Taste Panellists' Evaluations in Official Cheese Competitions: Analysis for Improvement Proposals

Sensory analysis is a tool for determining cheese quality by tasting during official competitions, which are useful for revitalising the local cheese sector. This work aims to acquire information about the outcomes of official cheese tastings on Gran Canaria Island (Spain) and analyse this information to improve the sampling methodology, as a possible reference for similar events held elsewhere worldwide. The results of four consecutive tasting competitions were studied over 4 years. The annual scores for odour, taste, texture and overall impression, given by 26 taste panellists (5 permanent), were analysed. This gave 2291 evaluations of 329 cheeses from 13 different varieties. A mixed model was applied with year and cheese variety as fixed effects, and taster and cheese as random effects. Agreement among the permanent tasters' scores was considered by the intraclass correlation coefficient. The results indicated significant differences in the final scores according to the considered year and cheese variety and suggested a lack of stable patterns initially, but a movement towards homogeneity in the later years. The vegetable coagulant and sheep/goat's milk semi-matured cheeses obtained the best scores, and the cows' milk and pasteurised semi-mature cheeses, the worst. All the sensory variables significantly distinguished the cheese varieties, but not texture and taste in the last competition. Agreement among permanent tasters was significant in the last 2 years.