Comparison of two TCATA variants for dynamic sensory characterization of food products

- A TCATA variant was introduced where terms automatically fade and unselect.
- TCATA was compared to TCATA Fading.
- Similar results were obtained for the two TCATA variants.
- TCATA Fading may lead to more accurate temporal sensory sample profiles.
- Results were similar in studies with trained assessors and consumers.

Temporal Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA) has been recently introduced as a method for temporal sensory product characterization. This method requires assessors to select all the terms they consider applicable at each moment of the evaluation, and to de-select terms when they are no longer applicable. In the present work a variant of TCATA, TCATA Fading, is presented and compared to TCATA. In TCATA Fading selected terms gradually and automatically become unselected over a predefined period of time. Eight studies were conducted with different product categories in three different countries. In Studies 1-3, TCATA and TCATA Fading were compared with trained assessors using within-subject experimental designs on the same set of products. In Studies 4-6, TCATA and TCATA Fading were compared with consumers following between-subject experimental designs. Comparison was performed in terms of citation proportion of the terms, significant differences among samples detected, dynamic sample profiles, and task perceptions. Across the eight studies, results suggested that automatic de-selection of attributes in a TCATA task can improve discrimination and provide a more accurate description of the dynamics of sensory characteristics of products than asking consumers to de-select attributes when they are no longer applicable. The present research represents a first attempt at implementing and evaluating TCATA Fading, and suggests that it is a useful variant of the TCATA method. Many avenues for methodological refinement are identified.