Implementing Sensory Analysis Principles in the Quality Control of PDO Products: A Critical Evaluation of a Real‐World Case Study

Abstract

This study describes and analyses a practical implementation of basic sensory analysis principles in a productive context related to typical products. As a case study, we investigated the quality control (QC) system of Trentingrana cheese, a variety of the protected designation of origin Grana Padano. The production of Trentingrana cheese factories is supervised by their consortium through the assessment of sensory quality attributes by an expert panel; and, depending on the evaluation, the associated dairies receive price premiums or penalties. The procedures applied and the data collected over 8 years were evaluated, and critical points were identified. Ameliorations were suggested in accordance with good sensory practice and were verified over an additional 3‐year period. The QC system has been improved by increasing the number of evaluated samples proportionally to the amount of the production of each dairy, by introducing a balanced experimental design, by monitoring experts' performance and by controlling the sample presentation to avoid systematic effects and psychological errors. Practical Applications With this work, we demonstrate the viability of applying the sensory approach to quality control (QC) within the food industry of typical products. The QC proposed here is a compromise between the practical constraints of implementing sensory testing procedures in an industrial context and the basic requirements of good sensory practice for collecting reliable data. Nevertheless, the implemented QC represents an example of an efficient strategy for protected designation of origin product valorization, fundamental for preserving both market position and consumer confidence and loyalty toward the product.

Dairy systems in mountainous areas: Farm animal biodiversity, milk production and destination, and land use

“…Cows that produce milk for PDO cheeses are not allowed to eat silages (Formigoni and Fustini, 2011) and lysozyme is not used in the PDO cheeses production (Franciosi et al, 2011). Moreover, genetically modified organisms are not allowed in the feeding of cows that produce milk for PDO cheese, and Trentingrana cheese undergoes a strict quality control at the end of ripening (Bittante et al, 2011a,b;Endrizzi et al, 2013 …”

Consumers' hedonic liking of different labeled and conventional food products in Slovenia

“…In the last few years, several studies employed sensory analysis for specific PDO or PGI products such as apples (Vigneau, Charles, & Chen, ), beef (e.g., Beriain, Anchez, Insausti, Sarries, & Soret, ), bread (Elia, ), cheese (e.g., Donadini, Fumi, Vanoni, & Porretta, ; Endrizzi et al, ; Scintu, Del Caro, Urgeghe, Piga, & Di Salvo, ; Zannoni, ), extra‐olive oil (e.g., Dinnella, Masi, Zoboli, & Monteleone, ), ham (e.g., Resano, Sanjuan, & Albisu, ), butter (Saulais & Ruffieux, ), turnip greens (e.g., Arias‐Carmona, Romero‐Rodrigues, Muñoz‐Ferreiro, & Vázquez‐Odériz, ), meat (e.g., Guerrero et al, ), nougat (Vázquez‐Araújo, Chambers, & Carbonell‐Barrachina, ), spelt (Stefani, Romano, & Cavicchi, ), and wine (e.g., Coulon‐Leroy, Symoneaux, Lawrence, Mehinagic, & Maitre, ; Etaio et al, ; Jose‐Coutinho, Avila, & Ricardo‐Da‐Silva, ; Lawrence et al, ), focusing on their sensory characteristics and/or developing different approaches to measure the sensory quality of PDO/PGI labeled food products, given that quality control of all these products is based on sensory parameters (Endrizzi et al, ).…”

Does consumer liking fit the sensory quality assessed by trained panelists in traditional food products? A study on PDO Idiazabal cheese

“…Taking into account that an important goal of a PDO is to offer high‐quality products, it is necessary to define and control objectively their sensory characteristics in order to guarantee their authenticity and those sensory characteristics that differentiate them from similar commercial products (Bertozzi & Panari, ). As a basis for the certification of the product, sensory quality control of PDO products requires both the development of a specific evaluation method as well as a trained panel to not only guarantee the absence of defects in the product but also consider the presence of particular sensory characteristics (Endrizzi et al, ; Etaio et al, ).…”