Correlating instrumental measurements of texture and flavour release with human perception

Attempts to correlate sensory perception with analytical measurement of the physical or chemical properties of a food are widespread in both industry and academia. Reasons for this are discussed, along with some of the techniques employed. The inter-relationship between instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation in the development and quality control of food products is emphasized. Three examples are drawn from the field of flavour research, where a combination of instrumental and sensory techniques was used for different purposes. Instrumental measures may be used to predict sensory quality within a known design space, provided this has first been validated with appropriate sensory methodology. It is true, however, that a significant correlation between analytical and sensory data does not necessarily imply that a causal relationship exists between the two.