Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Materials
Sucrose
Sodium chloride
Citric acid
Caffeine
Deionized water
Score sheet for Test your taste and Test intensity
Methods:
Part A
1. Two sets of samples were prepared to all 20 candidates by following the table
below.
Sample
Descriptor
15.0% sucrose in deionized water
Sweet
0.35% sodium chloride in deionized water
Salty
0.15% citric acid in deionized water
Sour
0.20% caffeine in deionized water
Bitter
2. The experimental design was prepared and the panel size, sample
presentations and balanced serving order were taken into consideration.
3. The disposable Styrofoam cups were labeled with coded numbers prepared
above and approximately 3ml of the samples were poured into the serving
containers respectively.
4. The coded samples were placed randomly on the tray from left to right.
5. The samples were served together with the score sheet.
6. The first set was tasted by the candidates from left to right while holding their
nose and the related descriptors best describe the samples were stated.
7. The candidates were allowed to rest between samples and distilled water was
used to rinse their mouth prior and after tasting a sample.
8. The second set was tasted by the candidates from left to right without holding
their nose and the related descriptors best describe the samples were stated.
Part B
1. The samples were prepared for 20 candidates by following the table below.
Set
1
Attributes
Sweetness
Sourness
Bitterness
References
2.0% sucrose in deionized water
5.0% sucrose in deionized water
10.0% sucrose in deionized water
15.0% sucrose in deionized water
0.05% citric acid in deionized water
0.08% citric acid in deionized water
0.15% citric acid in deionized water
0.20% citric acid in deionized waater
0.05% caffeine in deionized water
0.08% caffeine in deionized water
Name
Sample Code
117
336
598
674
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Joanna Tai
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Tasteless
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Liem Yun Yi
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Yip Li Hui
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Tasteless
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Lau Yi Lian
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Name
Sample Code
557
119
426
537
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Joanna Tai
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Tasteless
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Liem Yun Yi
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Yip Li Hui
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Lau Yi Lian
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
METHOD B
Name
Sample code
Set 1
Set 2
687
468
698
228
235
117
444
543
959
791
789
423
235
698
228
468
423
444
543
117
791
789
959
235
698
228
543
117
444
468
959
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
423
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
698
228
468
423
444
543
959
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
117
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
698
Most sweet/sour/bitter
Least sweet/sour/bitter
Wahid Bin Quayum
Most sweet/sour/bitter
Least sweet/sour/bitter
Chao Zhi Hao
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
687
Set 3
Joanna Tai
Liem Yun Yi
Yip Li Hui
228
468
423
444
543
959
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
117
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
117
228
468
423
444
543
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
459
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
117
444
789
423
228
468
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
543
459
Most sweet/sour/bitter
228
235
117
687
468
423
444
543
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
423
228
468
117
444
543
959
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
698
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
117
228
468
423
444
543
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
117
228
468
698
444
543
959
791
789
423
Least sweet/sour/bitter
Lau Yi Lian
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
959
228
468
698
444
543
423
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
117
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
468
423
228
543
117
444
235
959
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
698
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
698
228
468
117
444
543
423
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
423
228
468
117
444
543
789
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
698
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
423
228
468
117
444
543
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
228
235
117
687
468
423
444
543
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
423
228
468
698
444
543
117
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
117
228
468
423
444
543
698
Least sweet/sour/bitter
791
789
959
Most sweet/sour/bitter
687
235
423
228
468
117
444
789
698
791
543
959
Least sweet/sour/bitter
Discussion
In the experiment using method A, whereby 20 subjects were tested with 4 samples
while holding their nose, it is concluded that 100% of the subjects tasted the correct
taste when they are given 15% sucrose (sweet), 0.35% sodium chloride (salty) and
0.15% citric acid (sour). However, for sample containing 0.20% caffeine, 10% (2
subjects) felt that it was tasteless instead of bitter. The results showed that smell plays
an important role in manifesting the taste. Smell is also said to hit faster than taste. A
single cell runs from the olfactory mucosa in the nose to the olfactory bulb in the
brain. When the nose is held while tasting samples, air stops flowing pass the
olfactory receptors in the nose. Thus, odour compounds remained trapped in the
mouth and cannot be interpreted by the brain, causing sense of smell to stop working.
Sense of taste, which is stimulated by taste receptors cells are usually unaffected
(Dwb.unl.edu 2015). However, the flavour of foods and beverages might be altered in
different individuals. When subjects are not required to hold their noses, 100% of the
subjects tasted the correct taste when they are given the same samples. Only 1 subject
could not taste the bitter taste when given 0.20% caffeine. This might be due to error
present during the preparation of samples.
On the other hand, in the experiment carried out using method B, 20 subjects were
asked to determine the intensity of attributes given in different samples. 3 subjects
could not differentiate the different intensity of sweetness, 5 subjects could not
interpret the intensities of sourness and 13 subjects interpreted the intensities of
bitterness incorrectly. The results showed that the intensities of sweetness could be
perceived more accurately compared to sourness and bitterness. Subjects who are
more sensitive towards the intensities of taste may have denser fungiform papillae
(Reed et al. 2006). From studies carried out, different tastes also have different
thresholds at which they can be detected. Bitterness usually has a lower threshold,
follow up by sourness and sweetness. However, taste thresholds vary between
individuals (Buddies 2015). People are usually more sensitive towards bitterness,
which will help them to detect potentially dangerous substances at much lower
concentration (Purves et al. 2001). In contrast with the theory, from the results
collected, it is shown that bitterness has a higher threshold compared to sourness
follow up by sweetness, with the lowest threshold. This might be due to gustatory
sensitivity that declines with age. Adults tend to consume more salt and spices
compared to children. The decrease in sensitivity might also be problematic for older
adults with electrolyte imbalance (Purves et al. 2001). Additionally, there might be
errors due to coding by the people who conducted the QDA session, which lead to the
inaccuracy of the results obtained.
Conclusion
Smell plays a significant role in testing taste as it allows air to flow through the
olfactory receptors and odour compounds to be interpreted by the brain. However, the
ability of detecting difference of intensity in taste varies among individuals. It may
also be due to several factors such as aging, ethnicity, gender and medications.
Theoretically, bitterness has a higher threshold compared to sourness and sweetness.
Reference
Available
from:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-taste-thresholds/
[Accessed 13 Sep 2015].
2. Dwb.unl.edu, 2015. Taste
And
Smell
[online].
Available
from:
http://dwb.unl.edu/teacher/nsf/C10/C10Links/ericir.syr.edu/Projects/Newton/11/tst
esmll.html [Accessed 13 Sep 2015].
3. Lawless, H. and Heymann, H. (2010). Sensory evaluation of food. New York:
Springer.
4. Purves, D., Augustine, G., Fitzpatrick, D., Katz, L., LaMantia, A., McNamara, J.
and Williams, S., 2001. Taste Perception in Humans. Sinauer Associates.
5. Reed, D., Tanaka, T. and McDaniel, A., 2006. Diverse tastes: Genetics of sweet
and bitter perception. Physiology & Behavior, 88 (3), 215-226.
6. TheFreeDictionary.com, (2015). sensory threshold. [online] Available at:
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/sensory+threshold [Accessed 12
Sep. 2015].
7. Walker, L. (2005). Understanding Senses in Sensory Evaluation. FONA
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