In this study, we examined taste sensor analysis as a new method that is similar to sensory evaluation in tomatoes. For tomatoes which differ in cultivation method, production area and harvest time, we developed a taste map by ingredient analysis, taste sensor analysis and sensory evaluation, and compared the tomato distribution on the taste map. As a result, with regard to the correlation of the tomato distribution, taste sensor analysis (vs. sensory evaluation) was higher than ingredient analysis (vs. sensory evaluation), and the possibility of taste evaluation by taste sensor analysis in tomatoes was suggested.

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The aim of this study was to prepare grapefruit vinegar and determine its sourness by sensory evaluation, including taste analysis, and analysis of acetate, mineral and sugar contents.
The sensory test results revealed that higher the grapefruit content of the grain vinegar, higher is the palatability of such vinegar than vinegar containing no grapefruit. In particular, the taste analysis revealed that higher the grapefruit content of the vinegar, lower is its sourness. It appears that acetate was diluted by water released from the grapefruit and compounds imparting bitterness or harshness to the grapefruit influence the sourness component of the grain vinegar. The results obtained from this study indicate that adding grapefruit to grain vinegar can reduce the sourness of the vinegar, thus making it more palatable.

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To examine how the cooking process affects the eating quality of cooked rice, changes in the contents of reducing sugar, amylase, and protein in rice grain were measured at a series of cooking stages. Rice grains of the Chiyonishiki, Nipponbare, and Koshihikari cultivars were employed in this study. The somogyi-nelson and simplified assay method were used for measurement of reducing sugar and amylose content, and BCA, combustion and SDS-PAGE method were for protein content, respectively. Reducing sugar content began to increase during the preliminary heating stage at 50 °C, whereas amylose content was relatively stable through the cooking process. Total protein content decreased with cooking, with the decrement becoming evident at 75 °C, though the decline process was different from its molecular weight. These results suggest that changes in compound contents were generated by enzymatic activity and/or a thermal denaturation during cooking.

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[in Japanese]

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