Relationships between Sensory and Instrumental Hardness and the Estimation of Hardness Specifications for Commercial Soybean Curd

摘要

This study was carried out to determine the relationships between variations in sensory hardness intensities and hardness levels of soybean curd. There was no significant relationship between the relative standard deviation (RSD, %) and instrumental hardness data of 93 soybean curd samples, including 45 soft and 48 firm soybean curds, analyzed with a texture analyzer. However, a significant negative correlation (p<0.001) was found between RSD (%) of sensory hardness and hardness level for both trained panelists and consumers. This finding offers a reason for the higher frequency of consumer claims made on the hardness of soft soybean curd compared to that of hard soybean curd. Finally, the regression analysis of RSD (%) and sensory hardness can be used to determine hardness specifications for commercial soybean curds.