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SENSORY EVALUATION OF FOOD FIRMNESS.
Alina S Szczesniak1, Malcolm C Bourne1
1General Foods Technical Center, Tarrytown, N.Y., U.S.A.
Journal of Texture Studies
|April 4, 2017
Summary
This study reveals how people assess food firmness without tasting. The sensory methods used, like viscosity and puncture tests, adapt based on the food
Area of Science:
- Food science
- Sensory analysis
- Rheology
Background:
- Assessing food firmness is crucial for quality control and consumer acceptance.
- Objective and subjective methods are used to determine food texture.
- Understanding sensory perception of firmness aids in product development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how individuals perceive and test food firmness without ingestion.
- To correlate subjective sensory tests with objective instrumental measurements.
- To determine if different sensory firmness tests are employed for foods of varying textures.
Main Methods:
- 131 respondents participated in the study.
- Nine pairs of foods with a wide range of firmness were tested.
- Sensory firmness tests (viscosity, consistency, deformation, puncture, flexure) were employed.
- Objective characterization was performed using an Instron machine.
Main Results:
- The type of sensory firmness test utilized by individuals is dependent on the food's firmness.
- Specific tests like viscosity/consistency were used for softer foods (e.g., whipped toppings).
- Tests such as deformation, puncture, and flexure were employed for firmer foods (e.g., carrots).
Conclusions:
- Sensory perception of food firmness is not uniform and adapts to the food's physical properties.
- The study provides evidence for distinct sensory testing strategies based on food firmness.
- Findings can inform the development of more accurate food texture assessment methods.