[Background] The yogurt market has grown significantly in recent years due to the increasing health consciousness. As consumer needs diversify, a wide range of products with different textures and functionality are available on the market. In this study, we conducted sensory evaluations, physical properties, and taste evaluations of commercially available yogurt, and statistically analyzed the obtained data to clarify its sensory characteristics. Furthermore, we constructed a predictive model using physical properties and attempted to explore features that are thought to contribute to sensory characteristics.
[Method] Physical properties were evaluated by dynamic viscoelasticity measurement, viscosity measurement, and particle size distribution measurement, and feature values were extracted. Taste evaluation was performed using a taste sensor and sensory evaluation. A commercial product positioning map was created by multivariate analysis of these data. A physical property value model representing the sensory evaluation was constructed using PLS regression.
[Results] The positioning map positioned each sample based on the similarity of texture and taste, and visualized the relationships and characteristics. Furthermore, the model formula using PLS regression revealed the physical properties that contribute to the sensory characteristics. This indicated the possibility of understanding the sensory characteristics of commercially available yogurt and applying it to product development.
