Comparing preferred attribute elicitation to trained panelists' evaluations using a novel food product

Abstract

AbstractThe present study compares a new rapid sensory method, preferred attribute elicitation (PAE), to a trained panelists' evaluations, using cookies containing green tea extract (GTE) as a model. The cookies contained added amounts of 0, 2, 4, 7, and 9% GTE based on the weight of flour. Ten trained panelists evaluated the cookies. The panelists were trained for 10 one‐hour sessions followed by three replicates of testing. Additionally, 43 panelists in two different sessions (n = 25 and 18), evaluated the five samples following the PAE method. RV coefficients were used to provide a numerical value for the degree of similarity between the descriptive data obtained from the PAE sessions and the descriptive analysis panel. The RV coefficient for the two PAE sessions was .843, indicating a very high similarity between the sessions. However, the RV coefficient comparing the two PAE sessions to the descriptive analysis data were .554 and .179, respectively. These results indicate that the PAE method was not comparable to the trained panelists' evaluations. Future work needs to identify when PAE is the most suitable method to use and to modify the existing methodology to make it a more efficient method.Practical applicationsPreferred attribute elicitation (PAE) is a rapid sensory analysis method that uses untrained panelists to evaluate attributes of a product and determine what attributes drive consumer liking. This study investigates how the technique (using untrained panelist) compares to a trained panel when testing baked products differing in flavor intensity. There was not a relationship between the PAE sessions and trained panel for the flavors of this particular product. More work must be done to determine why the evaluations of the flavor was not consistent if PAE is to be used in future sensory trials.