CHALLENGES OF EVALUATING SENSORY ATTRIBUTES IN THE PRESENCE OF OFF‐FLAVORS (GEOSMIN AND 2‐METHYLISOBORNEOL)

The impact of 2‐methylisoborneol (MIB) (earthy/musty), on the flavor evaluation of farm‐raised catfish was assessed by a descriptive analysis panel, who are trained to evaluate flavor intensity using universal scales. Ideally, panelists should give the same intensity ratings for all attributes within a sample. Realistically, individual panelists perceive flavor intensity differently, because of variations in detection thresholds, adaptation, fatigue and enhancement or suppression. Experiments were designed to investigate problems associated with evaluating catfish flavor. Samples “spiked” with MIB had lower chickeny flavor than unspiked. Intensities of MIB in spiked samples that followed an equally spiked sample were lower. Problems can occur when catfish are presented at intervals less than 7 min. Panelists experienced difficulty in determining intensity differences of MIB flavor between sessions, but could determine differences in intensity of MIB within a session. These influences must be accounted for in experimental designs to assess catfish flavors.