An expert explained how tasters "analyze" the flavor of cheese and the stages each sample goes through.

Ekaterina Bespalova, Head of the Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Milk Processing Laboratory at the Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry of the Republic of Belarus . Imagine a world where taste is a profession. Where every nuance of aroma matters, and the slightest deviation from the norm is not ignored. Sensory analysis is more than just tasting; it's an entire science that studies the human perception of taste, smell, texture, and appearance of products. At the Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry, it plays a key role in product development and quality control. Tasters identify defects, assess whether products meet standards, and determine consumer satisfaction. They help manufacturers create products that will be in demand on the market. Their work is an art form that requires not only knowledge and experience but also a true passion for their craft. A BELTA correspondent spoke with Ekaterina Bespalova, head of the industry laboratory for biochemistry, microbiology, and milk processing technologies at the Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry, to learn about the requirements for tasters, where they are trained, the methods they use, and how they ensure the safety and quality of food products.

"Ekaterina Vladimirovna, how did you decide to enter this profession? 

" "My main activity is scientific research: developing new products and providing technological support for the dairy industry. Tasting evaluation is an integral part of our professional work. The first thing assessed during the development of any product is its organoleptic characteristics: appearance, taste, smell, and consistency.

At the beginning of my career, my evaluation was at the amateur level. Then I completed training as a taster at the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Food, and later at the All-Russian Research Institute of Butter and Cheese Making, receiving the qualification of expert taster." I obtained this qualification to professionally evaluate products. We work with manufacturers to ensure the quality of products that appear on store shelves in our country and abroad. Consumers primarily evaluate food products based on their organoleptic characteristics.

For the past two years, specialists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Butter and Cheese Making have been conducting similar courses for our employees and dairy industry specialists at the Institute of Meat and Dairy Industry. Upon completion of the training, they receive a certificate of advanced training. 

Tastes change with age. How have your personal taste preferences changed since you started working as a taster, and how does this influence your professional evaluation of foods?

There is a basic set of tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Everyone can detect these tastes. The question is at what level. The threshold of sensitivity is individual and can change with age. Chronic illnesses occur, which reduce the sensitivity of receptors. Sensitivity changes, sometimes for the better. This is due to a broader horizon and increased sensory memory training.

Rather, preferences change. Mine have changed as my professional career has developed. I love discovering new things, unexpected flavors. For example, chocolate with chili pepper. Sometimes these flavors reveal the product itself, revealing notes you hadn't detected before. The brain remembers the most striking moments, including through tastes. Sometimes a set of descriptors or descriptive elements of a product comes to mind. The next time you consume it, you immediately return to the situation and conditions where you tried it.

Today's consumers are spoiled. Surprising them with classic products is becoming increasingly difficult. You need to engage them. A combination of unexpected flavors is one such element. Furthermore, interest is influenced by design, packaging , and the unusual shape of the product. Manufacturers must take these factors into account when working with clients.

- Describe the process of tasting a complex, multi-component product. What do you notice first and how do you "break it down" into its components?

- Organoleptic analysis and its methodology vary depending on the objectives. One of the goals of organoleptic analysis is product identification. We must determine what type of product it is and what physical and chemical parameters it must meet. Other tasks include identifying defects, including those related to the product's expiration date, and establishing its freshness. We most frequently use organoleptic analysis related to formula development and modification of a specific component. Sometimes we are tasked with creating a product similar to either an imported or domestic product. An expert taster must evaluate a range of samples, identifying those identical to the control. 

Organoleptic analysis is already part of various international tasting competitions, particularly at the Prodexpo exhibition. There, we evaluate product quality and its compliance with the requirements established in production regulations. We evaluate dairy products in several categories. Perhaps the most challenging product for me personally is cheese.

Каждый продукт оценивается по определенной шкале. Для большинства это двадцатибалльная система, для сыра - стобалльная, где вкус и запах занимает увесистую долю (45 из 100). Существуют определенные правила дегустации, прописанные на уровне ГОСТов.

Органолептический тест состоит из определения внешнего вида продукта, насколько он качественный. Например, если это глазированный сырок, мы оцениваем саму глазурь, ее глянцевость, в ней не должно быть пустот. Это пороки, которые снижают оценку продукта. Отдельно оцениваются консистенция, цвет. Для сыра еще оценивается рисунок. Самый сложный этап - оценка вкуса. Для каждого продукта выделяются определенные дескрипторы. Для молочной характерен кисло-молочный либо сливочный вкус, для сыра - дополнительно может быть ореховый. Для сыроделия есть шкала, которая разработана по дескрипторам. Там указано, какой максимально балл ты можешь дать продукту с учетом его недостатков и количество баллов по снижению оценки. Например, на дегустации сыр оказался горьким. И вот , в зависимости от того, какая это горечь, интенсивная или менее чувствительная, больше ты баллов снимешь за это или меньше. И отсюда уже складывается общий балл по отдельным показателям: вкусу, консистенции, внешнему виду.

Из сложнокомпонентных продуктов отдельно выделяешь базовые вкусы, насколько они интенсивные. Сложная задача, когда ты должен сам формировать дескрипторы для составления профилей продукта (вкусоароматического, тактильного и прочее). 

- Существуют ли продукты, которые вы намеренно избегаете употреблять перед дегустацией, чтобы не заглушить свои вкусовые ощущения?

- Есть продукты, которые в принципе запрещены к употреблению профессиональному эксперту-дегустатору. Дегустатор должен зайти на свое профессиональное поле с полностью нейтральными вкусовыми рецепторами. Они не должны быть забиты острыми, яркими вкусами. Запрещены горячие напитки, в том числе крепкий кофе. Все то, что может нарушить наше восприятие, должно быть исключено.

Эксперт не должен курить до дегустации. Даже в процессе дегустации мы должны запивать продукты для того, чтобы ополоснуть ротовую полость и нивелировать все эти ароматы и вкусы, которые у нас возникли. Это должны быть определенные напитки: либо вода, либо чай. Последний - специально заварен. Чай из пакетика запрещен, потому что металлическая скоба, клеевая составляющая могут повлиять на вкусовые ощущения.

Работа сложная, и к ней надо подходить сознательно. Ведь неправильная оценка дегустатора может повлиять на судьбу продукта. Важно, конечно же, состояние здоровья дегустатора. Заболевания, связанные с желудочно-кишечным трактом, ротовой полостью могут негативно сказаться на восприятии.

- Как обеспечивается объективность и справедливость при принятии решений в центральной дегустационной комиссии, особенно когда мнения дегустаторов расходятся?

There are open and closed tastings. In an open tasting, tasters sample the product together, each assessing it individually, and then begin a discussion. Open tastings, in my opinion, aren't entirely objective. There's a certain degree of influence, a human factor at play. If a taster can clearly explain why a product deserves a certain score, they can certainly influence the rest of the group's opinion.

Competition evaluations are conducted through closed tastings, with each expert assessing the product individually. Next comes the secretary, who independently evaluates the results obtained by the entire group. An average score is then assigned. Groups are often made up of ten people, sometimes more. Furthermore, if an expert taster isn't feeling well and significantly underestimates the scores, the secretary will not disregard certain results or scores from specific tasters if they fall outside the established range when statistically processing the data.

In a closed tasting, the entire product discussion takes place behind closed doors, after the results have been submitted and we can no longer correct them. Only at the final stage, when the products have been evaluated, can we find out who the manufacturer is, what kind of product it was, and share our opinions.

- What's the most unusual or unexpected flavor you've ever tried?

- I'm not very fond of various hydrolyzed products. They have a certain bitterness and specific aromas. I prefer bright flavors with a very complex organoleptic profile. They linger in my memory. For me, cheeses with long ripening periods are among these.

- How do you cope with the stress and responsibility associated with your work, especially when it comes to making decisions that affect the fate of products and businesses?

- I convince myself that stressing over certain situations is counterproductive because it has a negative impact, including on your perception. Especially in tasting competitions like these, when your score can influence the fate of the product. I see how the technologists involved in creating the product worry, and how anxious the directors whose product has entered the competition are. How painful it is for them later if something they were confident in doesn't receive high scores, or does, but doesn't win.

You start double-checking yourself several times during evaluation. When you're confident and give precise ratings, then you're confident you've done everything possible. I try to conduct my tasting practice exactly like this. Even when I'm evaluating, I mark my favorites. I always mark them in my draft notes so I can discuss them later and understand what went wrong with the product, why I deducted a score.

- Do you know in advance which company provided the product?

"We don't see this at closed tastings. At best, we know the name of the product. It all depends on the competition's standings. For some, we might know nothing more than that it's a semi-hard cheese with a ripening period corresponding to the category.

We know all of our products on the Belarusian market. Some are recognizable by appearance, taste, and smell. However, the packaging is always sealed so that the expert doesn't know the manufacturer, lest personal connections to a specific factory or the product's technological composition influence it.

" "How do you see the future of the taster profession in the era of artificial intelligence?" "

I'm very fond of artificial intelligence, although I don't use it that much. It's a great story that it can compile a selection for you based on keywords. However, you need to analyze the information you receive from it yourself. I don't think artificial intelligence can completely replace humans. It was created by humans. Only humans can compare flavors and understand whether consumers will like them. Therefore, the profession of expert taster will be in demand."

"Are tasters made or born?

" "I believe anyone can become a professional. Only through trial and error, increasing your knowledge and gaining experience can you develop professional skills. Even the sensitivity of your taste buds can be trained. It's possible to lower your threshold, but this, of course, requires effort. Only through hard work can you achieve good results."

Anastasia KOZLOVA,
BELTA