Sensory Methods Research Articles

Early detection of altered cold perception in elderly with type 2 diabetes using a novel Quantitative Sensory Testing method

AimTo compare the effectiveness of two methods for measuring cold detection thresholds in screening for temperature-perception deficits in elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2 diabetes). MethodsCold threshold measurements were performed on seven body regions of participants with diabetes without neuropathy (n = 30; mean age, 70.9 ± 6.5 years) and healthy participants (n = 73; mean age, 68 ± 5 years). Two protocols applying the Levels Method were used: the first used skin temperature as the starting point; the second used 40 °C. ResultsCold detection thresholds were significantly higher in subjects with diabetes, particularly on the foot. For CDT TSk, values were −2.22 ± 1.91 °C in non-diabetic and −3.27 ± 3.33 °C in diabetic groups (p = 0.023); for CDT 40, values were −9.82 ± 3.5 °C and −12.18 ± 4.5 °C (p = 0.003). However, after adjusting for age, the group effect on cold threshold with skin temperature as baseline disappeared. Sensory screens showed that the Area Under Curve of the method using a 40 °C baseline was 0.69 (p = 0.002). ConclusionMeasuring the cold detection threshold on the foot with a 40 °C baseline is more effective than using skin temperature as a baseline for screening sensory alterations in elderly subjects with type 2 diabetes before neuropathy onset. SignificanceThese findings highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate cold detection threshold method for elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes. The optimal method can facilitate early identification of sensory changes, minimizing complications and improving overall well-being.

New Sensory Method for Neural Activity by Frequency Upconversion With Nonlinear Element

New Sensory Method for Neural Activity by Frequency Upconversion With Nonlinear Element

Assessment of panel performance in CATA and RATA experiment

AbstractCATATIS is a recently developed method for the analysis of multiple binary datasets such as Check‐All‐That‐Apply (CATA) data. CATATIS yields a homogeneity index reflecting the overall agreement among the panelists and weights associated with the panelists that highlight the extent to which they agree with the general point of view. These weights are used to compute an average group configuration, which is submitted to Correspondence Analysis to derive a perceptual product map. Here, CATATIS is extended to situations where the data are not binary. In particular, we focus on the case of data from a CATA experiment with repetitions and data from a Rate‐All‐That‐Apply (RATA) experiment. Furthermore, a hypothesis‐testing framework based on permutations is set up to assess the significance of the weights associated with the panelists. Finally, the general strategy of analysis is illustrated using data from real case studies pertaining to CATA and RATA experiments.Practical ApplicationsEvaluating panel performance is often important in sensory studies, especially in industrial contexts. While many professionals are familiar with evaluating the outputs of conventional descriptive analysis, the increasing adoption of rapid sensory methods calls for methods and tools tailored to different sensory tasks. Our paper introduces an approach (CATATIS) to enhance the interpretation of the outputs of CATA and RATA tasks, focusing on attribute consistency, overall panel agreement, and individual weights associated with panelists. The approach is demonstrated through concrete case studies. CATATIS, together with its extensions, are available in XLSTAT software and in the R package ClustBlock.

Introducing a Standardized Sensory Analysis Method for Wine: A Methodology for the Recruitment, Selection, Training, and Monitoring of Assessors—Implementation on the Greek Variety “Agiorgitiko”

Introducing a Standardized Sensory Analysis Method for Wine: A Methodology for the Recruitment, Selection, Training, and Monitoring of Assessors—Implementation on the Greek Variety “Agiorgitiko”

Karakteristik Fisik dan Fisikokimia Ekado Ikan Gabus dan Ayam dengan Penambahan Kacang Tolo dan Jamur Tiram (Pleuretus Ostreatus)

Ekado in this research is an innovative product made from snakehead fish, chicken, cowpeas and oyster mushrooms. This Ekado product is made from a dominant propotion of snakedhead fish. This is caused by the lack of utilization of fish meat and equal distribution of fish consumption in Indonesia. The aims of this research are 1) to determine the results of sensory quality including shape, color, taste, aroma and texture, 2) to determine the nutritional content of snakehead fish and ekado chicken with the addition of cowpeas and oyster mushrooms, 3) to determine the selling price per package 250 grams. This research used a sensory quality method with a total of 37 panelists who were assisted with assessment observation sheets 1-5. The resulting data was processed using a single anova test followed by the Duncan test. To determine the nutritional content (carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber and calcium) a laboratory examination is carried out. The research results show: 1) There is an influence of the proportion of snakehead fish and chicken on the shape and texture criteria. 2) The nutritional content of the product is Carbohydrate 26.40%, Protein 17.60%, Fat 3.60%, Fiber 2.21%, Calcium 81.05mg/100g. 3) It is known that the selling price of snakehead fish and ekado chicken with the addition of cowpeas and oyster mushrooms is IDR. 30,000 per 250 gram packaging.

Design Method of Museum Cultural and Creative Products Based on Multi sensory Experience

To explore the design method of museum cultural and creative products based on multi sensory experience, improve product level and user experience, and provide new directions for the development of museum cultural and creative design. The method first introduces the cognitive principles and sensory expression methods of sensory experience, and then focuses on the study of three common multi sensory phenomena: multi sensory integration, synesthesia, and sensory compensation. It analyzes their application in the design of cultural and creative products, summarizes the transformation process of user generated multi sensory experience, and establishes a multi sensory experience cultural and creative product design process based on this. Conclusion: Product design with multi sensory experience can bring users a more comprehensive and profound experience, help promote the inheritance and development of museum culture, and improve the serious problem of homogenization in the cultural and creative industry.

THE IMPACT OF USING DIFFERENT YEAST SPECIES IN BREAD PRODUCTION ON CONSUMER PREFERENCES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TASTE

This study aims to investigate sensory attributes that play a significant role in determining consumer preferences in the food sector. The research explores the impact of three different yeast types used in bread preparation, assessed through sensory analysis methods, on the perceived taste and overall acceptability of the products. The study employs an experimental design and conducts product testing in real sales environments. A panel of 22 participants was requested to evaluate breads prepared with three visually similar but content-wise different yeast types. Following a tasting session, participants provided data based on sensory analysis criteria, including "appearance," "flavor," "texture," "odor," and "general acceptability," using a designed survey method. The collected data were analyzed using statistical software packages, specifically through Friedman's and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests. The research findings indicate variations in consumer preferences regarding taste, texture, odor, and overall acceptability. Panelists expressed a higher preference for breads obtained with sourdough yeast.

Unraveling the flavor profiles of chicken meat: Classes, biosynthesis, influencing factors in flavor development, and sensory evaluation.

Chicken is renowned as the most affordable meat option, prized by consumers worldwide for its unique flavor, and universally recognized for its essential savory flavor. Current research endeavors are increasingly dedicated to exploring the flavor profile of chicken meat. However, there is a noticeable gap in comprehensive reviews dedicated specifically to the flavor quality of chicken meat, although existing reviews cover meat flavor profiles of various animal species. This review aims to fill this gap by synthesizing knowledge from published literature to describe the compounds, chemistry reaction, influencing factors, and sensory evaluation associated with chicken meat flavor. The flavor compounds in chicken meat mainly included water-soluble low-molecular-weight substances and lipids, as well as volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, esters, hydrocarbons, furans, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing compounds. The significant synthesis pathways of flavor components were Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, lipid oxidation, lipid-Maillard interaction, and thiamine degradation. Preslaughter factors, including age, breed/strain, rearing management, muscle type, and sex of chicken, as well as postmortem conditions such as aging, cooking conditions, and low-temperature storage, were closely linked to flavor development and accounted for the significant differences observed in flavor components. Moreover, the sensory methods used to evaluate the chicken meat flavor were elaborated. This review contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the flavor profile of chicken meat. It can serve as a guide for enhancing chicken meat flavor quality and provide a foundation for developing customized chicken products.

Application of Sensory Methods to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Solutions to Reduce the Exposure to Odour Nuisance and Ammonia Emissions from the Compost Heaps.

Exposure to high concentrations of odours can result in health effects associated with direct health risks and irritation from nuisance. This investigation aimed to correlate aspects of the waste composting process with the emission levels of malodourous compounds. An essential optimisation criterion is the reduction of negative environmental impacts, particularly odour emissions. This study characterises odour concentration variations across various technological variants over different weeks of the composting process. A secondary objective is evaluating the efficacy of these variants, which differ in inoculation substances and compost heap composition. Olfactometric analyses were conducted using portable field olfactometers, enabling precise dilutions by mixing contaminated and purified air. The primary aim was to examine the correlation between selected odour parameters, determined via sensory analysis, and ammonia concentration during different composting weeks. Ammonia levels were measured using an RAE electrochemical sensor. Research shows that odour concentration is a significant indicator of compost maturity. In situ, olfactometric testing can effectively monitor the aerobic stabilisation process alone or with other methods. The most effective technological solution was identified by combining olfactometric and ammonia measurements and monitoring composting parameters, ensuring minimal odour emissions and the safety of employees and nearby residents.

Generation of wine sensory descriptors by one-step method based on free profile and their use to establish the typicity of PDO wines

The typicity of wines is related to their sensory characteristics, which allow them to be differentiated from other wines. Different sensory methods have been applied to try to detect the sensory characteristics responsible for the typicity of Protected Designation of Origin wines (PDO). However, so far, none of them has been completely successful. In this study, a new one-step method based on free profile and comparative analysis by pairs was applied to generate sensory descriptors of wines. The discriminant power of the sensory attributes generated among wines from 4 different PDO wines from the Spanish Autonomous Community of Castilla y León was evaluated. The study was carried out with wine experts and 159 white, rosé, and red wines were tasted. The judges generated 245 attributes which were reduced to 95 (11 defects, 20 visual, 48 olfactory and 16 taste and mouthfeel). A Multifactorial Analysis was carried out with the data of contingency matrices based on the frequency of citation. The results obtained showed that the sensory descriptors generated allowed the wines to be distinguished according to their origin, being the discriminant power significantly higher when the visual, olfactory and gustatory attributes were considered separately.

An overview of probiotic camel milk as a nutritional beverage: Challenges and perspectives

AbstractThere are challenges such as standardization for commercialization and guaranteeing sensory characteristics in camel milk processing. This review gathers a general view of the probiotic camel milk, its contents, its health aspects, and its industrial production. One of the potential candidates of a healthy food product is “probiotic camel milk” which contains several nutritional elements including Lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria and postbiotics such as endopolysaccharides, exopolysaccharides, numerous beneficial enzymes, short‐chain fatty acids, teichoic acids, peptides, peptidoglycan‐derived neuropeptides, cell surface proteins, different vitamins, plasmalogens, and different kinds of organic acids. It should also be considered that camel milk generally has some advantages over cow milk like its health‐beneficial antidiabetic, hypoallergenic, and anticancer properties. As a result, it is gaining much attention from both consumers and manufacturers, and the global probiotic market trend is growing. Although there are obstacles in standardizing processing techniques and maintaining sensory excellence, the health benefits, economic prospects, and adaptability of camel milk and its probiotic variations create a promising avenue for continued research and advancement. Therefore, developing standardized processing techniques and sensory evaluation methods for probiotic camel milk can unlock its full potential as a nutritious beverage, offering a promising solution for consumers seeking healthy and functional food products.

Assessment of Sensory Attributes in White Tea Utilizing the High Identity Traits (HITS) Methodology Employing an Immersive Approach

White tea is a plant-derived product from Camellia sinensis L, which is processed without enzymatic oxidation and fermentation. The high identity traits (HITS) is a sensory evaluation method that identifies dominant attributes using five attributes to describe each sample. The sensory evaluation research on white tea uses the HITS method with an environmental approach aimed at identifying dominant attributes of white tea using both trained and untrained panelists, as well as at determining the intensity of these dominant attributes using an environmental approach with both trained and untrained panelists. The materials used were five samples of Gamboeng white tea, Heizl, Dandang, Pucuk, and Ennie1. The HITS method with trained panelists successfully identified dominant attributes as follows: yellow-brown brew color, rose aroma, rose flavor, astringent aftertaste, and light mouthfeel. Meanwhile, the experiment using untrained panelists showed dominant attributes as follows: yellow-brown brew color, jasmine aroma, jasmine flavor, astringent aftertaste, and light mouthfeel. The HITS method with an immersive approach for both trained and untrained panelists had an impact on increasing the intensity of aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel while decreasing the intensity of aftertaste.

Auditory gamma-band entrainment enhances default mode network connectivity in dementia patients

Dementia, and in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD), can be characterized by disrupted functional connectivity in the brain caused by beta-amyloid deposition in neural links. Non-pharmaceutical treatments for dementia have recently explored interventions involving the stimulation of neuronal populations in the gamma band. These interventions aim to restore brain network functionality by synchronizing rhythmic energy through various stimulation modalities. Entrainment, a newly proposed non-invasive sensory stimulation method, has shown promise in improving cognitive functions in dementia patients. This study investigates the effectiveness of entrainment in terms of promoting neural synchrony and spatial connectivity across the cortex. EEG signals were recorded during a 40 Hz auditory entrainment session conducted with a group of elderly participants with dementia. Phase locking value (PLV) between different intraregional and interregional sites was examined as an attribute of network synchronization, and connectivity of local and distant links were compared during the stimulation and rest trials. Our findings demonstrate enhanced neural synchrony between the frontal and parietal regions, which are key components of the brain’s default mode network (DMN). The DMN operation is known to be impacted by dementia’s progression, leading to reduced functional connectivity across the parieto-frontal pathways. Notably, entrainment alone significantly improves synchrony between these DMN components, suggesting its potential for restoring functional connectivity.

Rapid fluorescence detection of black tea fermentation degree based on cobalt ion mediated carbon quantum dots

Fermentation is key to the quality of black tea, and traditional sensory evaluation methods are too slow and subjective for reliable, large-scale evaluation during fermentation. To address this problem, this study formulated a sensing system based on cobalt ions-doped carbon quantum dots emitting bright blue fluorescence. In evaluation experiments, this system was found to work stably for 90 min and accurately determine fermentation quality in real time. In fluorescence spectra results, fluorescence intensity decreased sharply with the concentrations of catechins, theaflavins, and gallic acid and this relationship was highly linear at concentrations from 0.01 to 50 μg/mL; R2 was >97% and the limit of detection was <0.046 μg/mL. A least-squares support vector machine model was established, and it had a 100% accuracy rate in discriminating between degrees of fermentation. Therefore, this quantum-dot-based system serves as an accurate and efficient means of measuring the fermentation quality of black tea.

Exploring changes in key aroma-active compounds of soy sauce due to different fermentation processes

In this study, two extraction methods combined with gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC×GC-O-MS) were used to investigate the sensory characteristics of high-salt dilute fermented soy sauce (HDFSS), and molecular sensory methods were used to characterize its aroma. Among them, 3-methylthiopropanal had the highest odor activity value (OAV) in HDFSS, and acetic acid had the highest content in HDFSS. The results showed that the concentrations of benzyl alcohol, phenethyl alcohol, 1-octen-3-ol, maltol, and 1-hydroxy-2-propanone did not vary significantly in the HDFSS of different fermentation processes. The Y2 HDFSS produced in the koji-making fermentation system 2 had higher concentrations of 3-methyl-1-butanol (malt) and 3-methylthiopropanal (roasted potato). Additionally, it received high aroma scores in the sensory evaluation. Finally, by conducting aroma reconstitution and omission experiments on HDFSS from two different fermentation processes, the key aroma-active compounds, such as phenethyl alcohol, maltol, and guaiacol, were identified.

Deploying Interactive Sensory Methods on Developing the Packaging Design in the Egyptian Market

Deploying Interactive Sensory Methods on Developing the Packaging Design in the Egyptian Market

Comparison of Vegetarian Sausages: Proximal Composition, Instrumental Texture, Rapid Descriptive Sensory Method and Overall Consumer Liking.

The aim of the present research was to determine if the developed ovo-vegetarian sausage (SO), which was made with 15% chickpea flour, 51% albumin and 34% soy protein concentrate, exhibited improved physicochemical and sensory characteristics compared to vegetarian sausages available on the local market (classic vegan sausage, SC; vegan fine herb sausage, SH; and quinoa sausage, SQ). According to the physicochemical results, the developed sample, SO, presented significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to the others, including higher protein content, lower pH and a higher a* value. Three types of sensory analyses were conducted-flash profile, overall liking and purchase intention (to determine consumers' willingness to purchase the product)-with the first involving 15 consumers and the second and third involving 60 participants each. Descriptors for each sample were determined using the vocabulary provided by consumers in the flash profile analysis. Descriptors for SO included 'elastic', 'smell of cooked corn', 'characteristic flavor', 'pasty', 'soft' and 'pastel color', contributing to its greater overall liking and purchase intention compared to the others. Through the hierarchical multiple factor analysis, a positive correlation was observed between the texture and sensory descriptors of the flash profile. Conversely, a correlation was found between the physicochemical characteristics (pH, aw, color) and overall liking and purchase intention.

Endovascular Detection of Catheter-Thrombus Contact by Vacuum Excitation.

The objective of this work is to introduce and demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel sensing modality for contact detection between an off-the-shelf aspiration catheter and a thrombus. A custom robotic actuator with a pressure sensor was used to generate an oscillatory vacuum excitation and sense the pressure inside the extracorporeal portion of the catheter. Vacuum pressure profiles and robotic motion data were used to train a support vector machine (SVM) classification model to detect contact between the aspiration catheter tip and a mock thrombus. Validation consisted of benchtop accuracy verification, as well as user study comparison to the current standard of angiographic presentation. Benchtop accuracy of the sensing modality was shown to be 99.67%. The user study demonstrated statistically significant improvement in identifying catheter-thrombus contact compared to the current standard. The odds ratio of successful detection of clot contact was 2.86 (p = 0.03) when using the proposed sensory method compared to without it. The results of this work indicate that the proposed sensing modality can offer intraoperative feedback to interventionalists that can improve their ability to detect contact between the distal tip of a catheter and a thrombus. By offering a relatively low-cost technology that affords off-the-shelf aspiration catheters as clot-detecting sensors, interventionalists can improve the first-pass effect of the mechanical thrombectomy procedure while reducing procedural times and mental burden.

Free Drawing to assess food consumption information in comparison with the Free Listing: An intracultural study in Brazil with adolescents and dairy products

This study aimed to evaluate the Free Drawing method to assess food consumption information compared to the Free Listing method. Furthermore, the citation frequencies of dairy products consumed by adolescents were compared in Brazilian regions. Adolescents (14–17 years old, n = 265, n = 53 for each region, North, South, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast regions) listed or drew the dairy products they consumed using Free Listing or Free Drawing. The contingency tables were constructed, and the cognitive saliency indexes (CSI) were calculated. Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) was performed, and the RV indices were determined. The adolescents listed/drew 55 dairy products, grouped into 10 categories. The Free Listing method resulted in greater citation frequencies of dairy products. The Free Drawing method resulted in richer and more detailed information, with specifications of the type of product consumed within the category, flavor, type of packaging, and brand. The dairy products with the highest citation frequencies/CSI by adolescents were milk, cheese, and fermented milk. The South and Southeast regions observed greater citation frequencies and diversity of dairy products (prevalence in 6 categories). The CSI did not depend on the method, but it was affected by the region (p < 0.05). The sensory methods showed high similarity considering the categories of dairy products (RV = 0.80) and regions (RV = 0.79). It is concluded that the Free Drawing method proved to be an alternative to Free Listing for evaluating adolescents’ consumption information of dairy products in an intracultural study in Brazil.

Characterization of key aroma-active compounds in fresh and vacuum freeze-drying mulberry by molecular sensory science methods

Mulberry is prone to rapid deterioration, but its quality can be maintained through vacuum freeze-drying. In this study, the aroma compositions of fresh mulberry (FM) and vacuum freeze-dried mulberry (VFDM) were analyzed through headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) coupled with GC×GC–O–TOF-MS. A total of 232 volatiles were detected in FM and VFDM, and the content of volatile compounds in VFDM decreased by at least 21.37 % after drying compared to FM. Additionally, 51 and 50 aroma-active compounds were detected in FM and VFDM, respectively, with 13 aroma-active compounds being identified in FM initially. Based on the aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA) results, 14 compounds with high flavor dilution (FD) factors were accurately quantified by GC–MS. The calculated odor activity value (OAV) showed that a total of 12 compounds significantly contributed to the aroma of mulberry. Finally, aroma recombination and omission experimental results showed that (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, β-ionone, hexanal, and (E)-2-nonenal were the key aroma-active compounds in FM, whereas (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, β-ionone, (E)-2-nonenal, eugenol and ethyl isovalerate were the key aroma-active compounds in VFDM.