Emerging Methods for the Evaluation of Sensory Quality of Food: Technology at Service

Abstract

Abstract Purpose of Review Sensory evaluation holds vital significance in the food sector. Typically, humans conduct sensory analysis. Humans, being the ultimate consumers, assess food traits effectively. However, human judgment is influenced by various factors. Hence, countering subjectivity is crucial for objective evaluation while retaining hedonic insights. Recent Findings Food’s sensory assessment primarily employs humans. Various techniques differentiate, depict, or rank food. Modern sensory tools, aiming to enhance objectivity and reliability, are emerging to supplement or supplant human assessment. This advance can bolster quality, consistency, and safety by mimicking human senses such as smell, taste, and vision, mitigating risks tied to human assessors. Summary This paper provides a review about sensory analysis of food using technological methodologies. A review of different technological tools to analyze sensory characteristics of food, as well as a discussion of how those technological tools can relate to humans’ perception of food is presented.