Smakregister

Smakregister is a term used in Norwegian and other Scandinavian contexts to denote a register or database of sensory descriptors related to food and beverages. It typically covers notes on taste, aroma, texture, and aftertaste, and is organized according to a standardized lexicon and measurement framework. A smakregister may be maintained by a company, a research institution, or a government body as part of sensory analysis, product development, or quality control.

The primary purpose of a smakregister is to enable consistent sensory evaluation and clear communication among producers, testers, regulators, and consumers. By providing standardized descriptors and reference standards, it supports reproducible tasting and helps ensure that labeling, marketing, and quality assurance reflect accurate sensory characteristics.

A smakregister usually includes a collection of descriptors (for example sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, as well as aroma notes such as fruity, floral, roasted, or spicy), paired with intensity scales and reference samples. It may be linked to a flavor wheel or sensory lexicon to aid panelists in describing perceptions in a structured way. The register is used in product development, quality control, sensory panel training, and regulatory or labeling processes.

Context and variation: in Norway and other Nordic regions the concept appears in educational materials, industry guidelines, and collaboration between academia and business. While useful, smakregistre are inherently subject to cultural and individual variation, and require regular calibration and validation to maintain reliability.

See also: sensory analysis, flavor lexicon, flavor wheel, sensory panel, labeling standards.