Learning about extra virgin olive oil > Quality > Sensory analysis
 Sensory analysis, a relatively recent science, evaluates the characteristics of a food product which interacts with our sense organs and, for each of these, isolates descriptive details by which they can be identified and quantified. The most modern schools of thought take “food quality” to mean the whole group of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of a food which are able to satisfy the psyco-physiological needs of the consumer, and delegating to him or her the choice of foods on the basis of his sense organs and past organoleptic and nutritional experiences.
The producer must therefore guarantee the safety and hygiene of the product, while it is up to the consumer to choose from among the vast range of products on the market. So a huge, efficient operation of teaching is fundamental so that the consumer can make informed choices.
Sensory analysis exploits the ability of the sense organs to react to stimuli of chemical, chemical-physical and physical origins; the peripheral nervous system is able to connect the surrounding environment with the brain, which, being closed inside the cranium, cannot interact directly with the outside world.
The senses involved in the perception of organoleptic characteristics of foods are taste, smell and sight, whereas hearing and touch often have a secondary role; the various organoleptic properties are evaluated through the five sense: appearance, colour and shape through sight, consistency and linked characteristics (fluidity, viscosity, friability) through touch and hearing, aroma through smell, taste with sense of taste, and flavour with the combined senses of smell and taste.
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