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Use of rating scales versus check‐all‐that‐apply ballots in quantifying strain‐specific Cannabis aroma
Author(s) -
Gilbert Avery N.,
DiVerdi Joseph A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of sensory studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1745-459X
pISSN - 0887-8250
DOI - 10.1111/joss.12499
Subject(s) - odor , aroma , cannabis , rating scale , set (abstract data type) , psychology , computer science , mathematics , statistics , food science , chemistry , psychiatry , neuroscience , programming language
Previous research using a check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) method to describe the strain‐specific aroma of dried Cannabis flower revealed two major clusters, one characterized as woody, earthy, herbal and the other as citrus, lemon, sweet, and pungent. In this study, participants rated 10 strains (including seven strains not previously tested) using numeric rating scales and a slightly smaller set of odor descriptors. The results confirm the two major scent clusters, and indicate a possible intermediate cluster differentiated by a skunk note. We observed systematic variation in the use of descriptors and rating scales: evaluators who used more odor descriptors tended to assign higher scale ratings. Nevertheless, the CATA and rating scale methods yielded similar results. Practical applications The use of quantitative rating scales to characterize Cannabis aroma produces results similar to those obtained via CATA evaluation, but at the potential cost of increased test session time and perceived effort on the part of panelists. Given the large number of strains awaiting quantitative sensory assessment, the speedier CATA approach seems preferable for establishing strain‐specific aroma profiles and for mapping features of the Cannabis olfactory space. A reduced set of 40 descriptors is adequate to specify cannabis aroma; skunk and diesel are confirmed as valid descriptors.