Three samples were incorrectly identified. Thus, the taster received a statistical score of 88%.
2. The results failed to support the null hypothesis. There was obviously a difference between the organic and conventional food items.
3. This output indicates that while there is a difference, the margin of 10% is too small.
4. The test indicated that for greater than 50% of the time the taster was able to identify the differences between organic and conventional foods.
5. For the next test, I would most likely use one fruit and run multiple tests with a single piece tasted each time.
Works Cited
Fullion, Laurence & Arzai, Stacey (2002), Does organic food taste better? A claim substantiation approach. Nutrition & Food Science, 32(4): 153-157.
Padel, Susanne & Foster, Carolyn (2005), Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour: Understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food. British Food Journal, 107(8): 606-625.
Weibel, F.P., Bickel, R., Leuthold, S. And Alfoldi, T. (2000), Are Organically Grown Apples Tastier and Healthier? A Comparative Field Study Using Conventional and Alternative Methods to Measure Fruit Quality. Acta Horticulturae, 517: 417-426.
Appendix a
Fourteen different...
For instance, an organic gala and conventional gala apple were purchased. An identical slice was taken from each piece of fruit for the tasting. The slice was done carefully to avoid the appearance of the fruit giving away whether it was organic or conventional.
All the tastings were completed in one sitting with bottled water given in between to cleanse the taste buds. The sampler must taste both piece of fruit and specify which was organic and which was conventional. The result was tabulated on a chart that was not seen by the sampler.
Appendix B
Taste Test Chart
Fruit
Correctly Identified
Incorrectly Identified
Apple
X
Pear
X
Grape
X
Strawberry
X
Blueberry
X
Mango
X
Banana
X
Peach
X
Nectarine
X
Acorn Squash
X
Tomato
X
Pineapple
X
Orange
X
Grapefruit
X
Charted Results
