American ginseng tea quality evaluation system and construction method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food evaluation, in particular to an American ginseng tea quality evaluation system and a construction method thereof. The American ginseng tea quality evaluation system capable of accurately reflecting market preferences is constructed through systematized consumer sensory testing and data analysis; a nine-point preference degree test and a CATA method are combined, multi-dimensional sensory attributes of vision, smell, taste and the like of the American ginseng tea are comprehensively covered, and the evaluation result is more comprehensive and objective; the evaluation system has relatively high evaluation precision, can provide a scientific basis for enterprise product development, raw material screening and quality control, and improves the market competitiveness of products; the method is simple and convenient to operate and wide in application range, and can be popularized to sensory evaluation of other herbal tea drinks or functional drinks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food evaluation technology, and in particular to a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea and its construction method. Background Technology

[0002] American ginseng, also known as Panax quinquefolius or Panax quinquefolius, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae. It is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine theory states that American ginseng is cool in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste, and is used for qi and yin deficiency, internal heat, cough with phlegm and blood, fatigue due to deficiency heat, thirst, and dry mouth and throat. As a precious ingredient that is both food and medicine, American ginseng is widely used in tea, health products, and other fields, and its tea products have a broad consumer base in the market.

[0003] Consumer preference for American ginseng tea is significantly influenced by its sensory characteristics, including appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel. Currently, the quality evaluation of American ginseng tea is affected by various factors such as origin and processing technology, and relies heavily on physicochemical indicators, lacking a systematic consumer preference model and thus failing to accurately reflect market preferences.

[0004] While existing technologies have employed the CATA method to analyze the sensory characteristics of food, such as the cheese preference prediction method described in patent CN119359335A, a systematic sensory evaluation and preference evaluation method for American ginseng tea has yet to be found. Therefore, developing a rapid, objective, and quantifiable method for evaluating the preference for American ginseng tea has significant practical application value.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary in this field to provide a method for evaluating the preference for American ginseng tea based on consumer preferences. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea and its construction method. This invention, through consumer sensory testing and data analysis, provides a method for accurately evaluating the sensory attributes of American ginseng tea that reflect consumer preferences.

[0007] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: The first objective of this invention is to provide a method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, comprising the following steps: (S1) After training, the tasters tasted different American ginseng tea samples and used the nine-point preference test method to evaluate their overall preference. The specific sensory attributes perceived by the tasters were collected as evaluation data. (S2) Use statistical analysis software to perform analysis of variance on the evaluation data collected in step (S1) to determine the significant differences in sensory attributes among samples, and perform principal component analysis to identify the core sensory attributes that affect consumer preferences. (S3) Based on the core sensory attributes with synergistic effects, a quantitative relationship system between American ginseng preference and core sensory attributes is established through multivariate regression analysis, namely, the American ginseng tea quality evaluation system.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S1), the trained evaluator is specifically as follows: Recruit and screen qualified consumer tasters, ensuring they have normal sense of smell and taste, do not smoke, and have not consumed spicy or strongly scented foods before the experiment; provide tasters with standardized training on sensory evaluation procedures and the use of the nine-point preference scale.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S1), there are 50 or more judges, and the male-to-female ratio is 1:1.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S1), the American ginseng tea samples cover products from different origins to increase the representativeness and applicability of the evaluation system.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S1), after evaluating each sample, the evaluator needs to rinse their mouth with water and wait at least 90 seconds before evaluating the next sample to eliminate sensory fatigue and interference between samples.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S1), the specific sensory attributes include, but are not limited to, medicinal aroma, woody aroma, bitterness, sweet aftertaste, cooling sensation, smoothness upon entry, viscous sensation, or slight tingling sensation.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S2), the statistical analysis software is selected from SPSS or R language.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S2), core sensory attributes that have a significant impact on the overall consumer preference are extracted through principal component analysis and correlation analysis.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S3), the core sensory attributes with synergistic effects are specifically a combination of aftertaste, coolness, medicinal aroma, earthy taste and slight tingling.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S3), the fit of the quantitative relationship system between American ginseng preference and core sensory attributes is greater than or equal to 0.85, so as to ensure that the evaluation system has good interpretability and evaluation ability.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step (S3), the quantitative relationship system between American ginseng preference and core sensory attributes is specifically as follows: Y = 2.154 + 0.318×X1 + 0.285×X2 + 0.241×X3 - 0.376×X4 - 0.292×X5; X1 is a sweet aftertaste; X2 is a cooling sensation; X3 is a medicinal aroma; X4 is an earthy taste; X5 is a slight prickling sensation. The closer Y is to 9, the better the quality of the American ginseng tea sample.

[0018] The second objective of this invention is to provide a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, which is constructed using the method described above.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) The American ginseng tea quality evaluation system provided by the present invention constructs an American ginseng tea quality evaluation system that can accurately reflect market preferences through systematic consumer sensory testing and data analysis; combined with the nine-point preference test and CATA method, it comprehensively covers the multi-dimensional sensory attributes of American ginseng tea such as visual, olfactory, and taste, and the evaluation results are more comprehensive and objective.

[0020] (2) The American ginseng tea quality evaluation system provided by the present invention has high evaluation accuracy, which can provide a scientific basis for enterprise product development, raw material screening and quality control, and enhance the market competitiveness of products. The method is simple to operate and has a wide range of applications. It can be extended to the sensory evaluation of other herbal teas or functional beverages. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a sample image of the CATA questionnaire.

[0022] Figure 2 Scatter plot of linear regression analysis of overall preference for American ginseng tea and its core sensory attributes. Detailed Implementation

[0023] This invention provides a method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, as detailed below: (S1) Preparation of experimental materials: Three American ginseng tea samples from different origins (numbered CAN, FS, and WD) were selected. All of them are common varieties sold in the market, ensuring that the samples are representative in terms of shape, color, and aroma.

[0024] (S2) Recruitment and Screening of Consumer Evaluators: 60 consumer evaluators with normal sense of smell and taste (half male and half female, aged 20-50) will be recruited. Before the experiment, the experimental protocol will be approved by the ethics committee, ensuring its feasibility and controllability. The evaluator group will participate voluntarily. Group members will be fully informed of the research requirements and risks and will receive verbal consent. Group members have the right to withdraw from the research at any time, possess a certain level of education to ensure understanding and communication skills, pass taste and smell tests, and have sensory sensitivity. Group members will be trained in advance to ensure they can correctly accept sensory stimuli, are familiar with the sensory testing process, have high sensitivity and discrimination ability in different types of food, master the application of sensory evaluation methods and tools, have a high degree of observation of subtle differences, and have patience and adaptability. In the early stages of the experiment, the evaluators will also need to undergo a period of training on the nine-point preference scale to ensure they understand the meaning of each rating point (1-9).

[0025] (S3) Sensory Evaluation Experimental Design: This invention mainly uses the "Nine-Point Preference Test" (1 point represents strong dislike, and 9 points represent strong liking) to score the overall preference for the three types of American ginseng tea and various sensory attributes (including color, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel). Then, it combines the "Select All Suitable Items Method" (CATA method, specific table as shown) Figure 1 (As shown) Determine the descriptive words consumers use to describe the sensory attributes of American ginseng tea, such as "astringent," "sweet aftertaste," "smooth," "cooling," and "slightly tingling." Evaluators tasted the numbered samples in separate cubicles, rinsing their mouths and waiting two minutes after each taste to avoid sensory fatigue and cross-contamination.

[0026] (S4) Data Collection and Processing: Collect rating data from all tasters, and use SPSS software to perform analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis to screen out sensory attributes that have a significant impact on consumer preference. Extract core sensory attribute indicators through principal component analysis (PCA) and factor loading analysis.

[0027] (S5) Sensory evaluation system construction: The regression equation between overall preference and core sensory attribute indicators is established using the multiple linear regression method to construct a sensory evaluation system for the quality of American ginseng tea.

[0028] (S6) Evaluation System Validation: The system is validated using an independent validation sample set, and the goodness of fit (R²) between the evaluated preference degree and the actual preference degree is calculated. 2 This ensures that the system has high accuracy and reliability.

[0029] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] Unless otherwise specified, all reagents used in the following embodiments are commercially available reagents, and all detection methods and techniques used are conventional detection methods and techniques in the art.

[0031] Example 1 This embodiment provides the preparation of experimental materials and the recruitment and screening of consumer reviewers, as detailed below: (S1) Preparation of experimental materials: Three representative commercially available American ginseng samples (numbered CAN, FS, and WD, all common commercial varieties) were selected, and their origin information is shown in Table 1 below.

[0032] All samples were processed uniformly: (3.0 ± 0.1) g of American ginseng slices were weighed, 200 mL of boiling water was poured in, the container was covered and soaked for (10.0 ± 0.5) minutes, and then immediately filtered through a 100-mesh sieve. The resulting tea infusion was kept warm in a 60 ℃ constant temperature water bath to ensure that sensory evaluation was completed within 30 minutes after preparation.

[0033] Table 1. Information on American Ginseng Tea Samples (S2) Recruitment and screening of consumer reviewers: Seventy-two candidates were recruited through an online questionnaire. Selection criteria included: ① no smoking habit and no history of olfactory or gustatory disorders; ② the ability to accurately identify four basic tastes: sweet (sucrose solution, 2 g / L), sour (citric acid solution, 0.5 g / L), bitter (caffeine solution, 0.3 g / L), and salty (sodium chloride solution, 0.5 g / L); ③ fasting for one hour prior to the experiment and avoiding spicy or irritating foods. All judges signed informed consent forms and received approximately 30 minutes of training on the nine-point preference scale.

[0034] Finally, 60 qualified tasters were selected (30 men and 30 women, with 20 each aged 20-30, 31-40, and 41-50).

[0035] Example 2 This embodiment provides the design of a sensory evaluation experiment, as detailed below: (S1) The experiment was conducted in a standard sensory evaluation room, with each compartment equipped with a white light.

[0036] Each evaluator will receive three randomly numbered samples (approximately 20 mL per sample placed in a 30 mL evaluative cup). After evaluating each sample, the evaluator must rinse their mouth with mineral water and wait 2 minutes to eliminate sensory residue (to avoid sensory fatigue and cross-influence). The overall preference will be evaluated using a nine-point preference test, and the specific sensory attributes perceived by the evaluator will be collected as evaluation data. (S2) Collect all evaluation data obtained in step (S1). First, the frequency of selection of 46 sensory attributes by 60 evaluators for 3 samples (FS, WD, CAN) was statistically analyzed. Then, Cochran's Q test was used to screen out sensory attributes with significant differences (P < 0.05) among the samples. The results are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below. A total of 18 attributes showed significant differences (P < 0.05), of which 6 sensory attributes showed extremely significant differences (P < 0.001). These attributes were further used to construct the evaluation system.

[0037] Table 2. Frequency of attributes selected by the tasters for the three ginseng tea samples Note: * indicates P < 0.05, ** indicates P < 0.01, and *** indicates P < 0.001.

[0038] Table 3. Sensory attributes with highly significant differences (P < 0.001) (S3) Table 4 shows that there were significant differences in the preference scores of the three American ginseng tea samples (P < 0.05). The frequency of the selected sensory descriptive words indicates that the tasters tended to use variables such as "bitterness," "sweet aftertaste," "medicinal aroma," "astringency," "coolness," and "tingling sensation" to describe the flavor of the American ginseng tea samples. These are common flavor and mouthfeel attributes of American ginseng, and also sensory attributes that consumers are concerned about. The sensory attributes of the three American ginseng tea samples differed significantly, and untrained group members (consumers) could easily distinguish them.

[0039] Table 4. Judges' overall preference ratings for the three ginseng tea samples. Note: Different superscript letters indicate significant differences.

[0040] (S4) Based on the above Correspondence Analysis (CA), a correlation analysis was performed between the 22 significantly different sensory attributes and the overall preference scores of the three samples. For example... Figure 2 The CA results show that the first two main dimensions (F1 and F2) account for 93.65% of the total explanatory power, effectively explaining the association between samples and attributes. Figure 2As shown, the FS sample is closely associated with positive sensory attributes such as "aftertaste", "mellowness", "coolness" and "sweetness", which is consistent with its highest preference score (4.88±1.02). The CAN sample, on the other hand, is associated with negative attributes such as "bitterness", "earthy taste" and "slight tingling", and has the lowest preference score (2.81±1.11). The "astringency" attribute does not show a clear negative correlation with the preference of any sample in the figure, and it is preliminarily speculated that its role in evaluating the overall preference may be complex or unstable.

[0041] Example 3 This embodiment provides a method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, as detailed below: The original 540 sample data (3 samples × 3 parallel groups × 60) were randomly divided into two parts: 70% was used as the training set for fitting and evaluating the system, and 30% was used as the test set for validation, as detailed below: (S1) Based on the analysis of Example 2, in order to further realize the quantitative evaluation of preference, the standardized frequency data of all 6 highly significant sensory attributes are first used as independent variables (X), and the average overall preference score of the samples is used as the dependent variable (Y). A multiple linear regression method is used to construct an initial evaluation system.

[0042] Using SPSS 26.0 software, the stepwise regression method was employed to screen key evaluation variables, resulting in the regression equation, which is the overall preference evaluation system for American ginseng tea quality, as shown in the following formula: Y = 2.280 + 0.301×X1 + 0.262×X2 + 0.198×X3 - 0.342×X4 - 0.275×X5- 0.105×X6; In the formula: X1 is the aftertaste; X2 is the cooling sensation; X3 is the medicinal aroma; X4 is the earthy taste; X5 is the slight prickling sensation; X6 is the astringent taste.

[0043] The coefficients in the overall preference evaluation system for American ginseng tea quality are shown in Table 5 below.

[0044] Table 5. Initial Evaluation System Coefficients for Overall Preference of American Ginseng Tea Quality The goodness-of-fit R of the evaluation system 2 = 0.898, adjusted R 2 = 0.849. However, despite R 2The value was slightly high, but the analysis of variance showed that the significance of the evaluation system was F = 24.18, p < 0.001. When analyzing the variance inflation factor (VIF) of each variable, it was found that the VIF values ​​of variables such as "astringent taste" (X6), "sweet aftertaste" (X1), and "earthy taste" (X4) were all greater than 5, indicating a significant multicollinearity problem in the evaluation system. This phenomenon leads to unstable coefficient estimation, reducing the interpretability and extrapolation ability of the evaluation system. Furthermore, the coefficient of the sensory attribute "astringent taste" variable was no longer significant (P = 0.251 > 0.05), which contradicts its highly significant Cochran's Q test result, further confirming the interference of multicollinearity on its independent explanatory power.

[0045] Example 4 This embodiment provides the verification and application of the American ginseng tea quality evaluation system (prepared in Example 3), as detailed below: To verify the accuracy and generalization ability of the constructed evaluation system, internal validation was conducted using the hold-out method (Table 6). Key variables (aftertaste, coolness, medicinal aroma, astringency, earthiness, and slight tingling) were all retained and were significant. Sensory attribute data from the test set were substituted into the trained evaluation system to calculate the evaluation preference score, which was then compared with the actual preference score.

[0046] Table 6 Evaluation System Effectiveness Verification As verified, the evaluation system constructed in Example 3 has a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.44 points and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.49 points on the test set, and its evaluation accuracy (the difference between the evaluation value and the actual value within ±0.5 points is considered correct) reaches 66.7%.

[0047] The above results indicate that although the evaluation system can perform basic evaluations, its evaluation accuracy and stability need to be improved.

[0048] Specific applications are as follows: (S1) To verify the actual evaluation capability of the constructed evaluation system, two samples of American ginseng tea from different origins (A and B) were selected for verification. Twenty-five target consumers were invited to conduct CATA sensory evaluation according to the standard procedure, and the average selection frequency of key attributes of each sample was obtained (Table 7).

[0049] Table 7. Frequency statistics of sensory attributes of samples A and B The evaluation system evaluates the following: Sample A preference score: Y A= 2.280 + 0.301×0.92 + 0.262×0.84 + 0.198×0.72 - 0.105×0.20 - 0.342×0.12 - 0.275×0.08 ≈ 6.85 Sample B preference score: Y B = 2.280 + 0.301×0.48 + 0.262×0.40 + 0.198×0.44 - 0.105×0.56 - 0.342×0.68 - 0.275×0.64 ≈ 4.76 (S2) To further examine the generalization ability of the evaluation system, two commercially available American ginseng products (G and H) were selected for verification. Twenty-five target consumers were invited to conduct CATA sensory evaluation according to standard procedures, and the average selection frequency of key attributes for each sample was obtained (Table 8).

[0050] Table 8. Frequency statistics of sensory attributes of samples G and H The evaluation system evaluates the following: Sample G preference score: Y G = 2.280 + 0.301×0.88 + 0.262×0.80 + 0.198×0.76 - 0.105×0.24 - 0.342×0.16 - 0.275×0.12 ≈ 6.78 Sample H preference score: Y H = 2.280 + 0.301×0.52 + 0.262×0.44 + 0.198×0.48 - 0.105×0.60 - 0.342×0.72 - 0.275×0.68 ≈ 4.83 Example 5 This embodiment provides a method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, as detailed below: The original 540 sample data (3 samples × 3 parallel groups × 60) were randomly divided into two parts: 70% was used as the training set for fitting and evaluating the system, and 30% was used as the test set for validation, as detailed below: (S1) Based on the analysis of Examples 2 to 4, in order to further realize the quantitative evaluation of preference, the standardized frequency data of the other 5 highly significant sensory attributes of "astringency" were selected as independent variables (X), and the average overall preference score of the samples was used as the dependent variable (Y). The evaluation system was constructed by using the multiple linear regression method.

[0051] Using SPSS 26.0 software, the stepwise regression method was employed to screen key evaluation variables, ultimately yielding the regression equation, which is the overall preference evaluation system for American ginseng tea quality, as shown in the following formula: Y = 2.154 + 0.318×X1 + 0.285×X2 + 0.241×X3 – 0.376×X4 – 0.292×X5, In the formula, X1 represents the aftertaste; X2 represents the cooling sensation; X3 represents the medicinal aroma; X4 represents the earthy taste; and X5 represents the slight prickling sensation.

[0052] The goodness-of-fit R of the evaluation system 2 = 0.891, adjusted R 2 = 0.863, indicating that the evaluation system can explain 86.3% of the preference variation. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the evaluation system was highly significant (F = 31.45, p < 0.001). The variance inflation factor (VIF) of each variable was less than 5, indicating that there was no multicollinearity problem. The coefficients of the evaluation system are shown in Table 9 below.

[0053] Table 9 Evaluation System Coefficient Table Example 6 This embodiment provides the verification and application of the American ginseng tea quality evaluation system, as detailed below: To verify the accuracy and generalization ability of the evaluation system constructed in Example 5, internal verification was performed using the "hold-out method" (as shown in Table 10).

[0054] Key variables (aftertaste, coolness, medicinal aroma, earthy taste, and slight prickliness) were all retained and significant. The sensory attribute data from the test set were substituted into the trained evaluation system to calculate the evaluation preference score, and compared with the actual preference score.

[0055] Table 10 Evaluation System Evaluation Effect Verification Verification showed that the evaluation system constructed in Example 5 had a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.22 points and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.26 points on the test set. The evaluation accuracy (a difference of ±0.5 points between the evaluated value and the actual value is considered correct) reached 88.9%. This indicates that the evaluation system constructed in Example 5 has good evaluation accuracy and stability, significantly better than the evaluation system constructed in Example 3. Compared with the evaluation system constructed in Example 3, the evaluation error of the evaluation system constructed in Example 5 was significantly reduced, and the accuracy was greatly improved. This demonstrates that by removing the "astringency" variable and optimizing the evaluation system structure, the constructed evaluation system has good evaluation accuracy and stability, and can be more reliably applied to the evaluation of preferences for American ginseng tea products.

[0056] Specific applications are as follows: (S1) Two types of American ginseng from different origins were brewed into tea as samples (sample A and sample B). To evaluate their market acceptance, 25 target consumers were invited to conduct a CATA sensory evaluation according to the method of this invention. The average frequency of key attributes for each sample was calculated as follows (Table 11).

[0057] Table 11. Frequency statistics of sensory attributes of samples A and B Standardize the data and then input it into the evaluation system: Y A = 2.154 + 0.318×0.92 + 0.285×0.84 + 0.241×0.76 - 0.376×0.08 -0.292×0.12 ≈ 7.37 Y B = 2.154 + 0.318×0.48 + 0.285×0.40 + 0.241×0.44 - 0.376×0.68 -0.292×0.64 ≈ 4.36 The evaluation results show that sample A has a relatively high consumer preference expectation (approximately 7.37 out of 9), while sample B has a relatively low preference expectation (approximately 4.36 out of 9), showing a significant difference between the two. This provides data support for product decision-making. Based on these results, priority can be given to American ginseng from origin A, or the processing technology can be optimized to enhance positive attributes such as "sweet aftertaste" and "cooling sensation" while suppressing negative attributes such as "earthy taste," thereby further improving product competitiveness.

[0058] (S2) To further examine the generalization ability of the evaluation system, two commercially available American ginseng products (G and H) were selected for verification. Twenty-five target consumers were invited to conduct CATA sensory evaluation according to standard procedures, and the average selection frequency of key attributes for each sample was obtained (Table 12).

[0059] Table 12. Frequency statistics of sensory attributes of samples G and H The evaluation system of Example 5 is evaluated as follows: Sample G preference score: Y G = 2.154 + 0.318×0.88 + 0.285×0.80 + 0.241×0.76 - 0.376×0.16 - 0.292×0.12 ≈ 7.15 Sample H preference score: Y H = 2.154 + 0.318×0.52 + 0.285×0.44 + 0.241×0.48 - 0.376×0.72 - 0.292×0.68 ≈ 4.41 Actual consumer testing results show that the consumer preference for sample G (7.08±0.85) is significantly better than that for sample H (4.46±0.96).

[0060] Examples 4 and 6 show that the evaluation system obtained in Example 5 further demonstrates more accurate discrimination capabilities, with the evaluation error reduced by approximately 67% compared to the system constructed in Example 3. According to the rating system results in the examples, the consumer preference for samples A and G is expected to be at a high level (approximately 7 out of 9), while the preference for samples B and H is relatively low (approximately 4 out of 9), showing a significant difference. This provides data support for product decision-making. Based on these results, American ginseng from origin A can be prioritized, or the processing can be optimized to enhance positive attributes such as "sweet aftertaste" and "cooling sensation," while suppressing negative attributes such as "earthy taste," thereby further enhancing product competitiveness.

[0061] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the interpretation of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the invention, should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (S1) After training, the tasters tasted different American ginseng tea samples and used the nine-point preference test method to evaluate their overall preference. The specific sensory attributes perceived by the tasters were collected as evaluation data. (S2) Use statistical analysis software to perform analysis of variance on the evaluation data collected in step (S1) to determine the significant differences in sensory attributes among samples, and perform principal component analysis to identify the core sensory attributes that affect consumer preferences. (S3) Based on the core sensory attributes with synergistic effects, a quantitative relationship system between American ginseng preference and core sensory attributes is established through multivariate regression analysis, namely, the American ginseng tea quality evaluation system.

2. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (S1), the trained evaluators are as follows: Recruit and screen qualified consumer tasters, ensuring they have normal sense of smell and taste, do not smoke, and have not consumed spicy or strongly scented foods before the experiment; provide tasters with standardized training on sensory evaluation procedures and the use of the nine-point preference scale.

3. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (S1), there are 50 or more judges, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:

1.

4. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (S1), specific sensory attributes include, but are not limited to, medicinal aroma, woody aroma, bitterness, sweet aftertaste, coolness, smoothness on the palate, viscosity, or slight tingling.

5. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (S2), the statistical analysis software is selected from either SPSS or R language.

6. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (S2), principal component analysis and correlation analysis are used to extract the core sensory attributes that have a significant impact on consumers’ overall preference.

7. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (S3), the core sensory attributes that have a synergistic effect are specifically a combination of aftertaste, coolness, medicinal aroma, earthy taste and slight prickliness.

8. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step (S3), the goodness of fit of the quantitative relationship between American ginseng preference and core sensory attributes is greater than or equal to 0.

85.

9. The method for constructing a quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step (S3), the quantitative relationship between American ginseng preference and core sensory attributes is shown in the following formula: Y = 2.154 + 0.318×X1 + 0.285×X2 + 0.241×X3 - 0.376×X4 - 0.292×X5; In the formula, X1 represents the aftertaste; X2 represents the cooling sensation; X3 represents the medicinal aroma; X4 represents the earthy taste; and X5 represents the slight tingling sensation. The closer Y is to 9, the better the quality of the American ginseng tea sample.

10. A quality evaluation system for American ginseng tea, characterized in that, It is constructed by any of the methods described in claims 1 to 9.

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