The influence of sensory training on taste sensitivity

Peer-reviewed | Manuscript received: March 10, 2015 | Revision accepted: September 21, 2015

Effects on sweet and bitter perception over a half-year period

Introduction

Over a period of decades, the sensory testing of foods has been established and has proven its worth in product development and in guaranteeing defined product quality. This mainly employs analytical procedures under controlled test conditions and with selected and trained test persons (TPs) (• Figure 1).

To save money and time, analytical tests are mostly only performed in larger companies that can manage the difficult development of a specified panel. Smaller companies may use service providers or often totally dispense with sensory analysis [2]. Many people have therefore asked how sensory methods, recruitment, and training can be simplified and abbreviated. It has been generally accepted that about five or six times as many people must be recruited than are actually needed [3]. For example, people are excluded from the start if they are not willing or available, or if their sensory or cognitive abilities (e.g. the ability to express themselves) do not meet the demands.

Summary

The sensory abilities of test persons must be regularly tested and trained. However, there are no basic data available on the effect of training on the perception and recognition of the basic tastes. The present controlled study examines whether the perception of the basic tastes sweet and bitter can be influenced by sensory training and whether this effect extends over a study break of 29 weeks. The intervention group (n = 41) received intensive sensory training over the course of a week. The results from a matching test and threshold tests were compared with a control group (n = 35). It was found that the perception and recognition of both groups improved during the study. Thus, experience and habituation could influence this just as much as sensory training. Moreover, the “sensory break” of 29 weeks had hardly any influence on the training and experience effect.

Keywords: sensory analysis, training, experience, thresholds, basic tastes

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