Sensory properties and consumers acceptability of oils

The chapter 4 of the handbook reports the state of art regarding three main topics: the sensory characterization of oils; the relationship between oil compounds and sensory attributes; the consumers acceptability of the oils. The oils considered are from olive, peanut, sunflower, corn, argan, soybean, rice bran and rapeseed. The specific sensory methodology used to determine the sensory properties of oils as well as a list of positive and negative tasting attributes and theirs meaning are briefly considered in the introduction. The first topic includes the most important trained panel studies on the organoleptic properties of virgin olive oil in relation to agronomic and technological aspects as well as the studies on the sensory properties of seed oils. Comparison studies between virgin olive oil and seed oils have shown that seed refined oils generally have a bland odour and flavour, in contrast to olive oils, which are rich in both. In the second topic, the instrumental analysis of oils is reported in order to understand the relationship between the physicochemical composition of oils and their perceived flavour. For example, the volatile compounds responsible for virgin olive oil flavour are about 180, but the sensation of smell is not fully explained by the single substances. The third topic focuses on the main factors that affect the choice of the oils, in particular intrinsic, extrinsic as well as social and environmental factors. Finally, the concluding remark reports the most important issues.