Investigating the Effects of Attribute Frequency and Type in TCATA Testing - ACCE International

Investigating the Effects of Attribute Frequency and Type in TCATA Testing

Introduction:

Building on earlier methods (TQT, CATA, TDS), the TCATA method was introduced to continuously track sensory attributes responsible for the dynamic nature of foods. This method requires assessors to select all sensory attributes that they consider applicable at each moment of the evaluation, and to de-select them when no longer perceived. Although promising, some methodological limitations have been reported and further research was recommended; Specifically, the variance in panelist thresholds for selecting vs. unselecting attributes needed further investigation. Consequently, TCATA Fading was introduced. The ideal number of attributes in the TCATA ballot was also explored due to a concern that assessors were not able to pay attention to all terms when a larger number was considered. However, Jaeger (et al., 2018) stated that increasing the attributes to 15 was not detrimental for product discrimination and both TCATA and TCATA-Fading provided good data quality. The current research further investigated the number of attributes for TCATA. Starting with a short list of four attributes of 3 basic taste mixtures in an apple juice base, the authors then compared the TCATA results for the same apple juice solutions but with additional textural terms for a total of 9 attributes. The TCATA evaluations were completed by a semi-trained panel. This research will further contribute to establishing guidelines for best practice of TCATA methods.