Importance of the role of physical and sensory analysis in quality control and food processing. Application of physical and sensory analysis to food quality. Sensory analysis: introduction to sensory analysis. Physiology of the sense organs. Psychophysiology of perception: perception thresholds, responses to stimuli, different sensitivities, physiological and psychological errors. Sensory attributes of foods. The sensory analysis laboratory. The sensory analysis judges: selection and training. Use of measurement scales. Methods of sensory analysis: discriminant, descriptive and affective tests. Preference and acceptability test. Basic and advanced statistical techniques applied to sensory analysis of food. Application and solving problems of sensory analysis in companies.
Food texture analysis: rheology of materials. Physical properties of food products: stress, deformation, Young modulus. Food viscosity: Newtonian and non-newtonian fluids. Viscoelasticity on foods. Food texture measurement: capillary type and rotational viscometers, alveograph, farinograph, extensograph. Texture analyser for cutting-shear test, compression, puncture test, TPA (Texture profile Analysis). Correlation among physical measurements and sensory evaluation.
Color analysis of foods. Color perception. Light and interaction with food. Color spaces: C.I.E. system, Munsell, Yxy. Instrumental measurement of color and color difference, color variation causes. Colorimetric instrumentation: tristimulus colorimetry and spectrophotometry. Food and color changes during processing and storage. Image analysis (Image analysis): objectives, instrumentation and application on foods.
Electronic nose and electronic tongue: Application on food matrices.