Abstract
This study investigated the potential for using an electronic tongue (e-tongue) as an objective analytical tool for assessing the palatability of different commercial liquid milk brands in South Africa. We analyzed three different brands of several varieties using a potentiometric e-tongue system equipped with cross-selective taste sensors to evaluate the e-tongue’s potential in food analysis. To establish baseline responses, the sensor array was calibrated using standard taste solutions that included sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami tastes. Milk samples procured from a local supermarket were assessed under controlled temperature conditions of 4°C and 20°C to establish if temperature affected palatability perception. Applying Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to multivariate data yielded significant findings and allowed us to distinguish between milk samples and identify key taste attributes contributing to product palatability differences. The e-tongue could discriminate between milk brands with 92.7% accuracy, which is significantly aligned with human sensory panel evaluations (r = 0.86, p < 0.001) and may be a valuable tool for food technology and sensory analysis professionals. Preliminary data show that low-fat fresh ultra-pasteurized, full-cream fresh ultra-pasteurized, and full-cream fresh pasteurized milk were almost similar in taste, as sample plots on the PC biplot were close. The lactose-free medium cream milk taste was different. Identifying specific taste profiles related to sweetness, umami, and bitter aftertaste can guide product development to meet consumer preferences and improve shelf-life determination. This study validates using an e-tongue as a complementary tool to traditional sensory evaluation methods for milk quality assessment.
Presenters
Omobolanle OmotesoPostdoctoral Research Fellow, Division of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Rhodes University., Eastern Cape, South Africa Lesibana Sethoga
Rhodes University, South Africa Handsome Ndlovu
Rhodes University, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Electronic tongue, Liquid milk, Palatability assessment, Sensory analysis, Dairy products
