The role of sensory analysis in the quality control of foodstuffs

By a decree issued early in the year '94, the Minister for Agricultural Resources confirmed the acknowledgment of the "Tasting Public Committees" for the evaluation of the characteristics of virgin olive oil, including the experimental Institute for elaiotechnics of Pescara, the Central Inspectorate for Fraud Suppression in Rome and Cosenza, the Inspectorate for Chemical Services of the Finance Ministry, the Chemical laboratory of Bari and Genoa Customs, and the Oil and Fat Experimental Station in Milan. This decision completes the regulatory framework derived from the compliance with the EEC Commission Regulation n° 2568/91 dated 11 july 1991, concerning olive oils and olive-pomace oils, as well as the relevant methods. As a matter of fact, Italy incorporated the above said regulation by the decree of 23rd June 1992 establishing the National Roll for tasters of "Controlled Denomination of Origin" virgin and extra virgin olive oils. Howerer, this is not the only case in which the legislator has taken into account the sensory analysis as a valid support for the market characterizations of typical foodstuffs. It is worth remembering, for instance, the Reggiano Paemesan, tomato sauces (peeled tomatoes and tomato purées) and regional wines. In the light of these events, the sensory analysis plays a very important role, not only in the production place, but also in the places where control is carried out. It is clesr that this implies a selection and training of the people responsible for the panel test, since the answers to this test must be in any case carefully elaborated through statistical analyses.