An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: II. Sensory evaluation by trained panels in seven European countries

The aim of the present study (part of an EU AIR programme on boar taint) wa s to make objective the perception of boar taint in entire male pork, and t o relate the perception to skatole and androstenone levels. Trained analyti cal sensory panels in seven European countries assessed pig meat with known levels of androstenone and skatole. The panels performed a sensory profili ng using the attributes pig, urine, manure/stable, naphthalene/mothballs, r ancid, sweet, sweat and abnormal, both for odour and flavour in separate se ssions. It turned out to be difficult to harmonise sensory methodology for seven sensory panels throughout the EU, especially with respect to the exac t level of training the panellists received. Sensory panels in general were able to differentiate between the two compounds and between different leve ls of the compounds, though substantial differences between the panels in t he different countries existed. Androstenone was found to relate mostly to the urine attribute, while skatole related mostly to manure and, to a lesse r extent, to naphthalene (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .