THE MEASUREMENT OF THE RESPONSES TO DIFFERENT ODOR INTENSITIES OF BOAR TAINT USING A SENSORY PANEL AND AN ELECTRONIC NOSE

This study explored the possibility of using an electronic nose (e-nos e) with a 12-conducting-polymer sensor array combined with pattern rec ognition routines to discriminate between varying intensities of boar taint. A set of samples in a model system comprising a neutral lipid b ase containing varying combinations of androstenone and skatole were t ested, as were pork fat samples. The e-nose responses for pork fat wer e calibrated against those given by a trained 10-member sensory panel for abnormal odour of the same samples from a total of 60 Large White cross-bred pigs. The e-nose responses related strongly to those of the sensory panel with a significant (p < 0.01) canonical correlation of 0.78. The data set was used to develop a discriminant function for gro uping pork samples into three 'response classes': normal, doubtful and abnormal. Based on this, the e-nose identified all the abnormal sampl es correctly. However, 16% of the normal samples were also classified as abnormal. It was concluded that, in general, the electronic nose ca n discriminate between different levels of boar taint and that althoug h a high specificity of sensors to androstenone and skatole may be des irable it may not be entirely important to the development and configu ration of a boar taint sensor array. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved