Análise sensorial numa empresa de retalho alimentar

Abstract

Nowadays, there is more and more competition between hypermarkets due to the wide availability of food products on the market. For this reason, consumers are becoming increasingly demanding of the food they buy and consume, focusing not only on nutritional value but also on its sensory quality. It is therefore crucial to obtain data on consumers' individual preferences as well as the attributes that influence their acceptance and overall assessment. In this study, the CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) technique was used to carry out the sensory characterization of samples of Alheira de Mirandela, identifying the most and least relevant attributes. In addition, we identified which sensory properties influence not only the acceptance of the product but also its penalization. To this end, sensory tests were carried out on four samples of the product in three different laboratories. It was concluded that the attributes "pasty texture", "smoky flavour", "golden color", "presence of shredded meat" and "balanced filling (bread/fat/meat)" were the most used in the sensory characterization of Alheira de Mirandela. In addition, it was found that the attributes that consumers value most in this product are "balanced filling (bread/fat/meat)", "smoky smell", "smoky taste", "golden color", "crispy/crunchy skin" and "presence of shredded meat", the first of which had the most positive impact on the overall acceptance of the samples. On the other hand, it was concluded that consumers do not want the attributes "pasty texture" and "too much bread" in this product. It is important to note that, although both had a negative impact on the overall appreciation of Alheira de Mirandela, the latter had a more significant impact, being the most penalizing attribute. In this internship report, daily internal sensory tests were carried out on various own-brand and competitor products, with the aim of understanding their position in the market and identifying consumer preferences. In addition, various physicochemical analyses were carried out on products such as fruit, complementing the sensory reports and verifying compliance with the criteria established by the company, as well as analyzing the relationship between these results and the preferences of the tasters.

Date of Award	26 Jul 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Sara Margarida Bernardes Queda da Silva (Supervisor) & Liliana Carola (Co-Supervisor)