Comparison of a descriptive analysis and instrumental measurements (electronic nose and electronic tongue) for the sensory profiling of Korean fermented soybean paste (doenjang)

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using an electronic nose (e‐nose) and electronic tongue (e‐tongue) in the sensory profiling of doenjang , a fermented soybean paste. The descriptive analysis of doenjang by trained panelists was compared with that assessed using the e‐nose and e‐tongue. Eighteen aroma/taste/flavor attributes developed by trained panels from 14 doenjang samples were compared with the results from e‐nose and e‐tongue measurements. The e‐nose detected 11 volatile compounds, while the e‐tongue measured the intensities of 5 basic tastes. The correlation between the descriptive results and instrument measurements (e‐nose and e‐tongue) demonstrated that the e‐nose results were not correlated with most of the odors and flavors of doenjang , whereas the e‐tongue was effective in estimating taste intensities for sweetness ( r = .798), umami ( r = .821), and saltiness ( r = .786). However, low correlations between the results from a trained panel and from the e‐tongue were found for sourness and bitterness. Practical applications The use of instruments to measure volatile compounds and taste attributes may not reflect the overall sensory characteristics of food products. The results of an e‐nose and e‐tongue test were not correlated with the sensory attributes identified by the trained panel. These findings may be due to interaction effects among volatile compounds and/or tastes and also might not fully consider the threshold of each volatile compound. Therefore, it is necessary to account for discrepancies between current technologies for mechanical sensory measurements and human perception studies in the evaluation of food products that have complex odor/tastes/flavors.