SENSORY EVALUATION TECHNIQUES FOR MILK
Evaluation of the sensory characteristics of food products has been, and will continue to be, the ultimate method for evaluating product quality. Sensory evaluation is critical for every application of milk. Sensory evaluation of the flavor or at least the aroma of raw milk can identify handling or production problems before milk is processed. In the processing and preparation of commercial milk products, fluid milk may be exposed to multiple unit operations at varying temperatures. In turn, sensory evaluation of the finished milk product helps identify deviations in processing or handling.
The following are common methods used for milk and milk products sensory evaluation.
Quality Judging is the first standardized method for the sensory evaluation of dairy products was dairy product judging and the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) scorecard system.
The modern ADSA milk and cream scorecard grades milk on a 0-to-10 scale, placing milk into categories of excellent (10), good (7–9), fair (4–6), poor (1–3), and unacceptable (0). Points are deducted for specific defects and their perceived intensities.
Descriptive sensory analysis, developed in the 1950s, has slowly replaced quality judging techniques for all published research due to its versatility, specificity, and statistical robustness.
A group of 6 to 12 trained individuals to document the intensities of the sensory attributes of a product. Although traditional quality judging methods imply hedonics, they are not good indicators of consumer liking.
Analytical sensory tests are objective sensory tests that document sensory profiles, sample variability, or other product features free from liking considerations.
These methods can be used to profile products objectively and have been applied extensively to milk. These are discrimination testing like paired-preference, duo-trio, and triangle testing. These are used when changes are made in the process, product parameters and recipe etc. These are widely used in industry.
Consumer-Focused Sensory Tests have been integral in ensuring the acceptability of various dairy products. Consumer tests may be administered with milk and milk products in many ways, but central location tests and home usage tests are the most frequently used tests.
Practical uses of consumer tests include examining the effects of various processing methodologies, flavor additions or fortifications, and shelf life of liquid milk to maintain good consumer acceptance and lead to new product development.
Surveys with emotional check-all-that-apply questions and a just-about-right scale are also used in investigating consumer acceptance of functional or flavored milk beverages.
Instrumental Analysis of Flavors for identifying and quantifying volatile compounds have developed, and they have been applied as tools for understanding the mechanisms behind sensory differences. These methods are used to analyze sensory differences data generated by human panelists.
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