Name: Date:

Sensory characteristics
 Ingredients are selected for their nutrition, functional and sensory characteristics, as well as provenance and seasonality.

Using our senses Other factors Sensory evaluation and tests

A range of senses are used when eating food: Other factors also experience the way we feel about food. Sensory evaluation analyses and measures human
 sight; These include: responses to food and drink, e.g. appearance, touch, odour, Key terms
 smell;  food previously eaten; texture, temperature and taste. In order to obtain reliable Discrimination tests: Aim
 hearing;  hunger and satiety; results, sensory evaluation tests should be set up in a to evaluate specific
 taste;  mood; controlled way to ensure fair testing, e.g. no distracting attributes, such as
 touch.  where you eat, e.g. home, canteen, picnic; colours, noise or smells; same size portions; coded crunchiness.
A combination of these senses helps to evaluate a  beliefs and values, e.g. religion, culture and tradition; samples, and water to drink. Preference tests: Supply
 social aspects, e.g. special occasions, events. Preference tests - these types of tests supply information information about people’s
food.
about people's likes and dislikes of a food. They include likes and dislikes of food.
hedonic, paired comparison and scoring tests. Sensory attributes:
Discrimination tests - these types of tests aim to evaluate Words used to describe
Sight Taste Taste receptors
specific attributes, i.e. characteristics of a food (such as the appearance, odour,
The size, shape, colour, temperature The tongue can detect five basic tastes:
Our tongues are covered with taste crunchiness). They include triangle, duo trio, ranking and taste and texture of a food
and surface texture all play an  bitter;
buds, which are designed to sense paired comparison tests. product
important part in helping to determine  salt;
your first reaction to a food. Often if a chemicals in the mouth. Sensory evaluation: A
 sour;
food does not look appetising, then scientific discipline that
 sweet; Tasting vocabulary (sensory attributes)
you will not eat it. analyses and measures
 umami. Bubbling Flaky Opaque
human responses to the
Caramelised Firm Smooth
composition of food and
Clear Heavy Solid drink.
Smell (odour) Touch Taste receptors
Coarse Icy Steaming The olfactory

Sight
The nose detects volatile aromas Texture can be assessed through touch. Sensitivity to all tastes is distributed
Crumbly Juicy Sticky system: The
released from food. An odour may be When food is placed in the mouth, the across the whole tongue (and
Dry Moist Thick sensory system used
described by association with a surface of the tongue and other indeed other regions of the mouth
particular food, e.g. herby, cheesy, where there are taste buds), but Acidic Fresh Spicy for olfaction, or the sense
sensitive skin reacts to the feel of the
fishy. The intensity can also be surface of the food. The sensation is some areas are more responsive to Aromatic Meaty Strong of smell.
recorded. also known as mouth-feel. certain tastes than others. Bland Mild Sweet Umami: Savoury taste,
Citrus Pungent Tart

Smell
often known as the fifth
Earthy Savoury Weak taste.
Smell and taste Hearing/sound Fragrant Smoky Zesty
Smell (odour) and taste work together The sounds of food being prepared, Brittle Crisp Pop Tasks

Sound
to produce flavour. This is the reason cooked, served and eaten all help to 1. Work through the
why people with a blocked nose find influence our preferences. The sound of Crackle Crunch Sizzle sensory evaluation
it difficult to determine the flavours of eating food can alter our perception of worksheets on Food –
foods. how fresh a food is (e.g. crunchy Bitter Rich Strong a fact of life
carrots). Bland Salty Sweet https://bit.ly/2WpSTov
Floury Savoury Tangy 2. Make a list of the sight,
Hot Smoky Tart smell, taste, touch and
Umami The olfactory system

Taste
Mild Sour Umami sound of the different
Umami is a savoury taste, often The olfactory system is the
Piquant Spicy Zesty food had for lunch
known as the fifth taste. It is a subtle sensory system used for olfaction, or
Brittle Dry Short yesterday. Describe
taste and blends well with other the sense of smell.
Bubbly Gooey Soft how these different
tastes. Umami has its own distinct
Chewy Granular Solid attributes influenced
savoury taste, often associated with
Close Greasy Tacky your like/dislike of the

Touch
ripe tomatoes and cheese.
Cloying Moist Tender different food.
Coarse Open Waxy

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