Sensory Lexicon Development Using Trained Panelists in Thailand and the U.S.A.: Soy Sauce.

Twenty soy sauce products were presented to two sensory panels, one in Thailand and one in the U. S. A. Both panels had extensive training conducting descriptive sensory studies. Neither group had tested soy sauce previously; however, they had different familiarity with soy sauce. Each group separately evaluated samples during the same time period, then met in Thailand to compare and discuss their generated lexicons. Most attributes listed by each group of panelists provided similar definitions and references. Although, a few attributes were not used by one or the other panel because that term either does not exist in both languages (e.g., 'cured' is not a term for the Thai panel), represented an uncommon characteristic (e.g., 'roaches' for the American panel), or were complex concepts (e.g., 'brown'), the panelists used references to assist their understanding of unclear attributes. After discussion, both panels agreed on 59 attributes with definitions and references for a soy sauce lexicon. The article presents attributes in English and Thai. Practical Applications A universal lexicon developed by different groups of trained panelists could reduce confusion and make the lexicon more understandable. A universal lexicon would help researchers in other countries to understand product quality. Additionally, the developed lexicon allows researchers to conduct studies with the same standard method in different laboratories enabling comparable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]