Evaluation of Basic Taste and Odor Recognition Performance of Trainee Sensory Assessors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v13i10.3053-3061.8132Keywords:
Taste Recognition, Odor Recognition, Sensory Panel, Sensory Assessors, Panelist trainingAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate the basic taste and odor recognition abilities of trainee sensory assessors to identify candidates with adequate perceptual skills for sensory panel participation. A total of 18 candidates underwent standardized taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami) and odor (lemon, vanilla, thyme, mint, clove, cinnamon, nail polish, bitter almond) recognition tests based on ISO protocols. Friedman test results indicated significant differences in recognition accuracy among taste stimuli (p < 0.05) and odor stimuli (p < 0.001). Sweet and salty were identified correctly by all participants (100%), while sour (57.1%) and umami (50%) had the lowest recognition rates. Among odors, thyme, clove, and cinnamon were identified with 100% accuracy, whereas lemon and bitter almond had the lowest recognition rates (21.4%). Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that panelists performed significantly better in odor recognition than in taste recognition (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that trainee assessors exhibit higher olfactory than gustatory sensitivity, particularly for familiar and distinctive stimuli. The results highlight the importance of applying structured screening tools and targeted training programs, especially for less familiar taste and odor modalities, in the selection and development of effective sensory panels.
References
Ares, G. (2015). Methodological challenges in sensory characterization. Current Opinion in Food Science, 3, 1-5.
Ares, G., & Varela, P. (2017). Trained vs. consumer panels for analytical testing: Fueling a long-lasting debate in the field. Food Quality and Preference, 61, 79-86.
Bianchi, G., Zerbini, P. E., & Rizzolo, A. (2009). Short‐term training and assessment for performance of a sensory descriptive panel for the olfactometric analysis of aroma extracts. Journal of Sensory Studies, 24(2), 149-165.
Bitnes, J., Martens, H., Ueland, Ø., & Martens, M. (2007). Longitudinal study of taste identification of sensory panellists: Effect of Ageing, Experience and Exposure. Food Quality and Preference, 18(2), 230-241.
Bitnes, J., Ueland, Ø., Møller, P., & Martens, M. (2008). Reliability of sensory assessors: Issues of retention and learning. Journal of Sensory Studies, 23(6), 852-870.
Chambers, D. H., Allison, A. M. A., & Chambers IV, E. (2004). Training effects on performance of descriptive panelists. Journal of Sensory Studies, 19(6), 486-499.
Chambers IV, E. (2019). Analysis of sensory properties in foods: A special issue. Foods, 8(8), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8080291.
Cosme, F., Rocha, T., Marques, C., Barroso, J., & Vilela, A. (2025). Innovative approaches in sensory food science: From digital tools to virtual reality. Applied Sciences, 15(8), 4538. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/8/4538
Demattè, M. L., Endrizzi, I., Biasioli, F., Corollaro, M. L., Zampini, M., & Gasperi, F. (2011). Individual variability in the awareness of odors: demographic parameters and odor identification ability. Chemosensory Perception, 4(4), 175-185.
Djekic, I., Lorenzo, J. M., Munekata, P. E., Gagaoua, M., & Tomasevic, I. (2021). Review on characteristics of trained sensory panels in food science. Journal of Texture Studies, 52(4), 501-509.
Drake, M. A., Watson, M. E., & Liu, Y. (2023). Sensory Analysis and Consumer Preference: Best Practices. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 14, 427-448. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-060721-023619.
Ervina, E., Berget, I., Nilsen, A., & Almli, V. L. (2020). The ability of 10–11-year-old children to identify basic tastes and their liking towards unfamiliar foods. Food Quality and Preference, 83, 103929.
Gębicki, J., Dymerski, T., & Rutkowski, S. (2014). Identification of odor of volatile organic compounds using classical sensory analysis and electronic nose technique. Environment Protection Engineering, 40, 103-116.
ISO. (2006a). Sensory analysis - Methodology - Ranking (EN ISO 8587:2006). In. International Organization for Standardization.
ISO. (2006b). Sensory analysis — Methodology — Initiation and training of assessors in the detection and recognition of odours (ISO 5496:2006). In: International Organization for Standardization.
ISO. (2007). Sensory analysis - Methodology - Triangle test (EN ISO 4120:2007). In. International Organization for Standardization.
ISO. (2011). Sensory analysis - Methodology - Method of investigating sensitivity of taste (ISO 3972:2011). In: International Organization for Standardization.
ISO. (2014). Sensory analysis - Selection and training of sensory assessors (EN ISO 8586:2014). In: International Organization for Standardization.
Knaapila, A., Laaksonen, O., Virtanen, M., Yang, B., Lagström, H., & Sandell, M. (2017). Pleasantness, familiarity, and identification of spice odors are interrelated and enhanced by consumption of herbs and food neophilia. Appetite, 109, 190-200.
Lawless, H. T., & Heymann, H. (2010). Sensory evaluation of food: principles and practices (2nd ed.) Springer Science & Business Media.
Lichters, M., Möslein, R., Sarstedt, M., & Scharf, A. (2021). Segmenting consumers based on sensory acceptance tests in sensory labs, immersive environments, and natural consumption settings. Food Quality and Preference, 89, 104138.
Liu, P., Tærum, M. L., Alonso, M. J., Halfvardsson, A., & Mathisen, H. M. (2025). Odour transfer in membrane energy exchangers for ventilation: An investigation on sensory perception and design implications. Building and Environment, 274, 112795.
López-López, A., Sánchez-Gómez, A. H., Montaño, A., Cortés-Delgado, A., & Garrido-Fernández, A. (2019). Panel and panelist performance in the sensory evaluation of black ripe olives from Spanish Manzanilla and Hojiblanca Cultivars. Foods, 8(11), 562. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/8/11/562
Meilgaard, M. C., Carr, B. T., & Civille, G. V. (1999). Sensory evaluation techniques (3rd ed.). CRC press.
Melis, M., & Tomassini Barbarossa, I. (2017). Taste perception of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami and changes due to l-arginine supplementation, as a function of genetic ability to taste 6-n-propylthiouracil. Nutrients, 9(6), 541.
Mojet, J., Christ-Hazelhof, E., & Heidema, J. (2001). Taste perception with age: generic or specific losses in threshold sensitivity to the five basic tastes? Chemical senses, 26(7), 845-860.
Mojet, J., Heidema, J., & Christ-Hazelhof, E. (2003). Taste perception with age: generic or specific losses in supra-threshold intensities of five taste qualities? Chemical senses, 28(5), 397-413.
Murray, J., Delahunty, C., & Baxter, I. (2001). Descriptive sensory analysis: past, present and future. Food Research International, 34(6), 461-471.
Mustonen, S., Rantanen, R., & Tuorila, H. (2009). Effect of sensory education on school children’s food perception: A 2-year follow-up study. Food quality and preference, 20(3), 230-240.
Næs, T., Brockhoff, P. B., & Tomic, O. (2011). Statistics for sensory and consumer science. John Wiley & Sons.
O'Mahony, M. (2017). Sensory evaluation of food: statistical methods and procedures. Routledge.
Park, S., Heo, J., Oh, J., Chung, S.-J., & Kwak, H. S. (2023). Consumer testing away from a sensory facility: Application of home-use test and no-contact home-use test. Food quality and preference, 109, 104905.
Puleo, S., Braghieri, A., Pacelli, C., Bendini, A., Toschi, T. G., Torri, L., Piochi, M., & Di Monaco, R. (2021). Food Neophobia, odor and taste sensitivity, and overall flavor perception in food. Foods, 10(12), 3122.
Ruiz-Capillas, C., Herrero, A. M., Pintado, T., & Delgado-Pando, G. (2021). Sensory analysis and consumer research in new meat products development. Foods, 10(2), 429.
Sachinthani, V., Abdul Majeed, U., Rajapaksha, S., & Nashath, M. (2021). Establishment of sensory evaluation panel for a biscuits manufacturing industry. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Science and Technology (ICST). South Eastern University of Sri Lanka.
Senthil, A., Ravi, R., Bhat, K., & Seethalakshmi, M. (2002). Studies on the quality of fried snacks based on blends of wheat flour and soya flour. Food Quality and Preference, 13(5), 267-273.
Silva, A., Binduhewa, A., & Subodinee, A. (2016). A study to recruit and train the product oriented sensory panel. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (IJMS),1(2), 83-86.
Singh-Ackbarali, D., & Maharaj, R. (2014). Sensory evaluation as a tool in determining acceptability of innovative products developed by undergraduate students in food science and technology at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 3(1), 10-27.
Sipos, L., Ágoston, K. C., Biró, P., Bozóki, S., & Csató, L. (2025). How to measure consumer's inconsistency in sensory testing? Current Research in Food Science, 10, 100982.
Sipos, L., Galambosi, Z., Biró, P., Csató, L., & Bozóki, S. (2025). Trends and Directions of Preference Elicitation and Assessment in Food Science: Single‐, Pair‐, and Multi‐Criteria Ranking Methods. Food Science & Nutrition, 13(8), e70684.
Sipos, L., Nyitrai, Á., Hitka, G., Friedrich, L. F., & Kókai, Z. (2021). Sensory panel performance evaluation—Comprehensive review of practical approaches. Applied Sciences, 11(24), 11977.
Thybo, A. K., & Martens, M. (2000). Analysis of sensory assessors in texture profiling of potatoes by multivariate modelling. Food Quality and Preference, 11(4), 283-288.
Tomic, O., Forde, C., Delahunty, C., & Næs, T. (2013). Performance indices in descriptive sensory analysis–A complimentary screening tool for assessor and panel performance. Food Quality and Preference, 28(1), 122-133.
Torrico, D. D., Mehta, A., & Borssato, A. B. (2023). New methods to assess sensory responses: a brief review of innovative techniques in sensory evaluation. Current Opinion in Food Science, 49, 100978. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2022.100978
Turek, P. (2021). Recruiting, training and managing a sensory panel in odor nuisance testing. PLoS One, 16(10), e0258057.
Varela, P., & Ares, G. (2012). Sensory profiling, the blurred line between sensory and consumer science. A review of novel methods for product characterization. Food Research International, 48(2), 893-908.
Vivek, K., Subbarao, K., Routray, W., Kamini, N., & Dash, K. K. (2020). Application of fuzzy logic in sensory evaluation of food products: A comprehensive study. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 13, 1-29.
Yang, J., & Lee, J. (2019). Application of sensory descriptive analysis and consumer studies to investigate traditional and authentic foods: A review. Foods, 8(2), 54.
Yusop, S. M., O'sullivan, M., Kerry, J., & Kerry, J. (2009). Sensory evaluation of Chinese‐style marinated chicken by Chinese and European naïve assessors. Journal of Sensory Studies, 24(4), 512-533.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
