1.1 Introduction to Mediterranean Diet and Polyphenols
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foods (e.g. cheese, wine, bread) but exclude ultraprocessed foods (Fardet and Rock
2019) and encourage the use of local seasonal produce, thus valuing biodiversity.
This last recommendation should be taken into consideration to explain that besides
the nutritional and health aspects of Med Diet, the sensorial point of view is primordial. In fact, a zoom on the pyramid will show keywords such as ‘variety of
colour’, ‘texture’, ‘variety of flavours’, as well as ‘biodiversity and seasonality’. In
the Med Diet, nutritional quality is the inseparable ally of sensory quality. So, the
Mediterranean dishes offer you a spoonful of health, another of pleasure. What can
you say about a healthy dish of couscous ornament with a variety of vegetables,
garlic, onions, savoured by some spices and cooked with olive oil or a humble dish
of spaghetti with tomatoes savoured with basil and rosemary and served with olive
oil? The answer is undoubtedly healthy and flavoured.
1.2 Sensorial Analysis of Foods. Concept and Methods
The taste is perceived by receptors on the tongue, and it is categorized into sweet,
bitter, sour, salty and umami. Aroma detected by olfactory pathways is almost always
interlinked with taste, playing an important role in sensations caused by a food. The
physical sensations (colour, temperature, texture, hardness) and chemical sensations
(chemical irritation in the mouth and throat) also have important impacts on the
overall perception of a food. Taste, odour, texture and colour are the main facets
of the complex feature we call flavour. That is, the term ‘flavour’ encloses all these
sensations and is part of the sensory analysis specialists’ vocabulary.
Scientifically speaking, the flavour of food or drink encapsulates all the sensations
felt during their consumption. When a food is introduced into the mouth and/or
smelled, a whole cascade of chemical reactions and nerve responses is triggered.
Sensory analysis is a basic tool to characterize food and to clearly assess consumer’s preferences. The method used to define the sensorial profile of a food matrix
must be approved by some recognized organization. However, in many cases there
are no official methods or international standards. We found only two Med Diet’s
foods that are officially and internationally regulated in terms of sensorial profile:
virgin olive oil (VOO) and table olives.
International Olive Council (IOC) and the European Committee (EEC Reg.
2568/91 and EC Reg. 640/08) have each established their sensory codified methodology for VOO, known as the ‘Panel Test’. The panel is a group of selected and trained
persons of about eight to 12 members. The group should identify and measure the
intensity of the different attributes perceived as positive and negative. Sensory assessment should be carried out in conformity to some dispositions established by standard
(Table 1.1). With main concern to sensorial analyses, the ‘Panel Test’ is one of the
rare methods that use humans as analysis tools.
A specific vocabulary and a profile sheet including positive and negative sensory
attributes have been established by IOC and the European Union.
5
foods (e.g. cheese, wine, bread) but exclude ultraprocessed foods (Fardet and Rock
2019) and encourage the use of local seasonal produce, thus valuing biodiversity.
This last recommendation should be taken into consideration to explain that besides
the nutritional and health aspects of Med Diet, the sensorial point of view is primordial. In fact, a zoom on the pyramid will show keywords such as ‘variety of
colour’, ‘texture’, ‘variety of flavours’, as well as ‘biodiversity and seasonality’. In
the Med Diet, nutritional quality is the inseparable ally of sensory quality. So, the
Mediterranean dishes offer you a spoonful of health, another of pleasure. What can
you say about a healthy dish of couscous ornament with a variety of vegetables,
garlic, onions, savoured by some spices and cooked with olive oil or a humble dish
of spaghetti with tomatoes savoured with basil and rosemary and served with olive
oil? The answer is undoubtedly healthy and flavoured.
1.2 Sensorial Analysis of Foods. Concept and Methods
The taste is perceived by receptors on the tongue, and it is categorized into sweet,
bitter, sour, salty and umami. Aroma detected by olfactory pathways is almost always
interlinked with taste, playing an important role in sensations caused by a food. The
physical sensations (colour, temperature, texture, hardness) and chemical sensations
(chemical irritation in the mouth and throat) also have important impacts on the
overall perception of a food. Taste, odour, texture and colour are the main facets
of the complex feature we call flavour. That is, the term ‘flavour’ encloses all these
sensations and is part of the sensory analysis specialists’ vocabulary.
Scientifically speaking, the flavour of food or drink encapsulates all the sensations
felt during their consumption. When a food is introduced into the mouth and/or
smelled, a whole cascade of chemical reactions and nerve responses is triggered.
Sensory analysis is a basic tool to characterize food and to clearly assess consumer’s preferences. The method used to define the sensorial profile of a food matrix
must be approved by some recognized organization. However, in many cases there
are no official methods or international standards. We found only two Med Diet’s
foods that are officially and internationally regulated in terms of sensorial profile:
virgin olive oil (VOO) and table olives.
International Olive Council (IOC) and the European Committee (EEC Reg.
2568/91 and EC Reg. 640/08) have each established their sensory codified methodology for VOO, known as the ‘Panel Test’. The panel is a group of selected and trained
persons of about eight to 12 members. The group should identify and measure the
intensity of the different attributes perceived as positive and negative. Sensory assessment should be carried out in conformity to some dispositions established by standard
(Table 1.1). With main concern to sensorial analyses, the ‘Panel Test’ is one of the
rare methods that use humans as analysis tools.
A specific vocabulary and a profile sheet including positive and negative sensory
attributes have been established by IOC and the European Union.