The influence of ingredients and time from baking on sensory quality and consumer freshness perceptions in a baked model cake system

Abstract The sensory qualities related to consumer freshness perceptions are dependant on the food considered. However, it is not clear how ingredients in combination with baked product shelf-life influence consumer judgements of freshness. A range of model cake samples ( n = 24) were produced using a 4 × 3 × 2 factorial design, which included four different sweeteners, three different fat types and two different times from baking. Descriptive sensory analysis was carried out on all cake samples, using a panel of ten trained assessors and a defined vocabulary of 31 terms. The sensory properties of cakes were significantly ( p n = 120) rated the perceived freshness of the selected samples. Consumer perceptions of freshness were significantly ( p