Comparison of Pivot Profile, CATA, and Pivot-CATA for the sensory profiling of instant black coffee

Sensory profiling is a primary technique used to characterize products in the food industry. Consumer-based rapid descriptive methods such as Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and Pivot Profile (PP) are widely preferred over classical methods. In this investigation, the relatively new combined Pivot-CATA sensory method using PP and CATA questions was applied and validated using instant black coffee samples. Three groups of untrained assessors performed PP, CATA, and Pivot-CATA tests on instant coffee samples independently. Data from three sensory methods was collected, analyzed, and compared by applying correspondence analysis, sensory maps, confidence ellipses, and practical applications. Results showed that Pivot-CATA presented similar sensory spaces and maps to PP (RV = 0.890) and CATA (RV = 0.919). Confidence ellipses of Pivot-CATA were the least overlapping and the smallest. Practical advantages of Pivot-CATA include a shorter data collection time, questionnaires that were easier to follow as compared to PP, and more detailed sensory profiles for similar products in contrast with CATA. Thus, Pivot-CATA has proven to be a promising method for future research, by combining the advantages of both the PP and CATA methods in characterizing the sensory properties of products. This research also guides future validations and applications of Pivot-CATA in different food product categories, thus contributing to these products’ quality control and development in the food industry.