New perspectives in evaluation of food sensory acceptability: Contrasting direct methods and visual waste assessment as an indirect method in consumer tasting studies

Identifier:  TFM:2301

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFM2301

Authors:  Harazha, Oksana

Abstract:
This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of indirect methods, specifically waste quantification, as complementary tools to traditional hedonic scales for assessing consumer acceptability of food products. The hypothesis proposed an inverse relationship between consumer sensory liking and the amount of product waste generated during tasting sessions. Around 150 consumers participated in the evaluation of four bakery products, using both hedonic scales (appearance, taste, overall liking, etc.) and indirect waste measurements, including visual waste scoring and precise weight quantification. Additionally, data were clustered by tasting session time (morning vs. afternoon) to investigate the influence of physiological hunger on consumption behavior.