If a hospital cafeteria manager wants to know whether tasters can distinguish between a salad dressing made with extra virgin olive oil and a cheaper olive oil, which sensory testing would be appropriate?

If a hospital cafeteria manager wants to know whether tasters can distinguish between a salad dressing made with extra virgin olive oil and a cheaper olive oil, which sensory testing would be appropriate?

• A. Duo-trio test
• B. Triangle test
• C. Descriptive test
• D. Difference test

Answer: (B)

The main idea is sensory discrimination: can tasters tell two similar products apart based on taste. When you want to know if a salad dressing made with extra virgin olive oil and one made with a cheaper olive oil are perceptibly different, a triangle test is the right choice. In this test, you give participants three samples—two identical and one different—and ask them to identify the odd one out. If tasters consistently pick the different sample, it shows there is a perceptible difference between the two oils. This setup is efficient and directly measures discrimination without requiring any descriptive descriptions of flavor or aroma. The other options don’t fit as well. A duo-trio test uses a reference sample to see which of two test samples matches it, which isn’t needed when you’re simply checking if two oils can be distinguished. A descriptive test focuses on rating specific attributes rather than simply detecting whether a difference exists. A general difference test is broader; the triangle test is the standard, precise method for determining if two products can be distinguished in a small-sample, discrimination-focused study.

The main idea is sensory discrimination: can tasters tell two similar products apart based on taste. When you want to know if a salad dressing made with extra virgin olive oil and one made with a cheaper olive oil are perceptibly different, a triangle test is the right choice. In this test, you give participants three samples—two identical and one different—and ask them to identify the odd one out. If tasters consistently pick the different sample, it shows there is a perceptible difference between the two oils. This setup is efficient and directly measures discrimination without requiring any descriptive descriptions of flavor or aroma.

The other options don’t fit as well. A duo-trio test uses a reference sample to see which of two test samples matches it, which isn’t needed when you’re simply checking if two oils can be distinguished. A descriptive test focuses on rating specific attributes rather than simply detecting whether a difference exists. A general difference test is broader; the triangle test is the standard, precise method for determining if two products can be distinguished in a small-sample, discrimination-focused study.