Perception of Bread: A Comparison of Consumers and Trained Assessors

The main objective of this study was to investigate consumers' perception of bread and to compare the used vocabulary with descriptive attributes used by a trained panel. Perceived appropriateness of breads were also studied and related to the sensory perception. Seven different types of bread were chosen for the study. The breads were presented to 30 consumers, and the repertory grid method was used to obtain information about sensory perception and appropriateness of use. The breads were also presented to a trained sensory panel performing sensory profiling. Multivariate analyses of the data showed that the latent structure in consumers' perception of a selection of breads was similar to the latent structure in a trained panel's perception of the same breads. For verbal description of the texture, the 2 panels used many identical words. Moreover, multivariate analyses revealed the relationship between consumers' perception of the breads and the appropriateness of use.