SENSORY EVALUATION AS A TOOL IN DETERMINING ACCEPTABILITY OF PROCESSED LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

This paper discusses how university students were able to use sensory evaluation to determine the acceptability of new and innovative food products they developed. The report presents the individual cases where each entrepreneurial student: designed and chose a sensory evaluation method, designed their sensory questionnaire, determined their panel group size, and conducted statistical analysis on the data they collected. Since this was a pilot testing of the new and innovative food products, consumer oriented testing methods were chosen and a panel group of twenty was determined to be appropriate. Samples were presented to panelists in an appropriate test area, on an appropriate tray, at the right time and conditions (temperature) and with a well-designed scorecard/questionnaire. Data was collected from several different type of sensory evaluation tests including: hedonic ratings, food action rating, descripting rating, paired comparison and descriptive profiling. The data collected were treated statistically, for example by using two-tailed binomial test, and interpreted, thus allowing for valid information that can prove product quality and acceptability to be presented to any product development and marketing departments in any food and beverage company that may wish to adopt and produce these products. After conducting their evaluations and statistical analyses, the students determined and concluded that the products they presented to the panelists were acceptable but had room for improvement and also that the panelists had a highly positive attitude toward eating the products and even purchasing these if they were to become available on the market