The methods now used, for accomplishment of sensorial analysis, do not translate the results satisfactorily. Because of this problem, it was analyzed the possibility of introducing a factor that measures the agreement index of the tasters on a particular aspect analyzed. To validate this coefficient, the agreement coefficient among the sensory analysis tasters had been evaluated using three different annona samples; one consisting only of the annona juice (without milk) and the other with different concentrations of juice / milk (mass percentage). This evaluation was accomplished by the Analysis of Main Components (ACP) and by the new methodology also proposed by the authors, with base in the definition of the standard deviation, applied to the absolute frequencies of the tasters' notes, for each studied sensorial property. With this methodology it was defined a relation for calculation of an agreement measure among the tasters, denominated of agreement coefficient, which can assume values from 0 to 100%. Finally, it was concluded that such methodology is more suitable than ACP, in the evaluation of the agreement among the tasters in the sensorial analysis, since that methodology results in a measure of the agreement degree and it allows comparisons that are not possible being used ACP.
agreement coefficient; sensorial properties; tasters
