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Unit 1 The Science of Food
Purpose
Food preferences are based on experience, fl avor, advertisements,
peer pressure, culture, and habits. One goal of setting up a taste test
is to prevent all these factors from affecting food choices of test panel
members. After conducting taste tests, food scientists must determine
how to overcome factors that may interfere with the sales of new
products. In this lab, you will practice evaluating food samples.
Supplies
napkin
paper plate
3 numbered samples of soft drinks
3 numbered samples of crackers
3 numbered samples of chocolate chips
glass of lukewarm water
Procedure
1. Without any discussion with classmates, circulate through the
tasting stations set up by your teacher or select one serving of
each item as it is brought to you.
2. Take a small bite of a food sample and chew it for at least
20 seconds or take a small swallow of a drink sample and swirl
it in your mouth for at least 20 seconds.
3. Evaluate the aroma, color, texture (or carbonation for soft drinks),
and fl avor of samples. Record your evaluations in a data table,
using a ranking of 1 (worst) to 5 (best) for each characteristic.
Also note any specifi c observations for each characteristic.
Experiment 3B
Taste Test Panel
Safety
• Wash hands before handling food.
• Dispose of leftover food in proper
garbage containers.
• Clean all surfaces and equipment with
hot soapy water.