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Developing and validating a universal descriptive language for cheddar cheese |
M. A. DRAKE, Dept. of Food Science, Mississippi State Univ., Herzer Bldg., Rm. 202, Box 9805, Mississippi State, MS 39762-9805 and G. V. Civille, Sensory Spectrum, Inc., Chatham, NJ 07928. Today's competitive food products demand that companies meet industrial or consumer needs. Competitive marketing involves providing specific flavor and texture properties tailored to consumer demands and preferences. To accurately interpret research results, a descriptive sensory language is required. Further, to accurately communicate or reproduce results at different sites, a uniform anchored descriptive language with definitions, references, and a standard scaling system is needed. A uniform anchored sensory language for Cheddar cheese was developed and refined from more than 300 Cheddar cheeses. The language has been applied to studies with adjunct cultures as well as to further understanding of cheese flavor chemistry. Results from panels at three different sites indicated that accurate communication was achieved. Our goal in the dairy industry is to link technology of production to specific functional properties. To achieve this goal requires fundamental analytical chemistry research as well as consumer preference mapping. The use of uniform anchored descriptive languages provides the link to bridge these areas of research.
Session 33, Sensory evaluation of dairy flavors
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