Journal of Sensory Studies最新文献

Using replications in discrimination tests is becoming more common in times of strict budgetary and time constraints. For the proof of differences, it is well-known that the standard binomial test can be used. However, it is no longer applicable if the objective is to show equivalence or non-inferiority, as potential differences among assessors (assessor heterogeneity/overdispersion) might invalidate the binomial test. We reapply ideas described earlier for the development of a confidence interval to derive a direct asymptotic test for equivalence or non-inferiority using replicated discrimination and preference data, both for the cases of equal and unequal numbers of replications among assessors. The suggested test is largely model-free, that is, does not require any assumptions that cannot be easily warranted by the test design and execution. At the same time, implementation is surprisingly easy by using the R code provided or any simple spreadsheet editor, or even manually.

Practical Applications

Showing equivalence in perception between stimuli becomes increasingly important in applications, for example, in cost-savings or product-matching. The suggested approach is statistically valid without potentially doubtful model assumptions, yet at the same time simple and easy to use. Tables with critical values and R code for the evaluations further ease adoption, as illustrated by three small examples. The power assessments indicate that the loss in power is only moderate as long as the number of replications is not excessive, making replicate evaluations in discrimination tests a viable option for showing equivalence. The common approach of concluding for equivalence when a test for differences does not turn out to be statistically significant is heavily flawed; given that a valid yet simple approach to establish equivalence from replicated discrimination and preference data is provided here, such practice should be abandoned.

Food losses and waste (FLW) is a global problem. Because household FLW is one of the biggest contributors to total FLW, strategies are being implemented to reduce per capita FLW in many countries. The present research contributed to this goal by investigating individual factors influencing self-reported household food waste in Australia. Using a web survey, data were obtained from 847 consumers. The average per capita food waste corresponded to 339 g/week and the median to 180 g/week. The most frequently wasted food categories were fresh vegetables and salads, fresh fruit, and bread. The percentage of participants reporting having disposed of these categories ranged between 45.9% and 65.9%. Although socio-demographic characteristics have been identified as relevant influencers of household food waste, the evidence is still inconclusive about the strength of their effects. Results from the present work identified significant effects of age and household size. For the former, the amount of per capita household food wasted tended to reduce with participants' age. Regarding the effect of household size, per capita food waste decreased with the number of people in the household. The present research also explored the effect of a series of psychological factors on the amount of food waste and five hypotheses derived based on the postulates of theories of consumer behavior were supported.

Practical applications

The association between the amount of food waste reported by participants and their intention to engage in food waste reduction behaviors and the positive effect of awareness on behavioral intention suggest the potential of communication campaigns to trigger behavioral change. Males and younger citizens should be targeted in such campaigns given their lower awareness compared with females and older citizens.

The Two-Out-of-Five method is one of the basic sensory discrimination methods. It is a special case of the ‘M+N’ method with M = 3 and N = 2. Three variants of the method are discussed in the paper: specified, unspecified, and unspecified with forgiveness. Analytical and simulation-derived psychometric functions for all three variants of the Two-Out-of-Five method are derived and produced. The performance of the method in both difference and similarity/equivalence tests are explored. It is shown that both difference and similarity/equivalence testing powers for the specified Two-Out-of-Five are larger than those for the 2-AFC and 3-AFC. Both difference and similarity/equivalence testing powers for the unspecified Two-Out-of-Five are larger than those for the Triangle and Duo-trio. Both difference and similarity/equivalence testing powers for the unspecified with forgiveness Two-Out-of-Five are larger than those for the conventional unspecified Two-Out-of-Five and unspecified Tetrads. Tables and R codes are presented and provided for estimations of the probability of correct response, P_c, Thurstonian discriminal distance $��\delta �$ or d', and the B value for estimating the variance of d' for the three variants of the Two-Out-of-Five method.

Practical Applications

The Two-Out-of-Five method is a powerful sensory discrimination method. However, this method has not been used widely in sensory and consumer research, partly since the method has not been explored adequately in the literature. This paper explores the Two-Out-of-Five method and shows that the method has potential for wide application. The Two-Out-of-Five method involves a larger number of samples (5) and sensory fatigue may be of concern. Hence, the method may not be suitable for taste and smell tests with strong stimuli. The method is particularly suitable for manual and visual inspection testing where sensory fatigue is of a lesser concern.

This international study aimed to investigate cross-modal associations between parosmic sensations and visual information, as well as explore potential cross-cultural differences; 393 parosmia patients from Argentina, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines participated. The patients were provided with a 63-color chart encompassing diverse hues and a 20-shape chart containing polygonal and curved shapes. Their task was to choose one color and one shape that matched their parosmic sensations. Results indicated that patients generally associated their parosmic sensations with brownish or greenish colors, darker colors, and polygonal or cloud-like shapes. Significant cross-cultural differences were observed, with Germans tending to select darker colors and edged shapes, while Japanese preferred brighter colors and curved shapes. These differences appeared to be related to the intensity of parosmia, which was higher among Germans. The study suggests a cross-modal relationship between olfaction and vision, while also highlighting the influence of cultural factors on parosmia perception.

Practical Applications

The findings of this study have practical implications for understanding and managing parosmia symptoms, particularly in multicultural settings. Healthcare professionals can use the cross-modal associations between olfactory sensations and visual information as a tool for assessment and diagnosis of parosmia patients. By considering the cultural background of patients, healthcare providers can better understand the nuances in their descriptions and interpretations of parosmic sensations. Additionally, the observed cross-cultural differences in color and shape associations can inform the development of standardized assessment tools that are sensitive to cultural variations. This knowledge can enhance communication between patients and healthcare professionals, leading to more accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment approaches, and improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for cultural sensitivity in odor-related research and the development of interventions for parosmia and other olfactory disorders.

Cosmetic product claims are subject to many regulations to ensure consumers are not misled. Claims must also be relevant to consumers, requiring robust and validated data to support them. Noncomparative claims are investigated utilizing a database of consumer reactions to a wide range of cosmetic products. A procedure based on product attribute ratings and related count based proportions was developed to set performance thresholds that were used to validate new claims. A consumer study was conducted to test the new procedure on lip balm products. Attributes were rated on Days 1 and 10 to establish product performance shifts during use, while the inclusion of two products helped establish if the new procedure could identify and validate the strengths of each product. Results from the database indicated that including count-based proportions in addition to mean ratings added robustness to the performance levels that could be used to validate noncomparative claims.

Practical Applications

The new ISO standard for sensory claims sets out guidance to help ensure that relevant, robust and validated data are used to substantiate product claims. Many companies have substantial consumer data collected in recent years that can help ensure claims research is designed using consumer relevant product attributes. Just as important is that these data provide valuable information about levels of performance required for a product to deliver against the product and brand promise. This paper provides a methodology that could be adapted by companies, either in the non-food or food sector, thus helping ensure new products can be launched and marketed with confidence.

Chemical irritants, like piperine in pepper, have been identified to have cross-modal interactions, including increasing the perception of saltiness. Processed foods have used cross-modal interactions (e.g., odor and taste) to improve acceptability of salt-reduced foods. Cross-modal interactions between piperine and taste could be applied to increase consumer perception of saltiness in low-sodium food products. As such the objective of this study was to determine how the addition of white pepper to low-sodium soup affects its' sensory perception. First, the aroma detection threshold (n = 60) of white pepper was determined. Then white pepper (at detection threshold) was added to a low-sodium soup and evaluated using hedonic scales, general labeled magnitude scale for saltiness, check-all-that-apply (CATA), and temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA; n = 76). The results indicated that the saltiness intensity increased with the addition of white pepper based on the results of the general labeled magnitude scale; however, this result was not confirmed using CATA or TCATA. Rather peppery, bitterness, sourness, and strong aftertaste attributes dominated the participants' perception of the soup. The addition of white pepper also decreased the participants' overall liking of the soup as well as their liking of the flavor and texture. Future research should continue to investigate the cross-modal interactions of white pepper.

Practical Application

The food industry is acting in response to consumer concerns by reducing the salt content in their foods. Despite being a positive initiative for human health, a reduction in the salt content of foods can yield a reduction in sensory appeal and flavor intensity. This study investigated the use of white pepper to increase the saltiness perception of low-sodium soup. The results indicated that white pepper added bitterness and strong aftertaste to the soup while simultaneously suppressing other flavors. This study also found that white pepper decreased the acceptability of the soup and indicated that white pepper may not be an ingredient that can mitigate the reduction in salt in food products.

A 12-week longitudinal study with 247 US menopausal women was undertaken to investigate the perceptual efficacy of a tablet formulated with an extract of Siberian rhubarb to provide relief from menopausal symptoms. The 5-point menopause rating scale (MRS) (0 = none; 1 = mild; 2 = moderate; 3 = severe; 4 = extremely severe) was used to measure symptom intensity. The MRS scale, an ordinal categorical scale, was transformed into an R-index, a ratio scale, using the frequencies of the MRS categories. Symptom relief was compared to an initial week baseline measure; defined as R-index = 0.5. An index, A.RDEX, which is based on area under the R-index curve (AUC) in the range of 0–84 days was used to measure percentage efficacy of symptom relief. Results show that symptom relief occurs through the first 17 days in terms of R-index = 0.64 for the total score and improves with continued use, reaching an A.RDEX = 0.42 by 84 days, suggesting about 42% relief considering all 11 MRS attributes.

Practical Applications

MRS ratings data can be transformed into an R-index using MRS category frequencies at an initial week and a subsequent week. Functional data analysis for R-index values provides an advanced statistical model for analysis of perceptual differences throughout longitudinal studies that can examine MRS attribute effects over time. R codes are developed and provided in the paper to transform MRS data into R-index measures and to conduct functional data analysis for R-index measures obtained from different time points (weeks or days).

The aim of this study was to make a sensory scientific and chemical characterization of flavor profiles of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV) from different grades, and to investigate their potential correlation for evaluating the effects of chemical components on sensory perception. The quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was combined with temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) to assess the sensory properties of different grades of ZAV. The grades of ZAV were best differentiated by pungent (p < .001), almond (p < .001), burnt (p < .001), sour (p < .001), bitter (p < .001), and salty perception (p < .001). TDS showed ZAV of five grades differed in the combination of dominant sensory attributes. Both QDA and TDS differentiated the ZAV samples of different grades. Multiple factor analysis (MFA) of QDA, aroma, and physicochemical data showed these data set were well correlated, which contributed to the identification the chemical drivers of sensory attributes.

Practical Applications

Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV) is a highly appreciated product all over the world due to its unique and pleasant flavor sensory properties. The combined use of QDA and TDS permitted the identification and quantitative description of flavor profiles for ZAV from different grades while providing additional information during the consumption of ZAV, which has proved to be more beneficial than each just on its own. In addition, the key flavor substances that influence the sensory attributes were found out by analyzing the variables correlations and product spaces though MFA, thus it is help to strengthen the flavor quality control in the ZAV products. Taken overall, this work provides a reference for the measurement of flavor profiles of ZAV related products and evaluation the internal chemical components affecting sensory attributes.

Hotel toiletries are complementary items found in hotels around the globe. Though this is true, toiletries are not an area of emphasis in hotel research. The hotel toiletry category encompasses an assorted set of products such as shampoo, lotions, soap, makeup wipes, and considerably more. While some interesting research is available, much of the hotel industry research is conducted using more informal methods with little regard for consumer expectations and perceptions. The hotel industry could benefit from a consumer-targeted approach to hotel toiletry research. The field of sensory and consumer science has a multitude of avenues for evaluating consumer opinions and perceptions, and even describing and optimizing hotel toiletry products. This review outlines current sensory and consumer methods used by the hotel industry to analyze hotel toiletries and other aspects of the industry, as well as highlights future research opportunities.

Practical Application

This review summarizes the available published research on the hotel industry that uses sensory and consumer science to analyze hotel toiletries. This review aims to cover and present how the hotel industry can utilize sensory evaluation methods to evaluate hotel toiletries and identify gaps as well as future research using these approaches.