2.5. Sensory shelf life test
The evaluation of sensory shelf life took place after approx. 0%, 25%,
50% and 100% of the expected shelf lives for the reference products,
which were: sausage 32 days, bacon 56 days, ham 32 days and salami
90 days.
The sensory shelf life was determined using a survival analysis test.
Consumers (n = 87) were asked to evaluate the products using the
following procedure:
“Open a package and smell it. Do you find it acceptable (yes/no)?
If you find it acceptable, please taste it. Is it acceptable (yes/no)?”
This was done for all three salt levels in a product in randomised
order between consumers. If the product was evaluated as being
acceptable, the consumer was asked to evaluate the product again at
the following assessment (i.e. at 50% or 100% of shelf life). If not, they
exited the assessment process. The consumers were offered white
bread, ketchup (Beauvais tomato ketchup) and mustard (Bähke sweet
yellow mustard) for the sausages, and plain rye bread for the ham and
the salami. The evaluation of the odour of bacon was carried out on
the raw bacon, while the evaluation of the taste was carried out on
the fried bacon.