Chapter 3 Sensory Evaluation: The Human Factor
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13. Describe the ideal sensory characteristics of a chocolate chip cookie.
14. Why do you think there seems to be a connection between eating
rapidly and gaining excess weight?
15. With all the types of scientifi c testing that can be run on food,
why are taste test panels necessary?
16. Writing. Write a clear, coherent newspaper article or a brochure
on tips for feeding older adults or on aging and tasting. Be sure
the organization and style of your article are appropriate for your
audience. Investigate options for distributing your fi ndings to
caregivers of older adults in your community.
17. Writing. Write a children’s story with the theme of good and/or
bad taste experiences, or comparing cultural food preferences.
18. Research, Speaking. Search for jobs calling for taste testers
and select three that interest you. Make a brief report to the
class identifying the foods and/or beverages being tested and
qualifi cations for each job.
19. Math. As a class, cut out a 1 cm × 1 cm square in a piece of
plastic that can be sanitized. Place the plastic opening on the
tongue. Using a strong magnifying glass and/or mirrors, count
the taste buds visible in the hole. Create a line or bar graph
showing the results.
20. Science. As a class, prepare a soup, stew, sauce, or gravy with a
control (no salt) and the following variations: with salt, with MSG,
with minced mushrooms, and with Asian fi sh sauce. Conduct a
taste test panel to evaluate which variation is preferred by most.
21. Math. Use three types of taste test strips to determine which
class members can taste which chemicals. Tally the results and
create a bar graph comparing the results of the three types of
taste strips.
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