Sharing knowledge with my cohabitants

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Sharing knowledge with my cohabitants

My other three friends (Dan, Ken, and Tip) are to help me conduct a sensory evaluation of food by looking at various sensory aspects surrounding the specific day food. Since my other family members lack enough knowledge regarding the sensory assessment of food, I had to make sure they are at least aware of what to do to enhance their maximum cooperation. Sensory evaluation of food involves measuring statistically and analytically the sensory aspect evoked by certain foods such as sight, smell, taste, and hearing. This enables the learner to interpret reactions to characteristics of food materials, which influences individual appetite, thus dietary intake.

General Sensory Evaluation

Various dietary aspects would be evaluated based on the test on the following nutritional, sensory aspect. Since coming up with a consumer panel of many people is not possible due to the pandemic, physical distancing, and total lockdowns. I, therefore, use my available group of three immediate neighbors and friends. Dietary characteristics that determine the consumer liking and disliking that specific aspect are to be keenly evaluated. For instance, food color, aroma, appearance, flavor, the texture or mouthfeel, and the general acceptance or consumer satisfaction of the dietary aspect. The study would be conducted over two meals, lunch and dinner, to enhance sufficiency in the results. During lunch, I decided to serve them steamed brown rice, fried chicken thighs with skin, and lettuce. They would also enjoy a glass of Coca-cola and extra hot chili. During the dinner, I would serve fried fish, apple juice, a cup each, and noodles and cabbage.

I afterward selected four food aspects and decided to conduct the sensory evaluation experiment among the three friends, and I included them. I then gave them blank templates to fill what they perceive about the dietary aspect, which would then be useful in estimating the general sensory factor and how they influence the nutritional habits of an individual. The following foods were selected for the test. During lunch, we chose steamed brown rice, chicken thighs, and broccoli. For dinner, fried fish, mango juice, and cabbage completed the list.  The result would be based on a hedonic scale to show consumer satisfaction, as shown below.

Findings

Below my results of the test

Table I

Table III: Ken’s degree of liking

Table IV: Tip’s overall degree of liking

Table V: Dan’s overall degree of liking

Appearance

According to the results, the general appearance of a particular type of food influences its consumer choice. From the findings as a representative of the general population, the panelist tends to attribute the color, which is a constituent of public appearance, with a high degree of choice and repeatability and minimal bias. Everitt says that the degree of liking measured on the hedonic scale predicts acceptance only and effectively (119). For instance, from the four of us appearance of the vegetables is not very pleasant; thus, the degree of acceptance is also low.

Aroma

The olfactory sense of smell is directly proportional to the degree of acceptance or the consumer satisfaction of the food. The primary concern of measuring the scent on the hedonic scale is to determine the degree of acceptance relationship with the aroma of food. For instance, Ken is a vegetarian, and he hates the smell of anything associated with meat. For me, I have tried fish several times, but I have concluded that it is not my type of diet. The smell of fish affects my appetite for other foods. On the other hand, Dan enjoys the aroma of fish and chicken but has a strong dislike for cabbage and other vegetables.

Flavor

The flavor of food is dependent on the factors discussed above. Look, for instance, Ken being a vegetarian, hates the appearance of any food associated with flesh. He could not appreciate the flavor of the meat. My phobia for the smell of fish affects the total consumption characteristics of fish. Therefore, fish appearance, taste, aroma, and texture changes the general acceptance of the specific food directly. The liking and preference of food are dependent on all sensory aspects of food.

Other Factors

Robino et al. acknowledge that the genetic and makeup and environmental factors contribute to the individual food choices (1735). For example, Tip being the only female in the group, took the least proportion of food. She is in the late adolescent stage, and her urge for food is decreasing. On the other hand, Dan is growing, and his appetite is still high. He is not choosy and consumes nearly every type of food. The cultural affiliation of an individual affects what they prefer. I was a bit lucky to have two main cultural groups in my panel. There is a similarity in Ken’s choice and likes with my own. At the same time, Tip and Dan have similar meal preferences, which supports the fact that different cultures determine the dietary characteristics of an individual.

Final Reflections and Thoughts

The experimental learning has helped me recognize the importance of appreciating the consumers’ decisions and preferences in the current food system. These studies clearly show the real-life situation and are form a basis of proof of the classwork. Due to physical distancing principals and restriction of many social activities, it is not possible to eliminate bias from experimental studies. More frequent and well planned experimental studies can be of great use not only in enforcing what is learned in class but also in enabling a learner to appreciate diversities in the society.

Work Cited

Robino, Antonietta, et al. “A Brief Review of Genetic Approaches to the Study of Food Preferences: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.” Nutrients 11.8 (2019): 1735.

Everitt, Margaret. “Consumer-targeted sensory quality.” Global issues in food science and technology. Academic Press, 2009. 117-128.