Reliability of the sensory analysis data of a panel of tasters

A method, the quantum measurement technique, is described which, by means o f the conceptualisation of the information underlying a set of data which a re considered as manifestations of a latent variable or theoretical constru ct, allows one to detect which are the data in sensorial analysis that, aft er obtaining a measure, do not fit the formulated conception. The theoretic al foundation, based on Rasch probability and item response theory (IRT), d etects and quantifies by means of the misfits the data that respond to unex pected scores. A detailed analysis of their residuals aids in finding the c auses of these misfits. The technique is applied to the data of a tasting p anel that form part of the sensory evaluation of virgin olive oil. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.