FOOD COGNITIVE SENSORY EVALUATION METHOD AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE CLUSTERING ANALYSIS OF FOOD CONSUMER GROUPS

摘要

To investigate characteristics of the cognitive sensory evaluation of a food, panel test was conducted with three groups of university students (n=148) using potato chips. A questionnaire of 158 questions including 53 objective and 105 subjective parameters was designed to evaluate potato chips, and the responses of the panels were converted into the cognitive sensory barcodes and curve pattems. Clustering analysis showed that three groups (n=38, 34, and 76) were segmented into eight clusters according to the similarity of the cognitive sensory bar codes. The clustering patterns of the groups revealed that every group showed their own characteristic nature in the size of clusters. Two consciousness state, complete consciousness state and incomplete state lacking 7 th consciousness layer (Chun, 2002) were compared in respect to the normal distribution pattem. At the complete consciousness state, the distribution pattern of panels in three groups was different, and the S group showed remarkably differentiated from other two groups showing the narrowest distribution curve. At the incomplete consciousness state without 7th layer, the distribution curve was so significantly affected that 7 th consciousness layer played an important role in the sensory evaluation process and was a consciousness factor to differentiate the consumer groups.