PREFERENCE SORTING VERSUS CATA ON DRIVERS OF LIKING DETERMINATION: A COMPLEMENTARY STUDY ASSESSING DULCE DE LECHE

Rapid methods that do not require trained sensory panels have been increasingly implemented to save time and costs in the sensory description of products. Preference Sorting (PS) is a method based on the grouping criterion by preference, followed by assigning an acceptance grade to the group, and the description of the characteristics that most contribute to the group acceptance. Considering the traditionality of the CATA method, this study comprises an investigation of PS versus CATA to compare the results and information obtained by both techniques in obtaining the drives of liking. Ten commercial brands of Dulce de leche, including two market leaders were evaluated in a sensory analysis laboratory of the Food Science Department of the Federal University of Lavras, Brazil. Products were sampled to determine the variable sensory features (appearance, texture, color, and flavor). One hundred consumers of dulce de leche (34 male and 66 female, aged from 20 to 50 years old) performed the tests. All consumers performed the PS and CATA + acceptance test during two days, randomizing the sequence of their realization. Both tests were performed based on the same attribute list. The difficulty degree of the two tests was assessed. Acceptance results obtained by histograms. PLS regression and MFA was conducted using PS and CATA results. The RV coefficient was calculated to compare the both tests. Comparing the acceptance means from both tests, noted the ranking of acceptance between samples similar between tests. Some differences in sensory description were noted. However, both tests promoted similar results in determining the dulce de leche drivers of liking. Consumers considered PS test more difficult. PS proved to be an alternative in determining the product drivers of liking for a screening of a large number of samples, saving time with less testing sessions, providing similar results to the CATA.