Graz (OTS) – In time for Ash Wednesday, AK Steiermark subjected 16 herring salads (eight classic and eight with beetroot), which were purchased in retail stores, to a quality and taste test. The test certifies good quality, appearance is important, smell is irrelevant.
60 consumers assessed the acceptance and popularity of the various products as well as the appearance, smell, taste and the overall sensory impression. Furthermore, the attributes “color of the sauce”, “mouthfeel of the sauce”, “consistency of the fish pieces”, “size of the fish pieces”, “ratio of sauce to other components” and “saltiness” were evaluated. The blind tastings were carried out in the sensory laboratory of the Institute for Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry at Graz University of Technology.
Styrians prefer “red”
“The results of the study show that there are clear differences between the products,” says Susanne Bauer, head of AK market research: “It must be noted, however, that there was no product that received top marks, but also none that received extraordinary was rated poorly.” Statistically significant differences exist between the tested products with regard to all questioned properties and the overall impression or popularity of the products. The evaluation of the question “How do you like this product as a whole?” showed two “test winners”: the “Clever red” and “Almare red” salads. In general, it can be said that products that have high ratings for appearance and taste also receive high ratings for their overall impression. The smell of the products doesn’t seem to play a big role in overall acceptance.
Dark, fatty and salty sauces “less good”
The analysis of the properties of the sauce, the texture and size of the fish pieces, as well as the saltiness showed that all these properties show a clear connection with the popularity of the products. Products for which the sauce was perceived as too dark and too greasy/greasy, the sauce content was too high, the fish was too soft and the salad was too salty were rated as “less good”.
No germs, but different amounts of fish
The 16 herring salads were also examined microbiologically in the Hygienicum GmbH laboratory. The result is extremely pleasing: no pathogenic germs or indicator germs for poor hygiene could be detected.
When comparing the herring content, it should be noted that for some products the percentage is based on the pure fish, but mostly on a preparation made from it (“marinated herring bites”, “pickled herring”) – in which other ingredients such as sugar, salt, acetic acid or even Water is included – refers.
All documents can be found at www.akstmk.at/presse
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