analytic(effective)

affective

~tests used to detect differences

~conducted by trained panel

~two types of tests:

discriminative= are the samples different?

i.e. triangle, duo-trio, ranking

descriptive tests= how do samples differ?

documents differences in a product's sensory characteristics. i.e. flavor profile and texture profile

given to untrained consumers

detects consumer preferences

test examples:

simple questions based on personal preference

complex product score sheets evaluating food factors on a scale (i.e. hedonic scale)

Usually consist of 5 members; age and gender are considered; equal distribution in gender is preferred, because women can usually detect sweetness better than men.

 Members must be free of colds, chew no gum immediately before testing, have not ingested any other food for at least 1 hour before testing, be nonsmokers, not color blind, have no strong likes or dislikes for the food to be tested

must have a comfortable enviornment with controlled lighting and temp

samples must be equal in: portion sizes, freshness, and presentation, panelists not allowed to swallow to avoid taste fatigue

containers must be clear or white

testings should occcur in mid-morning or mid-afternoon

use lab instruments to quantify physical and chemical differences in food

two types:

physical test- measures certain observable aspects of food(i.e. volume, density, and viscosity)

chemical- determines: food safety, information for nutrition fact labels, and possible contamination 

~microscope= observe micro-organisms and starch granules

~spectrometer= measures color

~weight/volume/density

~penetrometer= measures teeth bite to ensure tenderness

~warner-bratzler shear= measures force needed to cut through food

~shortometer= measures tenderness via resistance

~line spread test and viscometer= measure viscosity

~polarimeter and atomic absortion test=measure varying concentrations