Application of electronic tongue in isotonic sports drinks characterization and differentiation during storage

Abstract

The electronic tongue or taste sensor system, comprised of seven potentiometric sensors, was applied as a tool in isotonic sports drinks analyses and characterization. Recently, electronic tongue systems showed large potential in food quality control, and for the first time it was used in isotonic sports drinks differentiation. The ability of the electronic tongue to differentiate between isotonic sports drinks samples and to monitor isotonic sports drinks during shelf life was evaluated by PCA analysis. The obtained results showed that the electronic tongue system was capable of differentiating between differently flavoured isotonic sports drinks samples and was able to monitor the changes in isotonic sports drinks samples during storage. High correlations of the developed PLS models between the observed sensory taste attributes (sweet, sour, bitter taste intensity and chemical senses intensity) and physicochemical parameters (electrical conductivity, refractometric value, pH value) and predicted values of sensory taste attributes and physicochemical parameters evaluated by electronic tongue, confirmed the performance of the electronic tongue and also indicate that the electronic tongue system can be used for rapid evaluation of sensory taste attributes and physicochemical parameters of isotonic sports drinks.