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V. DAIROU and J. M. Sieffermann. laboratoire de perception sensorielle, ENSIA, 1, avenue des olympiades, Massy, 91744, France

Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA^®) is the most widely used qualitative and quantitative method in sensory evaluation. However, it remains time-consuming and expensive to set up. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of describing rapidly the sensory properties of a product set by using an original procedure: the flash profile.

This method is based on Free Choice Profiling (FCP), the whole product set being presented simultaneously to the panelists. To compare the efficiency of flash profile with QDA, we set up two different panels. Each panel characterized the same products (red fruit jams). The first panel (13 trained assessors) used the QDA methodology (ISO 11035). Samples were presented in a sequential monadic way. 431 terms were generated, 14 were finally selected. 20 sessions were necessary to complete the experiment. The second panel consisted of 8 assessors experienced in sensory evaluation. Each subject chooses and uses his own words to evaluate the products comparatively. Five sessions only were needed for this experiment (including replications). Both panels evaluated the full product set 3 times. Analysis of variance and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used in order to investigate repeatability.

The data from the two experiments were independently subjected to the appropriate statistical techniques: PCA was used for the QDA data and the generalized procrustes analysis (GPA) for the Flash profile.

Product evaluations proved to be globally similar for the two experiments. Product clustering were the same. The first 3 axes represented more than 85% of sensory information. The first axis represents texture and aspect, the second axis represents flavor and the third the odor.

Flash profile appears to be interesting as an alternative method to evaluate quickly an array of product. However, it should be noticed that the flash profile results are difficult to interpret as in FCP.