title: Sensory preferences among general Japanese consumers and physicochemical evaluation of deep-fried peanuts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The development of food that satisfies consumer preferences is very important for producing commodities. In the present study, 132 Japanese consumers carried out sensory evaluation of deep-fried peanuts with varying frying times (2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 15 min) at 150 °C, and the relationships among sensory elements and physicochemical properties were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensory scores for colour, bitterness, and deep-fried peanut aroma increased (darker or stronger) with frying time, whereas the sweetness score was relatively high (strong) for frying times of 2, 4, 6 and 9 min, and then decreased (weaker) with increasing frying time. Frying times of 4, 6 and 9 min scored higher in overall liking than other times. Multiple-regression analysis indicated that the overall liking score was positively correlated with sweetness (standardised regression coefficient, β = +0.51) and deep-fried peanut aroma (β = +0.26) scores but negatively correlated with bitterness score (β = -0.25). Multiple-regression analysis also indicated a difference in sensory preference by gender. Sensory elements were closely related to the physicochemical properties, including the colour indexes (CIELAB colour space) and the sucrose and water contents. When L(*) (CIELAB colour space, lightness index) was 53-64 and water content was 10-30 g kg(-1), the mean overall liking score was relatively high implying acceptable fried peanut quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relationships among individual sensory elements were confirmed. Multiple-regression analysis indicated a strong positive correlation between sweetness and overall liking and a small difference in sensory preference by gender. Sensory evaluations can thus be expressed by physicochemical properties.
authors: Chiba Industrial Technology Research Institute, 889 Kasori-cho, Wakaba-ku, Chiba, 264-0017, Japan.
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Miyagi
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Ogaki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D010367:Arachis / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D003116:Color; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009754:Nuts / Q000737:chemistry; D012737:Sex Factors; D013649:Taste; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D014867:Water
keywords: fried peanut; gender; preference; sensory test; sweetness