Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TOES20240315015
- Term of Validity
- 15 March 2024 - 15 March 2026
- Company's Country
- Spain
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
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A Spanish research center offers a sensory evaluation of products bread using an analytical technique. Sensory methods are an integral tool that should be used in the product characterization and innovation process. Sensory evaluation of bread using a tasting panel allows for the identification of defects and the characterization of quality that may not be quantifiable otherwise.
The center seeks commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or research and development cooperation agreement - Full Description
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The Spanish technology center, founded in 1998, is focusing in agrifood sector, in special, in research and analysis of cereals.
While microbiological, nutritional, and physicochemical properties are accepted as essential in the quality control of products, there is a growing concern, demand, and need for sensory evaluation of the products. Some human perceptions, such as smell, are much more sensitive than those of analytical measuring instruments.
Sensory analysis does not involve working with instruments; instead, it relies on panels of tasters or judges who use their senses as a tool. With proper training, it is possible to achieve the same level of confidence as an instrumental method.
There are countless varieties of bread that differ mainly in the type of ingredients (flours) and their combination, as well as in the processing and presentation. One way to characterize such a variety of bread is through sensory analysis.
There is an increasing demand for consuming bread with specific sensory characteristics. A trained tasting panel is a fundamental tool for analyzing bread, and among its many functions, it can serve to:
- Detect alterations (atypical flavors or odors), preventing rejection by customers and thereby avoiding significant economic loss for the company.
- Sensory results provide useful and detailed information, complementing the technical specifications of the product.
- Allows for the detection of changes throughout the shelf life, especially for packaged bread, defining until when the product is organoleptically suitable.
Companies producing quality bread should incorporate sensory evaluation into their analyses to provide more information to both the producer and the end consumer. Accurate sensory assessment offers real insights into the product perception.
Research projects, shelf-life studies, new product development, etc., should include a comprehensive sensory analysis to characterize the products effectively.
Throughout the bread production chain, from wheat cultivation to packaging (if applicable), there are numerous factors that will have a decisive impact on the sensory quality of bread, and sensory analysis techniques are becoming increasingly used tools in both the baking industry and the research field.
There is still no standardized common method for sensory evaluation of bread. In scientific publications that use sensory tests, there is considerable variability in both sample preparation methods and evaluated attributes (slice thickness, separation or not of crust and crumb, containers for containing samples, etc.), making it difficult to compare results (Guardia et al., 2009). Therefore, it is considered of great interest for future work to define all aspects that could facilitate the development of a standardized methodology for sensory evaluation of bread, allowing for harmonization of criteria and characterization of the product.
The technology center is opened to commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or research and development cooperation agreement with companies working in food field. - Advantages and Innovations
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The fundamental advantage is that the sensitivity of sensory tests is often greater than instrumental methods.
The center has an accredited laboratory (UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025) for the physical-chemical and microbiological analysis of food. This laboratory conducts a high number of analyses, allowing for continuous training of the tasting panel due to the availability of samples. A tasting sheet has been developed, enabling the identification and quantification of attributes related to bread quality. The tasting sheet used by the tasting panel for the quantitative description of sensory attributes has been created based on the experience and ongoing training of its members.
A sensory panel is a fundamental instrument in the food industry today. This scientific technique uses trained tasters with different techniques and tests that demonstrate the overall analysis capacity of the group. Once the panel is properly trained (repeatability and reproducibility), it is a very useful and reliable instrument in quality validation. Training a sensory panel is slow and requires a great specialization of the senses, but once all the training and validation work is done, it becomes a tool with great potential.
A product made with basic raw materials, flour, salt, water, and yeast, after a fermentation and baking process, can develop a wide variety of substances and textures perceptible by the senses. The color of the crust, the scoring on the surface, the crumb structure, the chewy texture of the crumb, the crispy
texture of the crust, the sour flavor from fermentation, the smell, and the aroma, etc., are sensory properties that can characterize different bread products. Sensory analysis is an essential tool in quality control. - Stage of Development
- Available for demonstration
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- IPR status
- No IPR applied
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
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It is estimated that this technology will be of importance for Agrofood and Food companies, working in cereal-based products, such us flours, breads, pastry, cookies, etc.
It is not only aimed at human food companies but is also useful in the manufacture of animal feed, among others. - Type and Size of Partner
- SME 11-49
- SME 50 - 249
- Big company
- R&D Institution
- University
- SME <=10
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 08001005 - Food Technology
- 08001002 - Food Additives/Ingredients/Functional Food
- 08002002 - Food Microbiology / Toxicology / Quality Control
- 08002001 - Detection and Analysis methods
- 08003 - Micro- and Nanotechnology related to agrofood
- Market keywords
- 05008002 - Food and feed ingredients
- 09005 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Animal Husbandry & Related Products
- 05009001 - Food & feed ingredients
- 05009004 - Plant health
- Sector Groups Involved
- Agri-Food
- Targeted countries
- All countries