Impact of the Covering Vegetable Oil on the Sensory Profile of Canned Tuna of Katsuwonus pelamis Species and Tuna’s Taste Evaluation Using an Electronic Tongue
The impact of the covering vegetable oil (sunflower oil, refined olive oil and extra virgin
olive oil, EVOO) on the physicochemical and sensory profiles of canned tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis
species) was evaluated, using analytical techniques and a sensory panel. The results showed that
canned tuna covered with EVOO possesses a higher content of total phenols and an enhanced
antioxidant capacity. This covering medium also increased the appreciated redness-yellowness color
of the canned tuna, which showed a higher chromatic and intense color. Olfactory and kinesthetic
sensations were significantly dependent on the type of oil used as covering medium. Tuna succulence
and adhesiveness were promoted by the use of EVOO, which also contributed to decreasing the
tuna-related aroma sensations. The tuna sensory data could be successfully used to identify the
type of vegetable oil used. Moreover, a potentiometric electronic tongue allowed discriminating
between the canned tuna samples according to the vegetable oil used (mean sensitivity of 96 8%;
repeated K-fold cross-validation) and the fruity intensity of the EVOO (mean sensitivity of 100%;
repeated K-fold cross-validation). Thus, the taste sensor device could be a practical tool to verify
the authenticity of the declared covering medium in canned tuna and to perceive the differences in
consumers’ taste.
This research was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)
through the national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and to CEB (UIDB/04469/2020)
units, to the Associate Laboratory SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020), as well as by the European Regional
Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte to
BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004). Nuno Rodrigues thanks the National
funding by FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the Institutional scientific
employment program-contract.
