Objectification of the quality assessment of Belgian cold cuts (KWALICHARC)

ILVO develops an objective model for the quality assessment of cold cuts (charcuterie; cooked and dried ham, salami, liver paté, cooked sausage, aspic and chicken products).  This model searches for correlations between scores for a number of physico-chemical properties and a sensorial evaluation by an untrained consumer panel. The charcuterie industry can then predict, via lab analyses, how consumers will appreciate the meat product. The quality of the product is evaluated objectively.

ILVO selects in cooperation with VG-Sensory 30 Flemish and 30 Walloon consumers to put together an untrained Belgian evaluation panel. They test and score visual and sensorial the various charcuterie products. ILVO determines uniform descriptors for the sensorial assessment of the selected product groups. The same products are tested in the lab on an extensive list of physico-chemical parameters.  The consumers score especially on colour, smell, juiciness, taste, salinity, mouth feel, marbling, texture, etc. The list of physico-chemical properties, determined through laboratory analysis, includes hardness, resilience, texture, content of protein, fat and fatty acids, collagen, lactose, glucose, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, etc. Through statistical processing techniques, we search for the correlation between both score sets.

This research is carried out in cooperation with the charcuterie-producing industry in Belgium (Fenavian). The results give the sector a reliable and fast way, through the right selection of physico-chemical tests, to predict the favourable assessment of a meat product by the Belgian consumer, without (expensive and time-consuming) taste panels. Further, the industry is given an objective sensory and physico-chemical evaluation of the charcuterie products. The results are shared with the relevant industry sectors.