Sensory perception of fat in common foods using two scaling methods

Seventy-three subjects evaluated fat content and preference for six different foods using a ranking task and a line scale, and the results from the two methods were compared. The foods included milk, pudding, mashed potatoes, and chicken spread (0-30% added fat), scrambled eggs (0-50% added fat) and a savory snack (low-high in added fat). Samples within a series were formulated to minimize appearance and flavor differences. The perception of fat in these foods appeared to be system-specific. Subjects effectively judged increasing fat content in the milk, pudding, potato, and snack samples, but could not reliably judge fat content in the chicken spreads and scrambled eggs. The hedonic ratings were unrelated to the ability to perceive fat in these foods. Both scaling techniques were effective in scaling these perceptions.