Pungency characterization of spicy leisure foods by sensory analysis combined with the liquid chromatogrephy‐ultraviolet method

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Abstract BACKGROUND Pungency is a critical sensory attribute influencing consumer preference and acceptance of spicy leisure foods (SLFs). In this study, we evaluated the sensory pungency and capsaicinoid content of 26 commercially available SLFs using a 15 cm linear sensory scale and liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The relationship between perceived pungency and capsaicinoid concentration was further modeled using a psychophysical approach. RESULTS Pungency ratings ranged widely across the samples, from ‘slightly pungent’ to ‘very pungent’. The Stevens power law effectively described the relationship between capsaicinoid content and sensory intensity across three SLF categories: meat‐based leisure food (MLF), gluten‐based leisure food (GLF), and vegetable‐based leisure food (VLF), with coefficients of determination ( R 2 ) of 0.924, 0.955, and 0.917, respectively. Each category exhibited distinct power law constants ( k ) and exponents ( n ), indicating that food matrix composition modulates the perception of pungency. Notably, for equivalent capsaicinoid levels, perceived pungency followed the order VLF > MLF > GLF. The predictive accuracy of the derived models was validated using independent SLF samples, confirming their robustness and applicability. CONCLUSION This study presents a psychophysical framework for quantitatively characterizing pungency in SLFs, offering a novel tool for product development and sensory evaluation in the spicy food industry. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

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