Role of Subjective Knowledge in the Description of Virgin Olive Oil Using the Rata Methodology

Traditionally, the sensory characteristics of virgin olive oil (VOO) have been described by descriptive analysis (DA) carried out by panels of trained judges, with limited use of rapid descriptive methods for this product. Additionally, subjective knowledge (SK) helps identify differences in consumers' levels of knowledge and their perception of quality. This study aimed to compare the conventional descriptive characterization of VOO across different commercial qualities and sensory profiles with the description obtained through the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) methodology, along with acceptability evaluation from 115 frequent consumers of VOO. A hierarchical cluster analysis allowed consumers to be separated into two groups with different levels of SK. Cluster 1 (n = 62), characterized by lower levels of SK, assigned similar acceptability scores to all samples, indicating an inability to differentiate between the commercial qualities of VOO. Participants in this group did not perceive defects in any of the samples evaluated, nor did they demonstrate a preference for a specific sensory profile. These results indicate that frequent consumption of olive oil does not necessarily correlate with knowledge about the product and its quality. Cluster 2 (n = 57), characterized by higher levels of SK, assigned acceptability scores based on the commercial quality of each oil, showing a preference for the extra VOO sample characterized by flavor intensity, odor, pungency, and bitterness. The use of the RATA methodology with this group of consumers enables us to describe both the positive and negative characteristics of olive oil in a manner comparable to DA.