Organoleptic is an adjective used to refer to the aspects of food or other substances as experienced by the
senseSenses are physiological capacities of organisms that provide inputs for perception. The senses and their operation, classification, and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields, most notably neuroscience, cognitive psychology , and philosophy of perception...
s, including
tasteTaste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
,
sightVisual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
,
smellOlfaction is the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates...
, and
touchThe somatosensory system is a diverse sensory system composed of the receptors and processing centres to produce the sensory modalities such as touch, temperature, proprioception , and nociception . The sensory receptors cover the skin and epithelia, skeletal muscles, bones and joints, internal...
.
USDA uses
The term is used to describe traditional
U.S. Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
meat and poultry inspection techniquesThe Food Safety and Inspection Service , an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture , is the public health agency responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged...
; inspectors perform a variety of organoleptic procedures to detect signs of disease or contamination. Such techniques are part of the effort to detect invisible foodborne
pathogenA pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
s causing of food poisoning.
Organoleptic tests are sometimes conducted to determine if package materials and components can transfer tastes and odors to the food or pharmaceutical products that they are packaged in.
Shelf lifeShelf life is the length of time that food, drink, medicine, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption...
studies often use taste, sight, and smell (in addition to food chemistry and toxicology tests) to determine whether a food product is suitable for consumption.
Organoleptic analyses are, occasionally, still utilized when the method protocol that is to be utilized for a certain sample does not have a high enough sample throughput to meet the demand. In this case, organoleptic analyses will be utilized as a primary screen to determine which samples need to be analyzed according to the original method protocol and which samples do not need any further
sensory analysisSensory analysis is a scientific discipline that applies principles of experimental design and statistical analysis to the use of human senses for the purposes of evaluating consumer products. The discipline requires panels of human assessors, on whom the products are tested, and recording the...
.
Other uses
Measurements on the
Scoville scaleThe Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat of a chili pepper. The number of Scoville heat units indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.The scale is named after...
depend upon an organoleptic test. The quality of extracts used in
phytotherapyPhytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts from natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents.Traditional phytotherapy is often used as synonym for herbalism and regarded as "alternative medicine" by much of Western medicine, although effects of many substances found in plants have...
is assessed in part using organoleptic tests. Organoleptic qualities are considered as part of
Hurdle technologyHurdle technology is a method of ensuring that pathogens in food products can be eliminated or controlled. This means the food products will be safe for consumption, and their shelf life will be extended. Hurdle technology usually works by combining more than one approach. These approaches can be...
. Indicators identified organoleptically as part of
European Union wine regulationsEuropean Union wine regulations are common legislation related to wine existing within the European Union , the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production...
are assessed when qualifying for a
Quality Wine indicatorQuality Wines Produced in Specified Regions is a quality indicator used within European Union wine regulations. The QWpsr category identifies wines with protected geographical indications...
.