COMPARISON OF METHODOLOGY APPLIED TO THE SELECTION OF A PANEL FOR SENSORY EVALUATION OF INSTANT COFFEE

Twenty judges performed a variety of chemosensory tasks in order to se lect the best scores to form a panel for coffee evaluation. An average of correct responses (P%), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and p rincipal components analysis (PCA) were compared. The tests involved: ability to recognize the four basic tastes, identification and matchin g of odors, taste intensity evaluation and perception of small differe nces in taste. P% accounted for 71.17 +/- 4.34% and 10 of the judges h ad scores greater than the final average. ANOVA and PCA resulted in 2 different panels consisting of 9 and 12 judges, respectively. The pane l was composed by the nine panelists selected by the three methods. Th e other three panelists that were doubtful could improve to the paint of acceptance with additional training. These methods should be used s imultaneously to have more security in the acceptance or rejection of panelists.