Comparison of Four Sensory Evaluation Methods for Assessing Cooked Dry Bean Flavor

Flavor profile analysis (FPA), category scaling (CS), magnitude estimation (ME), and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) were compared in evaluating seven cultivars of cooked dry beans. Statistical analyses indicated that FPA, CS and QDA evaluated the beans similarly, but at different levels of flavor intensity. The methods revealed differences between beans in some characteristics but not in others. ME data (not analyzed statistically) supported results from FPA, CS and QDA except for one cultivar. There were slight differences in acceptability ratings following flavor evaluation by FPA, CS, QDA and ME. Variation between subjects was highly significant in all three methods, but subjects used the methods similarly and consistently. Choice of method thus depends on type, amount and depth of sensory information required.