Psychorheology of food dispersions

Food dispersions are the most frequent and most important food components. Useful information was obtained in the investigations of liquid emulsions. The results obtained in their study were compared with tomato ketchups. They were chosen as an example of food dispersions with low lipid content. A set of 20 samples of tomato ketchups purchased on the native market were analyzed by several rheological procedures (RheoStress 300) and by sensory profiling both of textural and flavour characteristics. The psychorheology was used for the determination of relationships between results of instrumental and sensory measurements. The data base obtained was processed by statistical methods. The temperature affects the results differently, but it is not useful to study temperatures below room temperature. The rheological parameters agree with the Herschel-Bulkley equation. Therefore, the psychorheology was applied as a suitable complex method. About a third of plots between two variables were significantly related. Several statistically significant relationships were obtained between rheological attributes, sensory attributes, and the combinations between rheological and a sensory attributes. Great variance in all characteristics was observed in all samples variables. Similarly as in case of lipid dispersions, the sensory texture acceptability was significantly related with the overall flavour acceptability, similarly as in case of other food dispersions. It proves the importance of texture in consumption of tomato ketchups.