2.8 SENSORY QUALITIES
Sensory evaluation is the science of judging and evaluating the quality of a food by the use of the
senses: taste, smell, sight, touch and hearing. Sensory testing has been developed into a precise,
formal, structured methodology that is continually being updated to refine existing techniques.
The developed methods serve economic interests and can establish the worth or acceptance of a
commodity. Sensory tests offer a course to select the product that optimizes value for money.
Sensory evaluation is used as a practical application in product development by aiding in product
matching, improvements, and grading. Research is another area where sensory evaluation is
frequently used. Evaluation of a product may be needed to determine the affects an experiment
had on its subject. Finally, quality control and marketing is yet another application of sensory
testing (Meilgaard et al., 1999). Sensory attributes of cut-pineapples include texture, colour,
firmness, flavour, odour, taste (sweetness, sourness) and its overall acceptability. The sensory
evaluations of sweetness, taste, and aroma in peach and nectarine fruits of nine different cultivars
were evaluated and compared. The results of the research indicated that sensory evaluation
provides a good tool in the quick assessment of the quality of the fruits (Caloric et al., 2006).
Improving consistency in fresh-cut fruit product flavour and texture may enhance consumers
desire to repeatedly purchase such products.