Judge selection for hard and semi-hard cheese sensory evaluation

During a five month period, 34 potential panellists were subjected to 21 selection tests (triangular test, threshold evaluation, ranking test and stimulus recognition test) based on taste, aroma and textural characteristics of cheese. Standardised available ricotta cheese was used as a substrate in taste and aroma tests, while commercially available cheese was utilised to evaluate candidate performance in textural characteristic tests. A combination of procedures (binomial, sequential and bi-plot) allowed the definition of homogeneous subsets of candidates suitable for different analysis. The binomial approach allowed the last performing candidates to be identified while the sequential procedure enhanced our understanding of their skills. To make the selection criteria more coherent the performance parameters were objectively derived from the array of tests. Candidates were classified into three groups, depending on their capabilities, and the different discrimination power of the tests was highlighted through bi-plots.