RESUMO
Perfil Livre, uma técnica sensorial descritiva, foi utilizada na caracterização de três amostras de pudins com açúcar e cinco de pudins dietéticos comerciais. Quatorze provadores realizaram o levantamento de atributos pelo método Rede. Foram elaborados para cada provador, as listas de definições de atributos e as fichas de avaliação, empregando escala não estruturada. Utilizou-se a Análise Procrustes Generalizada para tratamento dos dados. Foram ainda determinados o perfil de textura instrumental e a cor. Foi obtida boa discriminação e os pudins foram caracterizados com base, principalmente, nos atributos cor marrom, sinérese, aroma e sabor de chocolate, sabor residual, firmeza e cremosidade. A técnica de Perfil livre mostrou-se eficiente para discriminação sensorial das amostras estudadas considerando-se atributos de aparência, sabor, odor e textura.
Free-choice profile, a descriptive sensory technique, was applied to develop the profile for three regular and five dietetic commercial chocolate puddings. Fourteen panelists were selected using triangular tests, and the Grid method was used to obtain the descriptors. Besides, individual lists, definitions of the attributes, and score sheets, where each attribute was scored on an unstructured scale, were made for the assessors. The Generalized Procrustes Analysis was applied to data. Instrumental texture profile and color were also determined. Good discrimination was observed between the samples. Puddings were mainly characterized by brown color, sineresis, chocolate aroma and flavor, aftertaste, firmness and creaminess. Free-choice profiling was efficient to discriminate studied samples considering appearance, aroma, flavor and texture attributes.