Sensory and instrumental texture profile: a study of wafer-type biscuits from different commercial brands

Sensory analysis is applied in different sectors of the food industry, facilitatingthe evaluation of qualitative and quantitative aspects of food. Among these aspects, texture, defined as the mechanical, geometrical, and surface properties of a product, perceived by visual, tactile, and auditory human receptors, is an indispensable parameter in the preparation of biscuits. The present study aimed to define the texture profile of six different brands of wafer-type biscuits. For the pre-selection of the judges, the triangular test was applied, and the judges who discerned different samples went on to the training. The training consisted of setting four attributes, namely, fracturability, adhesiveness, chewability, and hardness. Food was served as reference standards, from the least intense to the most intense for each attribute. In the descriptive test, samples were served individually and the judges were asked to explain their initial perception, chewing experience, and residual sensations. The hardness test was performed on a texturometer by compressing the samples and the instrumental results were compared to the sensory findings. Out of 30 judges in the triangular test, 22 were able to participate in the training, only 12 attended, 9 succeeded 80% of the standards, thus participating in the descriptive test. Comparing the instrumental part with the response of the sensory analysis, a good correlation was observed, with the same divergences between some brands. The C sample was considered by the judges as intermediate, and the same as the hardness with higher intensity, the E sample obtained similar results for both evaluations, where it presented a hardness parameter varying from weak to intermediate.