SENSORY EVALUATION OF COOK/CHILLED PRODUCTS REHEATED BY CONDUCTION, CONVECTION AND MICROWAVE RADIATIONa,b

Abstract

Precooked slices of beef loaf, peas and potatoes were reheated individually or together as a meal by conduction, convection or microwave radiation. At point of service, products were compared for visual appeal and other sensory qualities by 12 taste panelists during four laboratory replications of a simulated hospital cook/chill foodservice system. Time and temperature measurements of food handling as well as moisture content and Hunter Color values of experimental products were also monitored. Best food temperature control was obtained after microwave reheating. When the experimental products were reheated as meals, panelists rated the food prepared in the conduction subsystem highest for sensory quality. Although differences in moisture of slices of beef loaf individually reheated were undetected by panelists, objective measurements generally indicated that microwave reheated products had the lowest moisture content. Under full load conditions, conduction reheat is recommended to optimize visual appeal and other sensory qualities of meals served in hospital cook/chill foodservice systems.

Palatability of Beef Roasts Prepared With Different Foodservice Cooking Methods

“…Historically, researchers have used "overall satisfaction" scores (Schock et d. 1970;Shaffer et d. 1973;Sawyer and Naidu 1984) or a combination of sensory attribute scores (Cross et d. 1976) to quantify overall palatability across a range of attributes. In this study, the multivariate technique of PFUNCOMP was used to quantify this vector of response traits to aid in detecting those cooking methods which maximize palatability so that new cooking guidelines might be developed.…”

The sensory quality of foods produced by conventional and enhanced cook‐chill methods

“…In a whole meal regeneration study, choice of heating method was emphasized by Sawyer & Naidu (1984). A meal of beef loaf, peas and potatoes was reheated by conduction, convection and microwave radiation (storage times and temperatures unspecified).…”