DLG-Expert reports: Food Sensory Technology

Part 3 of the ‘Practice guide for sensory panel training’ series of publications describes the high importance of sensory assessor and panel monitoring. Expert sensory assessors, who function in a manner comparable to chemical-physical measuring instruments, require specific calibration before being used as ´test instruments´.

Significance and Perspectives of Digitalisation in Sensory Quality Control and Product Development in the Food Industry

In addition to the modules from the standard that are described in DLG Expert report 7/2017 ‘Practice guide for sensory panel training, Part 1: Requirements in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8586:2014-05’, the objective of this publication is to present examples of possible training plans from the point of view of various target groups or with reference to specific sensory methods.

This expert report is intended to create transparency in a compact form and provide strategies for practical risk prevention and defence.

The content of the following Part 1 of the practical guide, which is focussed on sensory panel selection and training, is structured in modular form so that training units and modules can be selected on a project basis depending on the sensory panel qualification requirements. This is intended to provide exemplary advice concerning practical implementation to sensory analysis specialists and managers who are tasked with sensory panel qualification and work in the fields of food production, commerce, analysis and research institutions, official monitoring and also training and teaching. The content in the following still requires constant adaptation to company- and project-specific circumstances and requirements.

This Expert report illuminates the backgrounds, aids, influencing factors and opportunities of food pairing.

Consumers have clear (although unconscious) expectations of the optical appearance of their food. The appearance of a product is generally the first feature that can be perceived by the senses. Alongside the colour, other appearance factors include the shape, surface condition, transparency or visible texture properties. However, it is the colour that stands out most, that triggers likes or dislikes, and that supplies the first information about the product quality (for instance the ripeness) or about product properties (such as degree of roasting).

The focus of this Expert report lies on the training of the orthonasal smelling, i.e. the perception of volatile flavour compounds in the form of odours.

Reliable detection of androstenone and skatole by human sensory analysis is not possible in every case. However, no usable practical alternatives are currently available on the market. Examples could be chemical or analytical methods, or the use of instrumental sensors.

Notwithstanding the legal deadlines, in the meantime almost all the well-known large customers in the German food retail trade – including discounters – have imposed tougher animal welfare standards – and already from 2017 no longer want to sell meat from castrated pigs or those castrated without anaesthesia. With this, there is the risk of possible, gender-specific taints of the meat occurring.

This Expert report is intended to provide an overview of longstanding and new descriptive methods.

This Expert report aims to answer the following questions:
What kinds of sensory claims are there?
What opportunities for developing sensory claims are offered by the sensory testing methods used for foods?
How can the right wording be found so that consumers and product experts understand the sensory product properties defined in the same way?
What are the critical success factors for “sensory claims”, and what experience exists in other European countries?

This DLG Expert report looks at the special features in sensory analysis of honey. In order to understand these better, the making of honey and its composition are also explored.

Since the first food test conducted in the year 1891, the DLG award system has achieved a high degree of recognition among consumers. This results in the obligation to face a critical public as regards both the theoretical basis and the practical implementation of DLG Quality Tests. The same questions are repeatedly raised in pertinent discussions, in particular regarding the sensory examination and assessment.