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Abstract 088

Effect of illumination intensity on visual perception of turbidity

Food Qual. & Pref. 16 (6): 536-544, 2005

C.F. Fleet and K.J. Siebert

 

Colloidal size (0.15 µm, 0.31 µm, and 0.70 µm diameter) synthetic polymer microspheres were each suspended in liquids of three different colors (clear, tan and dark brown) at a range of concentrations. Samples were presented to panelists in a viewing box. Visual threshold determinations were made for each of the nine sample sets using the Ascending Method of Limits and bright illumination (1192 lux). Thresholds were much more similar expressed as turbidimeter observations than as either weight or number concentration, and ranged from 0.206 to 2.19 NTU. Panel mean thresholds increased as color intensity increased. Thresholds tended to be lower with the largest particles. Thresholds for each sample set were also determined with reduced illumination. Intermediate lighting intensity (592 lux) resulted in the lowest detection thresholds (0.176 to 0.829 NTU). The threshold results obtained with the lowest illumination (18 lux) were intermediate between those with the higher two illuminations (0.183 to 1.20 NTU).

 

 

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