Cheese hardness assessment by experts and untrained judges

Although expert assessment of food characteristics is recognized as a key s tep in product development, the use of consumer based measurements is somet imes recommended as an equivalent to the experts. From cognitive psychology , support of the role of perceptual learning is found in some instances, al though this could not be relevant in others. To address this point performa nce analysis of experts and untrained panelists in cheese texture evaluatio n was carried our. Neither the untrained panelists nor the experts were fam iliar with either the scales or the kind of cheese. The same Cheddar cheese was given to 44 untrained subjects in three trials to assess hardness. The results showed that their judgment has a 29% average random error variance ; the interrater reliability being low. The same experiment gave a random e rror variance of 2% for three highly skilled judges (experts). The differen ce in variance was linked to training. Untrained panelists also showed an a daptation error. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between the average ratings of both groups, whether untrained or experts.