Consumer Evaluation of the Sensory Properties of Fish

A set of 13 sensory attributes for describing cooked fish were identified using data from written surveys and consumer tests. These attributes were applied to the evaluation of 18 common Atlantic species by consumers. The data showed high positive correlations with data previously reported for trained profile panels. The best correlations occurred for the most salient attributes, and cluster analysis for the two sets of data showed the greatest similarity for species possessing these salient attributes. However, regression analysis snowed that trained profile panelists used a wider range of the intensity scale than did consumers. Corresponding data from a written survey of “experts” correlated poorly with both trained and consumer panel data.