Appendix A – Terms Used in Evaluating Food Products

Visual Evaluation:

Appearance – aspect or contour

Color – normal for substance, pleasing to the eye

Shape – proportionate dimensions

Size

Grain – structural quality – such as crystals in candies and ice creams, size of pores in cake and bread, thickness of cell walls in breads or cakes

Flavor Characteristics:

Odor – volatile substances affecting sense of smell

Taste – sensations produced by substances listed

Flavor – quality which affects the relish, zest or savor.  Combination of taste and odor

Mouthfeel and Texture Characteristics:

Consistency – degree of firmness, density, viscosity, fluidity, plasticity, resistant to movement

Lightness – well leavened, not dense; having low specific gravity

Moistness – degree of moisture.  In fruits and meats called juiciness

Tenderness – ease with which can be cut, broken, pulled apart or masticated

Texture – feel of substance between fingers or in the mouth; differences caused by grain, tenderness, moisture content, etc.