FOOD SCIENCEFOOD SCIENCE

SENSORY SENSORY EVALUATION OF EVALUATION OF

FOODFOOD

Prepared by Alice F. Mullis for classroom presentationJanuary 2011

SENSORY EVALUATION SENSORY EVALUATION OF FOODOF FOOD

Scientifically testing foodScientifically testing food using the 5 basic senses: using the 5 basic senses: Sight Sight Smell Smell Flavor Flavor Touch Touch Hearing Hearing

SIGHTSIGHT Appearance, how food looksAppearance, how food looks Natural color (no Natural color (no blueblue foods) foods) Ripeness and safenessRipeness and safeness Color combinations, Color combinations,

consistency, size/shape, consistency, size/shape, garnishesgarnishes

SMELLSMELL How food smells, odorHow food smells, odor Triggers hungerTriggers hunger Indicates safetyIndicates safety You can’t taste if you can’t You can’t taste if you can’t

smell smell 4 Basic tastes (10,000 different 4 Basic tastes (10,000 different

smells)smells)

FLAVORFLAVOR

Sensory impression of a food or other substance

Determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell

TOUCHTOUCH How food feels in the mouthHow food feels in the mouth Affected by temperature Affected by temperature

(such as steak and pizza)(such as steak and pizza) Tenderness is the only Tenderness is the only

sensory characteristic that sensory characteristic that can be measured by a can be measured by a machinemachine

HEARINGHEARING

The sound a food makes The sound a food makes when bitten or chewed when bitten or chewed (soggy, crisp)(soggy, crisp)

SENSE: TASTESENSE: TASTE

FLAVORFLAVOR

distinctive taste resulting distinctive taste resulting from a food’s appearance, from a food’s appearance, smell, feel and soundsmell, feel and sound

FOOD ACCEPTABLITYFOOD ACCEPTABLITYThere are There are 5 BASIC TASTES5 BASIC TASTES::

SweetSweet

SaltySalty

SourSour

BitterBitter

UmamiUmami

The newest taste……..The newest taste……..

UMAMIUMAMI (u-ma-me)(u-ma-me)

Japanese term used in 1979Japanese term used in 1979 Means delicious or savoryMeans delicious or savory Described as brothy or meatyDescribed as brothy or meaty Found in seafood, meats, vegetables Found in seafood, meats, vegetables

and othersand others http://www.umamiinfo.com/umami-rich_food/

NishimeNishime (simmered chicken and vegetables)(simmered chicken and vegetables)

Ginger Shrimp and Watermelon Salad Ginger Shrimp and Watermelon Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette with Lemongrass Vinaigrette

Vietnamese Spring Rolls Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Fish Saucewith Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

http://www.umamiinfo.com/recipes/

“Those who pay careful attention to their tastebuds will discover in the complex flavor of asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and meat, a common and yet absolutely singular taste which cannot be called sweet, or sour, or salty, or bitter…”

Dr. Kikunae Ikeda

Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Washington 1912

How we experience foodHow we experience food

SaltSalt is the universal flavoring is the universal flavoring

Flavor Enhancers Flavor Enhancers include include MSG and mushroomsMSG and mushrooms

TASTE, continuedTASTE, continued TemperatureTemperature – when warmer – when warmer

food has more aroma & flavorfood has more aroma & flavor Babies have more sensitivity; Babies have more sensitivity;

decreases with agedecreases with age Taste blindTaste blind – unable to – unable to

distinguish taste (disease, distinguish taste (disease, colds)colds)

SENSORY TESTINGSENSORY TESTING

Random, 3 digit ID’sRandom, 3 digit ID’s Only use 3 samples at a timeOnly use 3 samples at a time Control environment - lighting, Control environment - lighting,

temperature, noise, colortemperature, noise, color Clean tongue and palate between Clean tongue and palate between

samples by rinsing mouth with samples by rinsing mouth with warm water or eating crackerswarm water or eating crackers

SENSORY ACTIVITIESSENSORY ACTIVITIES

SEEING IS BELIEVING!

CAN YOU TASTE WITHOUT YOUR NOSE?

OH MY PAPILLAE!

TRIANGLE SENSORY TEST WITH OREO COOKIES

SEEING IS BELIEVING!SEEING IS BELIEVING!Eating a Eating a POTATO CHIPPOTATO CHIP……………………………… - First you - First you seesee the chip (maybe you notice if it hasthe chip (maybe you notice if it has any dark/burnt spots?). any dark/burnt spots?). - Next you - Next you touchtouch it (maybe you notice if it’s greasy,it (maybe you notice if it’s greasy, or if it’s thick?). or if it’s thick?). - Then as you bring the chip to your mouth you- Then as you bring the chip to your mouth you smellsmell it (maybe you smell the seasoning? Or theit (maybe you smell the seasoning? Or the oil it was fried or baked in?)oil it was fried or baked in?) - Then you eat it and - Then you eat it and hearhear the crunch of the chip,the crunch of the chip, and you probably also and you probably also taste taste the saltiness (maybethe saltiness (maybe you also experience some additional flavor?). you also experience some additional flavor?).

Imagine if any one of these Imagine if any one of these experiences was missing.experiences was missing.

Would a chip be the same if you Would a chip be the same if you didn’t hear it crunch in your mouth?didn’t hear it crunch in your mouth?

CAN YOU TASTE CAN YOU TASTE WITHOUT YOUR NOSE?WITHOUT YOUR NOSE?

Think about the last time you had a cold and your nose was blocked. Do you remember eating and thinking that your food had less flavor? That’s because most of what we “taste” is actually being sensed by our olfactory system. Humans can only perceive five qualities (sour, bitter, sweet, salty, and umami), but can smell thousands of odors.

The sensory experience of eating is really a combination of taste and smell.

If you still don’t believe it, try eating a food while holding your nose shut. You will see how important smell is to the sensory experience.

Sensory science is often used to test the taste and color acceptance of new products, such as purple ketchup, or the sound characteristics of products, as in the crunch of snack foods.

TRIANGLE SENSORY TEST WITH TRIANGLE SENSORY TEST WITH OREO COOKIESOREO COOKIES

A Triangle test is a type of Difference test to determine if there is a sensory difference between two products. For example, a researcher may want to see if changing one ingredient in a recipe to make a certain food product will affect the taste of the final product.

Three coded samples are presented to each panelist. Each panelist is asked to pick out which sample they feel is different from the to the other two.

RESOURCESRESOURCEShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavourhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Food_sciencehttp://www.umamiinfo.com/what_exactly_is_umami?/ http://www.umamiinfo.com/recipes/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251 McGee, Harold, On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen, 2004 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umami?show=0&t=1296004756http://www.deandeluca.com/pantry/taste-5-umami-paste.aspx?ref_code=GPPC2&KeyWord=%2Bumami&gclid=CPnkyL3d1qYCFcPt7QodLWThIg

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Food%20Science%20Activity%20Guide/activity_isseeingbelieving.ashx

http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Food%20Science%20Activity%20Guide/activity_tastewithoutyournose.ashxhttp://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Food%20Science%20Activity%20Guide/activity_ohmypapillae.ashxhttp://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/K12-Outreach/~/media/Knowledge%20Center/Learn%20Food%20Science/Food%20Science%20Activity%20Guide/activity_trianglesensory.ashx