SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1968
STP34107S

Limitation of Present Objective Techniques in Sensory Characterization

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Instrumental-sensory correlation techniques are assuming greater importance in taste and odor research by food, beverage, water quality control, and other laboratories. Limitations are imposed by analytical procedures and devices. It is not adequate to consider only the minimum detectable or quantitatively reproducible amount of a substance by a given instrumental analytical procedure. Preliminary sampling, handling, and concentration steps are critical. With few exceptions, the more sensitive individuals in the population are responsive to taste and odor stimuli at concentrations not readily measured by the most advanced presently available analytical units. Concentration procedures such as solvent extraction or freeze concentration are usually necessary. Concentration steps must not alter chemical structure of the individual organics nor change the relative distribution in a mixture. Analytical operating parameters must be selected to avoid creation of artifacts which were not originally present. For example, in gas-liquid Chromatographic analyses, decomposition of thermal labile organics, selective column adsorption-desorption, partition interference and “ghosting” through Van der Waal's or chemisorption forces are among the problems to be avoided. The sensitivity and typical applications of various instrumental analytical procedures, including Chromatographic and spectrographic techniques is critically examined.

Author Information

Baker, RA
Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Developed by Committee: E18
Pages: 87–107
DOI: 10.1520/STP34107S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4576-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-9010-8