Basics/ Principles of

Sensory Evaluation of Food

Udayani Binduhewa
Research Scientist
Food Technology Section
Industrial Technology Institute 1
 Introduction to
sensory evaluation of food

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 Customer expectations on food
• Provide necessary nutrients for healthy life

• Free from hazards

• Storability

• Availability

• Ease of using

• Affordability of cost

• Deriving pleasure by consumption

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 Meeting customer expectations
By ensuring quality

Food Quality

The totality of characteristics of a food product

that bear on its ability
to satisfy stated or implied needs.
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Major quality aspects of food
• Safety
• Nutritional
• Sensory/ organoleptic

Meeting quality aspects

• Safety – microbiological, contaminants testing
• Nutritional quality – chemical analysis
• Sensory quality- sensory evaluation
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Food tasting
Started centuries before
• Taste of food
- a primary factor
• Tasting - subjective results and biased conclusions
• Evolution of sensory testing/ analysis
- After 1950 with expansion of
food processing and consumer
goods industries

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 Sensory evaluation –definition
• A scientific discipline used to evoke, measure,
analyze and interpret reactions to those
characteristics of food and materials as they
are perceived by the senses of sight, smell,
taste, touch and hearing.

• Expects minimum bias and reliable results

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• “Evoke”
– call senses forth under controlled conditions
• “Measure”
– numeric relationship between product characteristics
and human perception.
“Analyze”
– Variation in human responses can not be controlled
completely
– Assess the real relationship and obtain universally valid
result
“Interpret”
– Explain numerical/ statistical result and conclude
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 Sensory scientist
• A person well trained in all four processes:
evoke,
measure,
analyze and
interpret sensory perceptions on food

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 Sensory evaluation vs. chemical
analysis
• Instrumental analysis: chemical quality of food
• Developers focus more on chemical properties
• Human perception on food: a collective aspect of
many chemical and physical parameters
• Presentation of chemical parameters only does not
convince majority of customers
• Combine with sensory quality to present the total
quality
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 Validity of sensory evaluation

• A science of measurement.
• sensory evaluation is concerned with validity
parameters such as precision, accuracy,
sensitivity…
• Results of correctly conducted sensory
evaluation are universally accepted like other
analytical test procedures

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 Applications of sensory evaluation
• Development of new products
– Unique/ variations
– Involves in stepwise lab trials

• Matching products
– Compare standard and experimental product
– Competitor’s products

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Applications…
• Process changes and reduced COP
– New ingredients
– New processing steps/ modified steps/ new
equipments/ Completely changed processes
– Low cost raw materials and sources

• Evaluation of storage stability

• Organoleptic properties deteriorate during storage
• Compulsory in accelerated shelf life evaluation
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Applications…
• Grading/ rating of products
– Product classification according to sensory grade
standards

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Applications…
• Consumer opinion on products, acceptance/
preference
• Consumer acceptance and preference
– Measures marketability and market stability

• Selection of assessors and training

– Select appropriate individuals
– Increase reliability of test, accuracy and reduces
the number of respondents required

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Human sensation and food
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Basic human senses and related organs
Visual sense

Audition

Gustatory
sense

Somesthetic sense

Olfactory sense 17
 Sensory perception
• Perception has a physiological sequence
• Starts with an external stimulus and ends with
the receiver’s response
• Occurs within short time
• Time between stimulus and response may vary

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 Perception…elements of
physiological sequence

• Stimulus (physico-chemical phenomena)

Sensory receptor
• Sensation

• Perception

• Response (direct/indirect observable

behaviour)
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 Gustatory sense/ taste
Four basic tastes: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty
Taste sensitivity in human
Sensed by tongue, hard palate and throat

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 What senses taste in human ?
• Tastes are sensed by taste receptors located in
papillae/ taste buds
• connected to primary taste nerves
• Papillae are concentrated
in different areas of the
palate and tongue forming
sensitive regions

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 Olfactory sense/ odour (smell)
Sensed by olfactory receptors located at the “regio
olfactoria” of nasal cavity

Channels of odour passing

in to the nasal cavity

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 Odour evaluation
• “sniffing” is required in sensory testing
• Aroma- perceived by both smelling and tasting

Functional properties of sense of smell in

humans

• Intensity of discrimination- comparatively poor

• Quality discrimination- wide range

Thresholds are highly variable across individuals 23

 Visual sense

• Retina of the eye is stimulated by light

• Electrical nerve impulses travel along optic nerves
to brain
• Light striking an object may be refracted, reflected,
transmitted which determines the colour
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 Somesthetic sense
• Sensed mainly by skin
• Nerve endings located in the epidermis receive
stimulus
• Vibration created by different objects generate stimulus

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Basic sensory characteristics/
attributes of food

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Our expressions of perception
3 main attributes
• Taste –perceived by gustatory sense
• Appearance- perceived largely by visual sense
• Texture- perceived largely by way of somesthetic
sense

• Flavour - Complex combination of the olfactory,

gustatory and trigeminal sensations

• Sensory parameters-interrelated 27
 Food taste attributes
• Common and unique to food items
Basic food tastes
– Sweet
– Sour
– Salty
– Bitter
Unique tastes
• E.g. Spices- hot, nutty, piney, earthy, cooling,
herbaceous
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Attributes related to appearance
Surface properties (Dull to shiny, glossy)
Clarity / Turbidity (cloudiness) /
Carbonation

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 Food Texture
• Sensory manifestation of structure of a product
• “All the mechanical, geometrical and surface
attributes of a product perceptible by means of
mechanical, tactile and, where appropriate visual
and auditory receptors” (ISO 5492)

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Textural attributes
Mechanical properties- resistance
Soft/hard/pasty/ sticky/ elastic/ thin/ thick
• Geometrical properties- size and shape
Gritty/ grainy/ fibrous
• Surface properties- moisture and fat
Dry/ wet/ greasy

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Means of food texture perception
• Visual texture- Visual characteristics

• Tactile texture- touch by the mouth and tongue

• Auditory texture- sound

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Fundamental aspects of sensory
testing

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 Basic requirements to conduct a
successful sensory evaluation
• Controlled environment- laboratory
• Sensory assessors- sensory acuity
• Hypothesis to test (clear objective)- question
• Adequate amount of reproducible samples-
cover the required number of assessments
• Designed test method- varies with question
• Method for evaluation (analysis) of results-
universal value for the result
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 Controlled environment
• Sensory testing laboratory (ISO 8589: 2007)
Basic components of a sensory laboratory
– Testing area
– Preparation area
Additional components
– Office
– Cloak room
– Rest room
– Wash rooms
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Floor plan for a sensory test room
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 Sensory testing area
• Location: close but separate from preparation area

•
• Temperature : controllable, comfortable
• Free from odours and noises
• Decoration: neutral
• Lighting: uniform, Ambient/ special lighting in
booths 37
Sensory testing area…Testing booths
• Individual booths-limits distractions and
communication
• Number: 3-12 booths
• Connected testing and preparation areas via
pass-through sliding windows
• Sink/ data entry screen
• Facility for assessor to signal to the operator
• Comfortable seating

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Testing Prep area
area

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 Preparation area
• Assessors should not go through
• Well ventilated room
• Materials- odour free and impervious to odours
• Principal elements: working surface, sink, storage

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 Sensory assessors
• People involved in sensing the food

Types of sensory panels- 3

1. Product- oriented testing
2. In-house consumer panels
3. Consumer oriented panels

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1. Product oriented testing panels
• Identify and measure differences, intensity of
characteristics of food
• Screened (for sensory acuity) and trained 5-15
• Measuring instruments- detect small differences

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2. In-house consumer panels
• Product acceptability prior to consumer tests
• Untrained 30-50 panelists
• Use data to predict the performance of the product
in the market

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3. Consumer oriented panels
• Consumer likes, dislikes, acceptability
• Untrained panelists; 100- 500 real consumers
• Test conducted at the place of consumers
• Costly and
time consuming

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 Product oriented sensory panel
• Recruitment of assessors to the sensory panel
1. Screening
2. Training
Screening of personnel

• Selection based on ability to discriminate,

consistency of discrimination and potential
• Initial screening is based on background
information
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• Screening tests
1. Basic tastes identification test
2. Odour description test
3. Tests for the discrimination between levels of
intensity of a stimulus
• Tests for taste intensity and colour intensity

4. Matching test
5. Texture descriptive test

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 Training sensory panelists
• Basic training improves sensory acuity
• Difference and descriptive tests
• Do’s and dont’s in evaluation
• Panelists are trained to ignore personal likes and
dislikes and evaluate under minimum bias
• Use of standard scales- numbers or words to
express the intensity of perceived attribute

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 Hypothesis/ objective to test
• Clear, achievable objective
• The experimental design and method of
analysis depends on the objective
• Tests would be mislead without setting
objectives
Simple difference/ specified characteristics/
Quantitative/ qualitative difference/ Consumer
acceptance/ preference?

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 Preparation of samples
• Standardize procedures, properties except the
variable(s) under evaluation

Common considerations before conducting a sensory

• Adequate number of homogenous samples for the
whole panel
• Safe for consumption- hazards eliminated

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 Preparation of samples
• Containers
• in identical containers
• No negative impact on parameters evaluated
• Neutral colours, no odours
• Disposable/ reusable food grade containers
A B C

• Keep on a white tray 50

 Preparation of samples

Sample size
• Minimum amount required for evaluation
• Multiple samples- Same serving quantity

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 Preparation of samples
• Serving temperature
• Specific to products- as recommended
• Measure and record at time of serving
• Maintain specific temperature with relevant
facilities- fridge, freezer, water bath

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 Preparation of samples
• Carriers
• A base/ vehicle for the evaluated food
• Accompanying food
• For products such as jam, butter, spices,

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 Preparation of samples
• Sample identification
• Hide factors influencing decision
(sugar %s, brands)
Code samples
• Avoid letters/ single digit numbers
• Allocate 3 digit numbers

A B
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Preparation of samples and serving

274 618

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• Palate cleansing
• To remove residues from previous samples
• Potable water – glass/ bottle
• Spit on cleansing water

• Swallowing samples
• Can practice with small number of food
• High sugar/ high fat food- consider the calories
• Higher numbers- stomach filling influences
gustatory sense
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• Time of test
• Just before meals, soon after meals or tea, time
periods very close to signing in and out should be
avoided.
• Plan to conduct the test minimum 20 minutes after
a meal/ tea

• Ballot paper
• Give short and clear instructions
• Avoid unnecessary information
• Check understanding occassionally 57
 Sensory evaluation of product name
Name: Date: Time:
• Please evaluate the given number samples
• Instruct on evaluation criteria/ Sensory question
• Rinse your mouth with water in between tasting
samples.

Scales/ sample numbers/ criteria

Comments:
Thank you
Signature
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Physiological and psychological factors
influencing
accuracy of sensory perception

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 Physiological factors
• Sensory adaptation and fatigue
• Adaptation- temporary modification of the
sensitivity due to repeated stimulus

• Fatigue- decrease in sensitivity

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 Psychological factors
Panelists’ psychological set up may change due to
weaknesses of test/ their own
Causes of psychological errors
• Providing unnecessary information
• Providing too many samples and low difference
between levels
• Influence of irrelevant characteristics
• Association of two/ more characteristics in the mind
of the panelist
• Poor order of sample presentation- good+ bad/
central 61
 Psychological factors…
• Mutual suggestion- conversations
• Lack of motivation
• Poor physical and psychological condition
Prevents panelists from concentrating on the test
Fever, common cold, skin or nervous system
disorders, poor dental hygiene, emotional
weaknesses, heavy pressure of work…

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Methods of sensory evaluation

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 Methods of sensory evaluation
• Two major types of tests exist.
Analytical tests Affective tests
(product oriented tests) (consumer oriented tests)

Evaluate difference or Evaluate consumer

similarity, quality and/ or acceptance and/ or
quantity of a sensory preference and opinion on a
characteristic of a product product

Use screened and trained Untrained consumer panel

panelists
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 Methods of sensory evaluation
Analytical tests Affective tests
1. Discriminative tests (attribute focused) 1. Preference tests (like-dislike
(a) Difference tests focused)
Paired comparison test Paired preference test
Duo-trio test Ranking on preference test
Triangle test Rating on preference test
Ranking on intensity test (verbal/ facial hedonic scales)
Rating test

(b) Sensitivity tests

Threshold test
Dilution test
2. Descriptive tests
(a) Attribute rating
Category scaling
Ratio scaling
(b) Descriptive analysis
Flavour profiling
Texture profiling
Quantitative descriptive analysis
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 Difference tests
Identify the difference between two or more
samples based on a given characteristic.
Question of test
• Is there a difference?
• How would you describe the difference
(directional)?

• Trained panel’s work used in

• Product development (2 levels of a trt)
• Matching products 66
 Paired comparison test
• Comparison of 2 samples/ 2 x n (n=no. of pairs)
• Two variations of paired comparison test
1. Simple difference test
• Panelist indicates whether there is a difference
between the sample pair.

2. Directional difference test

• Panelist is asked to select the sample which is
greater/ lower in a given attribute

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 Paired comparison test
Sample presentation
• Serving sequence AB or BA

274 618

Other items: glass of water, spit-on,

paper and pencil, serviette 68
 Sensory evaluation of orange drinks
Name Date Time
• Please evaluate the given two samples
• find out whether they are different in sweetness.
• Rinse your mouth with water in between tasting
samples.
• Is there a difference? Yes/No (delete incorrect
word
Comments:
Thank you
Signature
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 Sensory evaluation of orange drinks
Name Date Time
• Please evaluate the given two samples to find
out which sample is sweeter.
• Rinse your mouth with water in between tasting
samples.
• Circle the number of the sweeter sample

274 618
Comments:
Thank you Signature
 Triangle test
• Most widely used of all difference tests
• Permits identifying different sample,
direction impossible
Used for panelists evalulation
Simple triangle test
• Provide 3 samples; 2 are alike and one sample is
different
• Panelist has to detect the odd sample/ two similar
samples
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• Sample presentation
• Six possible serving orders – counterbalance across
all panelists
AAB ABA BAA BBA BAB ABB

396 122 583

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 Sensory evaluation of strawberry jam
Name: Date: Time
• Taste the jam samples starting from your left
• Circle the sample number different in taste
• Rinse your mouth with water in between tasting

396 122 583

Comments
Thank you
Signature
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 Ranking test on intensity
• Permits evaluation of more than two samples
simultaneously
• Ranking is conducted by panelist in increasing
intensity of a given property
• Sweetness, saltiness, rancidity…

• Highly useful in product development – allows to

select a treatment level among many (>2 levels)
• Trained panel’s work

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Sample presentation
• Present samples in a random order that each
panelist receives equal number of replicates from
each sample
• Consider one attribute at a time

804 628 436 259

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 Sensory evaluation of sugar solutions
Name: Date: Time:
• You are given 4 different sweet samples
• Taste the samples starting from your left and
arrange them in the increasing order of sweetness
• Rinse you mouth with water in between tasting
• Write down the sample codes below as arranged
……………. ………………… ……………. ……………
Less sweet more sweet
Thank you
Signature
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 Descriptive tests
• Evaluates intensities
• Describes the magnitude of difference
between evaluated samples- uses scales
• Uses many parameters
•

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 Technical Scales
1. Ordinal scale
• A method of measurement in which
subjects are asked to rank samples

Numerical
Intensity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
strong weak

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• End anchored box scale

Not at all very sweet

• Relative to reference

Weaker R stronger

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 Technical Scales …
2. Interval scale
• Numbers are chosen in a way that equal
numerical intervals are assumed to
correspond to equal differences in sensory
perception
• Allow samples to be ordered according to
the magnitude
• Folds of differences are indicated by intervals
• Line or category types
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 2.a Line marking interval scales
1. labeled endpoints
very poor excellent

2. indented goalposts

Weak moderate strong

3. additional points

0 threshold slight moderate strong

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2.b Category interval scale

Trace
Slightly intense
Moderately intense
Very intense
Extremely intense

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• Pictorial category scale

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 Sensory evaluation of cheese
• Name: Date: Time:
• Evaluate the given four samples of cheese starting from
your left
• Apply the appropriate score from the given category scale
• Sample code ……. ……... …….. ………
• Score ..…… ……... …….. ………
Score Description
1 Very hard
2 Hard
3 Slightly hard
4 Neither hard nor soft
5 Slightly soft
6 Soft
7 Very soft 84
 Sensory evaluation of vinegar
Name: Date: Time:
• You are given with three samples of vinegar
• Evaluate the intensity (strength) of odour staring
from your left
• Mark with code number, at the relevant strength of
each vinegar sample

Weak moderate strong

Signature
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 Sensory profiling
Flavour profile
• Provides a written record of a perception on
product’s characteristics
• Describes flavour in detail
• Requires highly trained panel (4-6)
• Evaluate product individually and as a group
• Statistical analysis is not compulsory

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Example flavour profile- chocolate

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 Quantitative descriptive analysis
• Utilizes unstructured category scale
• Minimum 6 skilled panelists required
• Three or more samples can be evaluated
• Statistical analysis can be performed to check
significant difference
• ANOVA, factorial, regression analysis are applicable

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1. Texture Line marking used for QDA
Surface
smooth rough
1 10
5
Dryness
1 10
oily 5 dry

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Affective tests

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 Paired preference test
• Select the most preferred sample out of two,
by consumers
Sample presentation
• Ref: paired comparison test

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 Sensory evaluation of white chocolate
Date:
• Taste the two chocolate samples provided to you
• Circle the sample number you prefer
• Rinse your mouth with water in between tasting
samples

281 492

Thank you
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 Ranking on preference
• Ranks a group more than two samples, based on
consumer preference
• Allows ranking in ascending or descending order
of liking/ preference
• Forced choice test – does not allow to have ties
(equal preferences)

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 Sensory evaluation of potato chips
Name: Date: Time:
• Please taste the five samples provided starting from
your left
• Rinse your mouth with water in between tasting
• Rank samples from most to least preferred using the
following numbers
• 1- most preferred 5- least preferred
• Do not assign tied ranks
Sample …….. …….. …….. …….. ………
Rank …….. …….. …….. …….. ………
Thank you
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 Rating tests
Hedonic rating
• Rates/ scores a group more than two samples,
based on consumer preference
• Panelist (consumer) is asked to rate the product
based on a structured (categorized) or
unstructured hedonic scale

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 Structured hedonic scales
9-point scale 7 point scale 5 point scale
9 Like extremely 7 Like extremely 5 Like very much
8 Like very much 6 Like very much 4 Like moderately
7 Like moderately 5 Like slightly 3 Neither like nor
dislike
6 Like slightly 4 Neither like nor 2 `dislike
dislike moderately
5 Neither like nor 3 Dislike slightly 1 Dislike very
dislike much
4 Dislike slightly 2 Dislike very much
3 Dislike moderately 1 Dislike extremely
2 Dislike very much
1 Dislike extremely

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 Sensory evaluation of bread
• You are provided with three samples of bread
• Taste each sample starting from your left
• Score each sample with numbers from the scale,
according to your degree of liking

9- Like extremely
8- Like very much
7-Like moderately Sample …… …… ……
code
6- Like slightly
Score …… …… …..
5- Neither like nor dislike
4- Dislike slightly
3- Dislike moderately
2- Dislike very much
1- Dislike extremely 97