Anchored ratio scale values in the assessment of perceived sweetness,bitterness and chocolate flavour intensity in chocolate confetti and flakes

The sensory profile of a particular food product depends on the context of sensations of the products with which that particular product is compared. This implies that the profile obtained is only valid for the period of time during which the physicochemical composition of each of the investigated products remains constant. This disadvantage can be overcome by assessing the perceived intensities of the products within the context of clearly defined physicochemical stimuli which are known to elicit a constant sensory impression over a long period of time. In the present study the perceived sweetness of 16 brands of chocolate confetti and flakes was anchored and assessed within the context of different sucrose solutions by 31 subjects. The bitterness and chocolate flavour intensities were anchored and assessed within the contexts elicited by different solutions of a mixture of quinine sulphate and caffeine, and cocoa powder/sucrose solutions, respectively. The subjective intensities were assessed on a validated ratio scale by making use of a functional measurement approach. Any changes in the sweetness, bitterness or chocolate flavour intensities of these products are now detectable over a long period of time.