Evaluation of Color in Smoked Cheese by Sensory and Objective Methods

Surface color is one of the major attributes affecting the consumer acceptance of smoked cheeses. The colors of smoked Cheddar and Swiss cheeses were evaluated by subjective and objective methods to determine consumer perception and acceptance for surface color and to correlate consumer panel ratings with Hunter color dimensions. Hunter L, a, and b values for light to dark, red to green, and yellow to blue, respectively, correlated well with the descriptive panel perception of surface color for smoked Cheddar and smoked Swiss cheeses. Smoked Cheddar and Swiss cheeses with L values between 32 and 48 were rated more acceptable by panelists.