Level: Beginner
Texture is one of the important factors in the deliciousness of food. In gelling agents that give texture to gel foods such as jellies and puddings, various texture designs are possible by adjusting the type and ratio of polymeric polysaccharides. Sensory evaluation is important for developing and proposing gelling agents that meet the needs and trends of manufacturers. However, since there are individual differences in how texture is perceived, if evaluation terms are set subjectively, there is a possibility that appropriate terms will not be selected, or that the person in charge will be strongly biased. In addition, the evaluation criteria may depend on the individual, and there is a risk that there will be differences in the recognition of the characteristics of the gelling agent. In this study, multiple correspondence analysis was used to objectively select evaluation terms and standardize the evaluation criteria. Furthermore, by performing multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, cluster analysis) on the results of sensory evaluation, the texture characteristics of the gelling agent were relatively positioned, and they were visually shared by texture mapping.
He is involved in research and development at Unitec Foods Co., Ltd., which sources pectin and other hydrocolloids, natural food ingredients, and functional ingredients from overseas ingredient manufacturers and provides domestic food manufacturers with know-how on how to utilize them. He is involved in product development and the creation of core technologies through data analysis using statistical analysis.
