Sensory Evaluation of Walnut: An Interlaboratory Study

Abstract

This work summarizes an interlaboratory study on full sensory profiling designed with the aim of finding some key attributes relevant to describe the sensory quality of walnuts. The study compared descriptive sensory profiling by different laboratories in different countries (Spain, France and Italy) Three trained panels in those European countries in the characterization of walnuts were used. Samples of walnuts belonging to different cultivars were harvested from experimental fields and some commercial lots. Multivariate methods (generalized procrustes analysis and varclus procedure) of analysis were used for extracting useful sensory information about the products and the variability between the panels. The descriptive profiles generated by the panels independently showed some analogies and provided similar product classification.