Multi-attribute temporal descriptive methods in sensory analysis applied in food science: A systematic scoping review

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Evaluation
• Consumer Research

Background:

• Temporal sensory methods are crucial for tracking perception in real-time.
• These methods are widely used in food science for detailed sensory analysis.
• A systematic review was conducted to map 30 years of research in this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe research trends in temporal sensory methods over three decades.
• To identify implementation details, reasons for use, and conclusions drawn from studies.
• To critically appraise the literature and identify research gaps.

Main Methods:

• Systematic scoping review of 363 articles from Scopus and Web of Science (1991-2022).
• Data extraction on study implementation (subjects, products, descriptors, design, analysis).
• Metadata analysis, critical appraisal, and quantitative/qualitative synthesis.

Main Results:

• Significant heterogeneity observed in the execution and reporting of temporal measurements.
• Identified critical research gaps in method validity and reliability.
• Lack of justification for sample sizes and panel repeatability, and prevalence of exploratory data analysis were noted.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the need for standardized guidelines for implementing, analyzing, and reporting temporal sensory data.
• Proposed a template and checklist to enhance the quality and consistency of future research.
• Addressing identified gaps will improve the validity and reliability of temporal sensory evaluation methods.