Application of a parametric bootstrap test for the sensory quality index of fresh-cut eggplant

Abstract

In food science, one of the most important fields is the sensory analysis, which evaluates the product and contributes to determining their quality and acceptance. An important point in this field is the study of shelf-life because the quality of a food product can be changed over time. Imm, Lee and Lee (2011) proposed an Sensory Quality Index (SQI) to indicate the behavior of the sensory quality of a food product over time, according to consumer reaction. The SQI provide only a point estimate without performing a hypothesis test of interest with a previously established significance, then, Bastos (2013) proposed a test parametric bootstrap (P B) for the SQI, making it a better tool. The aim of this study is to present the operation P B test in the methods section, study data eggplants, applying that test them. The R software (R CORE TEAM, 2014) to test application and representation graphic was used. The operation of the P B test was presented in detail and applied to the data of eggplant, stating that the sensory quality of them decreased, the level of 5% significance. Therefore, consumers hardly pleased with this food at the end of shelf-life.