Correlation analysis between acoustic and sensory technique data for cooked pork loin samples

The relationship between the sensory attributes and the ultrasound parameters of pork loin samples cooked under different conditions was studied. The pork loin samples were oven-cooked or confit, applying different temperatures and cooking times. Sensory attributes were determined by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) with trained panel, evaluating aspects of appearance, odour, texture, and flavour. The determined ultrasound parameters were the ultrasound pulse velocity (UPV) and variables related to attenuation and to the frequency components obtained from the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The present correlation study showed that the sensory attributes related to a sample's physical properties were strongly and significantly correlated with the ultrasound parameters, especially with those related to the FFT and attenuation. Thus, ultrasound inspection can be postulated as a viable tool for studies of the correlation and prediction of sensory attributes, to possibly replace and/or complement other methods that cannot offer the advantages of the ultrasound technique.