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21 January 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Prof Danie Vermeulen, Prof Arno Hugo, and master’s student in Consumer Sciences, Mandisa Masuku in the newly renovated sensory laboratory in the Agricultural Building on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.
Prof Danie Vermeulen, Prof Arno Hugo, and master’s student in Consumer Sciences, Mandisa Masuku in the newly renovated sensory laboratory in the Agricultural Building on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.
Imagine all food tasting the same …

Fortunately, this is not the case, as consumers like to enjoy what they eat. Tasting food is important because it enables suppliers to adapt food products to consumers’ preferences.

According to Prof Arno Hugo of the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS), it is important for food companies to make sure that new food products are acceptable to consumers before launching such products. Often, companies also want to confidentially compare and profile their new or even established products against their competitors’ products. Lately, food companies also have the need to adapt European or North American food products for the local consumer (Africanisation of food products). Independent sensory laboratories are needed for such work. 

Dr Carina Bothma, Senior Lecturer and sensory science expert – also from the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology – who manages the sensory laboratory, says the laboratory at the university performs sensory analysis, which is a scientific discipline used to evoke reactions from humans regarding the five senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. These reactions can be captured from first bite to complete mastication and are then statistically analysed and interpreted by a sensory analyst.

With the support of the Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof Danie Vermeulen, a project to the value of R3 million to upgrade the existing sensory laboratory in the Agricultural Building on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus, is nearing completion. Minor improvements will be completed by June 2020.

According to Dr Bothma, upgrades were done in three sections, including a training area (with seating for 12 trained panellists); a computerised 12-booth tasting area (with a three-light communication system); and a preparation area. The latter consists of a walk-in fridge and walk-in freezer, a 10-rack industrial steam-jet oven, a ventilation system to control and maintain a negative pressure in the preparation area – so that odours do not move to the tasting area, two mobile units with four gas plates in each unit, and a sputum and control area equipped with a computer.

Prof Hugo, who is mainly responsible for planning trials and statistical analyses of sensory data, says the sensory laboratory is truly a fantastic facility and big asset for the university. “I think it is one of the best-planned and best-equipped sensory laboratories in South Africa.”

Alternative food products profiled

He continues: “Several sensory studies have been done regarding the influence of salt reduction on the meat quality of various meat products, as well as the effect of different feed supplements on meat quality. Meat was also evaluated, comparing the meat quality of animals from different production systems.”

Dr Bothma states that food products to be evaluated vary and may include new products in product development. “Several interesting food products have been tested in the lab so far. Underutilised vegetables such as amaranth and cactus pears, and newly introduced crops such as edamame, have been evaluated.  Ancient grains such as fonio have also been profiled.  An African staple, amagwinya, is currently being profiled, as well as food products containing insect flour,” she says.

Testing and teaching

According to Dr Bothma, a trained panel consisting of 10 to 12 panellists is highly trained to verbally describe a food product or characteristic.  For other tests, consumers of a specific food product to be tested, are sourced. Such a panel can consist of between 75 and 300 persons, depending on the requirements of the client.  Panels can also be compiled according to specific demographics. All demographic information remains anonymous.  

Sensory analysis forms part of academic research projects and a number of PhD and master’s degrees have been done in the laboratory. 

She says: “Postgraduate students work in the sensory lab under supervision of the sensory analyst. They personally recruit panellists on the campus, referred to as 'convenience sampling'. These assistants do the preparation for the tasting, preparing up to 500 individual samples for a test that has 100 panellists and five products.  They attend to the panellists, serve the samples, collect and decode ballot sheets, and enter data into Excel for statistical analysis.”

More than 20 accredited scientific articles have already been published from research done in this laboratory.

News Archive

"Service" needs to return to public service
2010-09-14

At the memorial lecture were, from the left, front: Chris Hendriks, Proff. Liezel Lues, Chris Thornhill and Lyndon du Plessis; middle: Prof. Hendri Kroukamp, Mss Alet Fouche, Lizette Pretorius; and back: Proff. Koos Bekker and Moses Sindane.
– Photo: Stephen Collett.

There is a serious need for the concept of “service” to be reintroduced to the public service. In addition to this, public servants need to behave ethically and honestly if the public service were to achieve its main aim of service delivery to South African citizens and thereby also restore the trust of citizens in the state.

This was the central theme of the JN Boshoff Commemorative Lecture hosted by the Department of Public Administration and Management at the University of the Free State UFS). The lecture by Prof. Chris Thornhill, emeritus professor of Public Administration and Management at the University of Pretoria, focused on “Administrative and Governmental Challenges: Lessons from the Past”. He drew pertinent parallels with the administrative and governmental practices during the times of Pres. JN Boshoff, second president of the Orange Free State in 1855, and the challenges faced in this regard by the current government and public service.

Prof. Thornhill highlighted important aspects such as globalisation, the environment, public service and democratic government in his presentation.
He said the borders between countries have all but vanished and governments therefore have to carefully consider the effects of globalisation on its domestic affairs. The strength of a country’s currency, for example, was not only determined by how that country viewed or perceived it, but also by the international community’s perception of that country’s political and economic stability. This, in turn, could have serious implications for that country’s investment and economic prospects.

Governments are compelled to attend to the utilisation of its natural resources as these resources are finite and therefore irreplaceable. Policy interventions have to be introduced to decrease or regulate the use of certain natural resources or alternative measures need to be introduced. The example of bio-fuel production in various countries was highlighted.

He said the South African public service is characterised by three debilitating factors, namely the prevalence of corruption, the interference of politicians in administrative functions and a lack of appropriate skills and therefore a lack of commitment on the part of officials. In the municipal sector, for example, 46% of municipal managers have less than one year’s experience and this mainly occurs because of the practice of deployment (the appointment of a person based on political affiliation). An amendment to the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act is currently under consideration, in terms of which municipal managers will be disallowed to hold party political positions simultaneously.

According to Prof. Thornhill this is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to neutralise the impact of these debilitating factors in order to restore the credibility of the public service.

On democratic government Prof. Thornhill said the fact that the majority of a country’s citizens elect a political party to power does not automatically make the government capable of governing effectively and efficiently. It is therefore important for the rulers to understand their governing role within a democratic context, but more importantly to act accordingly. It is also important not to centralise power unduly as this could be a serious threat to accountable government. The 17th amendment to the Constitution, 1996, currently under consideration, and in terms of which national and provincial government will be allowed to intervene in local government matters, was highlighted as a case in point.

Prof. Thornhill said it was essential for those involved to sincerely and honestly and ethically deal with the above matters for the public service to overcome current challenges.
 

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