Abstract
A panel is an essential analytical tool in sensory evaluation of food. In this study, the effect of variances in region (Sapporo, Tokyo and Osaka) and ages of panelists on rice sensory evaluation were investigated. The effect of number of panelists on rice sensory evaluation was also investigated using untrained consumer panels.
Variance in regions of panel groups had no effect on sensory evaluation. Variance in ages of panel groups had little effect on sensory evaluation, but some fluctuations by variances in ages might exist in sensory evaluation. It was found that a high level of accuracy could be obtained when more than 40 untrained panelists evaluated eating quality in a rice sensory test.
