Sensory panel consistency during development of a vocabulary for warmed-over flavour

A sensory vocabulary of 20 terms each with a corresponding reference materi al was developed over 7 sessions using pork patties derived from the meat o f carriers and non-carriers of the RN- gene. Patties were oven-cooked at 15 0 and 170 degreesC and chill-stored for up to 5 days to facilitate warmed-o ver flavour development. Generalised Procrustes Analysis (GPA) was used to investigate sensory terms and their individual use by panellists over the s essions. GPA explained variance indicated that the final vocabulary display ed a similar amount of information to that of the initial vocabulary of 42 terms. Individual panellists scale use was found to converge over the sessi ons. Panel agreement on many odour and flavour terms appeared to be enhance d as term synonyms were removed in vocabulary development. Sample discrimin ability decreased from sessions 1-4. where term concepts were verbally comm unicated to the panel. Term reference introduction in session 5 caused a le velling in sample discriminability and a reduction in agreement, most likel y related to perceptual confusion. Subsequently, references enhanced both d iscriminability and agreement. Thus, it may be more useful to introduce ref erence materials earlier, if not in the first session, of the vocabulary de velopment process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.