedonic Rating

Hedonic relates to the psychology of pleasurable and non-pleasant states of consciousness. In hedonic
method, psychological states of like and dislike are measured on a rating scale. Normally rating scale has
been categorized into five forms, viz. numerical, graphic, standard, cumulated points and forced choice
forms. The Nine points numerical scale as given below has been most extensively used for new product
development and consumer studies.

Descriptive Analysis

Descriptive method of sensory evaluation provides quantitative descriptions of a sensory attributes of a

product taking into account all sensation that are perceived: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory,
kinaesthetic and so on. A descriptive method enables us to relate specific process variables to specific
changes in some of the sensory attributes of a product, for example, the flavour changes in milk at high
temperature processing. A descriptive test involves relatively few judges, who have been screened,
selected and trained for the particular product category. Training of this group is primarily focused on
development of descriptive language, which is used as a basis for scoring a new product, developing a
definition of each attribute and familiarizing the judges with scoring procedures. There are numerous
applications for descriptive analysis including monitoring competitions, storage stability/shelf life, product
development, quality control, establishing physical/chemical and sensory correlation. Some of the
popularly used descriptive method are flavour profile, texture profile etc.
Acceptance/Preference Testing

Affective or acceptance testing is a sensory technique, usually performed at consumer’s levels. It refers to
measuring liking or preference for a product. Preference can be measured directly by comparison of two
or more products with each other. Indirect measurement of preference is achieved by determining which
product has scored significantly higher rating than another product in a multi product test. The two
methods most frequently used to directly measure preference and acceptance are the paired comparison
test and a 9-points hedonic scale.

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