Abstract
The possibility of use of taste sensors equipped with lipid/polymer membranes as one of the techniques which evaluate the taste of Honkakushochu was investigated. First, in order to determine chemical composition of a standard sample, the inorganic component of Honkakushochu was analyzed. The most abundant cation was sodium ion and the richest anion was chloride ion. These ions are considered to be brought in from the mother water used for dilution of Honkakushochu. Next, the measurement with sufficient reproducibility became possible by preparing the standard sample for the taste sensor suitable for evaluation of Honkakushochu. Measuring 41 kinds of Honkakushochu including rice, barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, brown sugar shochu and awamori using 8 taste sensors enabled to classify them based on their materials. Moreover, visual expression was able to be obtained about the taste patterns. Analyses of the data obtained from the taste sensor using the statistical techniques such as principal component analysis and cluster analysis suggested that the taste sensor could be useful for new product development or process control of Honkakushochu.
