FQA Lecture 4

 deals with the sense of feel, or touch.

 Texture is a quality attribute of food that is
associated with one’s sense of feel using either
touch of the fingers or mouthfeel.
 Texture, tenderness, crispness and or firmness are
some of the more important attributes of quality in
foods.
 Differences in texture and physical properties of
food is attributed to:
1. inherent differences within varieties or
cultivars
2. differences due to maturity-ripeness
3. differences due to harvesting and or
handling-holding following harvest.
4. differences caused by processing methods.
 Serves as basis for determination of raw
material quality.
 Used for predicting finished product quality
 Provides indicator for detection of
deterioration of finished products with
increase in storage time.
 Predicts consumer responses
 serve as basis for determining packaging
requirements.
1. Based on Human senses
a. Finger feel- firmness, softness or yielding
quality, juiciness
b. Mouthfeel- chewiness, fibrousness, grittiness,
mealiness, stickiness, oiliness

2. Based on measurement by Objective methods:

a. Compression-the squeezing together of test
materials so that it will remain as a single or
individual unit but may occupy less volume

b. Shearing- the application of force where the test

material is separated into 2 or more parts with one
part sliding beyond the other part.
 c. Cutting- occurs when force is applied in
such a way that the test unit is divided, so
that the portions remains in their original
position in relation to each other.

d. Tensile Strength- the application of force

away from the material rather than toward
the material, when force is applied to pull the
test material apart.
A. Instrumental Methods
1. Measurement of Force
a. Puncture Tester- for crispness
b. Fruit Pressure Tester-firmness of fruits
c. Penetrometer- for tenderness

2. Juiciness of Fruits
a. Succulometer
b. Moisture Tester
c. Specific Gravity Measurement
 3. Measurement of Tenderness/ Toughness
a. Tenderometer
b. Texturemeter- used for lima beans, snap
beans celery, okra and peas to
determine maturity index
c. Maturometer- also for maturity index
B. Physical-Chemical Methods
1. Moisture Content determination
2. Alcohol insoluble solids determination- for
chewiness and mealiness of the product.
3. Crude Fiber determination- fibrousness
 4. Grit determination
5. Density Measurement

C. Other Methods:
1. Color Measurement
2. Consistency assessment
3. Sound as a measure of Kinesthetic
properties-
 an appearance property attributed to the
spectral distribution of light.
 Glossiness, Transparency, Haziness and Turbidity
are properties of materials attributed to the
geometric manner to which light is reflected and
transmitted.

 Color is a charcteristic of light and measurable in

terms of intensity( radiant energy) and wave
length. It arises from the presence of light in
greater intensities at some wave lengths than at
others. It is limited to the band of spectrum from
380-770 millimicrons ( mu) which is the visible
spectrum of the human eye. No color will be seen
in the dark.
 Light may be reflected, transmitted,
absorbed, or refracted by the object being
illuminated.
 White object- results when all the radiant
energy in the visible spectrum is reflected
from an opaque surface.
 Gray object- results if light is partially
absorbed more or less equally across the
entire visible spectrum.
 Black object- results if the light is completely
absorbed.
 Blue object- arises if shorter wave lengths
,400-500 mu are reflected to a greater extent
than the other wave lenghts

 Red object-arises with greater reflection at

longer wave lengths of 600-700 mu

 Green or Yellow-arises from maximum

reflection of light in the medium wave
lengths.
 UV . . . . . . Less than 400 nm
 Violet . . . . . 400-450 nm
 Blue . . . . . 450-500 nm
 Green . . . . . 500-570 nm
 Yellow . . . . . 570-590 nm
 Orange. . . . . 590-620 nm
 Red ..... 620-760 nm
 Infrared . . . . Greater 760 nm
 12 16
 10 - 10 - Long Radio waves
9 12
10 - 10 - Short Wave and TV
7 9
10 - 10 - Radar and Microwaves
6 10
10 - 10 - Short Radio Waves
3 5
10 - 10 - Infrared
3
10 - - - - Visible Light
2
10 - 10 - Ultraviolet
-3 2
10 - 10 - X-rays
 The color perceived when the eye views an
illuminated object depends on:
 1. the spectral composition of the light
source .
 2. the chemical and physical characteristics
of the object or the colorant.
 3. the spectral sensitivity characteristic of the
viewer’s eye
 1. production of standard quality product.
 2. for trade and standards.
 3. serves as index of product maturity .
 4. indicates flavor or consistency specifications for
some products.

Color Measuring Instruments/ Methods:

1.Spectrophotometer
2.Munsell Color System
3.Hunter Color and Color Difference Meter
4.Abridged Methods- use of Color comparators like
Ridgway Charts; Maerz and Paul Color Dictionary;
USDA Color Standards
5. Colorimeter-
6. Chemical Methods-
 Importance of Evaluation/ Assessment:

1. To determine suitable cultivars of fruits or

vegetables for processing.
2. To determine maturity levels of the crops
3. For product formulation, processing
methods.
4. For marketing and grading
5. For storage stability of the processed
product.
 This attribute is oftenly evaluated using sensory
methods and are difficult to evaluate using
instumental methods.

 Taste –consists of the basic taste sensations as

sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.

 Flavor is a composite sensation of odor and taste

and mouthfeel.
◦ Sweet taste - tip of the tongue;
◦ salty –edges in the front part;
◦ Sour -backward side edges
◦ Bitter-back of the tongue.
◦ Umami is a combination of salty and sweet taste as noted
in MSG.
 Methods of Measurement:
A. Instrumental or Objective Methods
 Taste : Sweet- Brix meter, Brix Hydrometer,
Hand Refractometer
Acidity- pH meter, pH hydrion Paper,
Titratable Acidity
Salty - Salinometer, Na
determination using Flame
photometer
Bitter- using a reference standard
solution of Quinine sulfate.
Use of Gas Chromatography- widely used for
quality control purposes for the following
reasons:
1. Identification of Components
2. Product Identification
3. Flavor Acceptability
B. Subjective methods- Human Evaluation
C. Other Methods:
1. Ascorbic Acid retention
2. Turbidity of washings
3. pH changes
4. Presence of enzyme activity
5. Stage of Development or Maturity of the
product.
 1. Consumer Acceptance Test- used when a
new product is being developed; or a change
in the manufacturing procedure of the
standard product.
 This is also used for constant quality
checking of the manufactured product versus
competitors products.

 Disadvantage: The large number of subjects

to whom samples must be submitted to
obtain reliable and meaningful results.
 2. Panel Difference – Uses a panel of judges
and is adapted to small operations or lab
testing. This has two fundamental
requirements:
a. Selection of a panel that can detect the 4
basic taste.
b. Ability of the panel members to repeat
or duplicate themselves at any particular
threshold level.
 Testing should be limited to 4-10 samples per
session and at least 30 min between each session for
flavor evaluation.
 - This indicates an individuals endpoint
relative to one’s perception of a given
stimulus. Although not a direct measure of
sensitivity, it can nevertheless serve as an
indicator of degree of accuity.
 Detection/difference Threshold- a point at
which a minimum concentration of a stimulus
is detected 50% of the time in a series of
dilutions.
 Just Noticeable Difference Threshold- is that
concentration of a substance where the
slightest increase or decrease in the amount
of a stimulus can be barely detected by 50%
of the panelists evaluating the series.
 Recognition Threshold- the minimum
concentration at which a stimulus is identified
as the specific substance being evaluated,
50% of the time.
 Absolute Threshold- the point at which no
change in sensation can be detected
regardless of the amount of increase in
concentration of the stimulus.
 Panelist with very low threshold levels are considered
extremely sensitive and may not be representative of
judges of normal tastes. Those found to be very erratic
in judgment are considered either of low sensitivity or
with poor power of concentration.
 As a general guide in evaluating each
subject’s ability to detect and differentiate
between the four solutions, the following
show the average person’s ability to
discriminate in relation to flavor:
Basic Taste Dilutions
Sour: 0.0027-0.0081 M B5-B7
Salty: 0.0810-0.2430 M A4-A9
Sweet:0.0320-0.0640 M C3-C5
Bitter: 0.0080-0.0032 M D2-D4
 Those who experience difficulty in identifying
higher concentrations should not be asked to serve
on product taste panels where meaningful results
are desired.
 The property of a substance that is perceived
in the human and higher vertebrates by
inhalation in the nasal or oral cavity that
makes an impression upon the olfactory area
of the body and as a result of such inhalation,
is distinct from seeing, hearing, tasting or
feeling and does not cause or result in
choking, cooling, warmth, drying, wetting or
other functions foreign to the olfactory
nerves. Odor is a valuable index to the quality
of a food and even to its wholesomeness and
edibility.
 Considered the most important quality
parameter of foods.
 Classification of Odor ( Accdg. To Henning)
1. Spicy- cloves, anise, black pepper, chili,
2. Flowery- heliotrope, Coumarine,
3. Fruity- Orange, Citronella, strawberry,
jackfruit, grapes, etc.
4. Resinous or Balsamite-turpentine,
Eucalyptus oil, Canadian Balsam
5. Burnt- pyridine, Tar, smoke flavor
6. Foul – sulphuretted hydrogen, Carbon
bisulfide, H2S.
 Food Technologists must be aware of the
transitions that takes place in foods to
prevent the development of undesirable
aromas. Some of the transitions are the
following:
1. Transfer of odors from one food to
another.
2. Absorption of odors from the package or
environment.
3. Changes produced by processing into
currently marketable items.
4. Alterations caused by the treatments
used to prevent microbial decomposition.
 5. Changes resulting from the inherent life
processes of respiring fruits and vegetables.
 6. Modifications caused by high and low
temperatures and high and low humidity.
 7. Changes produced by the impact of
visible and invisible radiant energy.
 8. Alterations resulting from chemical or
enzymatic reactions within food tissues.
 9. Atmospheric Oxidation.
 10. Changes brought about by microbial
decomposition of bacteria, yeasts, and molds.
 A. Objective Method:
1. Electromagnetic Radiation
2. Spectrograph
3. Hygrometry
4. Stinkometer
5. Gas-Liquid Chromatography
B. Subjective Evaluation:
1. Direct Testing-Inhaling/ Smelling for a
period of 2-3 seconds with both nostrils open.
2. Moistening- Sprinkle sample lightly with
water then smell or store sample at 70-80 F or at
100F in an odorless glass jar for 24 hrs. then
test.