title: Training of panellists for the sensory control of bottled natural mineral water in connection with water chemical properties.
abstract: As bottled mineral water market is increasing in the world (especially in emergent and developed countries), the development of a simple protocol to train a panel to evaluate sensory properties would be a useful tool for natural drinking water industry. A sensory protocol was developed to evaluate bottled natural mineral water (17 still and 10 carbonated trademarks). The tasting questionnaire included 13 attributes for still water plus overall impression and they were sorted by: colour hues, transparency and brightness, odour/aroma and taste/flavour/texture and 2 more for carbonated waters (bubbles and effervescence). The training lasted two months with, at least, 10 sessions, was adequate to evaluate bottled natural mineral water. To confirm the efficiency of the sensory training procedure two sensory groups formed the whole panel. One trained panel (6 persons) and one professional panel (6 sommeliers) and both participated simultaneously in the water tasting evaluation of 3 sample lots. Similar average scores obtained from trained and professional judges, with the same water trademarks, confirmed the usefulness of the training protocol. The differences obtained for trained panel in the first lot confirm the necessity to train always before a sensory procedure. A sensory water wheel is proposed to guide the training in bottled mineral water used for drinking, in connection with their chemical mineral content.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Analytical and Food Chemistry Department, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Vigo, Ourense Campus, E-32004 Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: Ledicia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rey-Salgueiro
authors.forename: Aitana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gosálbez-García
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Lamela
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simal-Gándara
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falqué-López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019649:Food Industry / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D011786:Quality Control; D013649:Taste; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D008903:Minerals; D014867:Water