Abstract
Visual assessments are used for evaluating the quality of food products, such as fresh-cut lettuce packaged in bags with modified atmosphere. We have compared the accuracy and the reliability of visual evaluations of decay on fresh-cut lettuce performed with experienced and inexperienced raters. In addition, we have analyzed decay data from over 4.5 thousand bags to determine the optimum timing for evaluations to detect differences among accessions. Lin's concordance coefficient (ρc) that takes into consideration both the closeness of the data and the conformance to the identity line showed high repeatability (intra-rater reliability, ρc = 0.97), reproducibility (inter-rater reliability, ρc = 0.92), and accuracy (ρc = 0.96) for experienced raters. Inexperienced raters did not perform as well and their ratings showed decreased repeatability (ρc = 0.93), but even larger reduction in reproducibility (ρc = 0.80) and accuracy (ρc = 0.90). We have detected that 5.3% of ratings were outside of the 95% limits of agreement. These under- or overestimates were predominantly found for bags with intermediate levels of decay, which corresponds to the middle of the rating scale. This occurs because intermediate amounts of decay are more difficult to discriminate than extremes. The frequencies of aberrant ratings for experienced raters ranged from 0.6% to 4.4% (mean = 2.1%), for inexperienced raters the frequencies were substantially higher, ranging from 6.1% to 15.6% (mean = 9.4%). Therefore, we recommend that new raters receive training that includes practical examples in this range of decay, use of standard area diagrams, and continuing interaction with experienced raters (consultation during actual rating). Very high agreement among experienced raters indicate that visual ratings can be successfully used for evaluations of decay, until a more objective, rapid, and affordable method is developed. We recommend evaluating samples at multiple time points until 42 days after processing (about 80% decay on average) and then combining these individual ratings into the area under the decay progress stairs (AUDePS) score. Applying this approach, experienced evaluators can accurately detect difference among lettuce accessions and identify lettuce cultivars with reduced decay.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Experienced raters had 0.97 repeatability.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativat0 - Outcome
- repeatabilitye0
- Value
- 0.97e0
- Qualifier
- intra-rater reliabilitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“high repeatability (intra-rater reliability, ρc = 0.97)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Experienced raters had 0.92 reproducibility.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- reproducibilitye0
- Value
- 0.92e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reproducibility (inter-rater reliability, ρc = 0.92)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Experienced raters had 0.96 accuracy.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- accuracye0
- Value
- 0.96e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“accuracy (ρc = 0.96) for experienced raters”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Inexperienced raters had 0.93 repeatability.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- repeatabilitye0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 0.93e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“decreased repeatability (ρc = 0.93)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Inexperienced raters had 0.80 reproducibility.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- reproducibilitye0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 0.80e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduction in reproducibility (ρc = 0.80)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Inexperienced raters had 0.90 accuracy.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- accuracye0
- Value
- 0.90e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“accuracy (ρc = 0.90)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
5.3% of ratings fell outside the 95% agreement limits.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- ratings were outside of the 95% limits of agreemente0
- Value
- 5.3%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“5.3% of ratings were outside of the 95% limits of agreement”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Aberrant ratings clustered at intermediate decay.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- under- or overestimatese0
- Qualifier
- intermediate levels of decaye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These under- or overestimates were predominantly found for bags with intermediate levels of decay”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Aberrant ratings ranged from 0.6% to 4.4% for experienced raters.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- frequencies of aberrant ratingse0
- Value
- 0.6% to 4.4%e0
- Qualifier
- mean = 2.1%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“frequencies of aberrant ratings for experienced raters ranged from 0.6% to 4.4% (mean = 2.1%)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Aberrant ratings ranged from 6.1% to 15.6% for inexperienced raters.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- frequenciese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 6.1% to 15.6%e0
- Qualifier
- mean = 9.4%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“for inexperienced raters the frequencies were substantially higher, ranging from 6.1% to 15.6% (mean = 9.4%)”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend training new raters with intermediate-decay examples, diagrams and experienced-rater consultation.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- new raters receive training that includes practical examples in this range of decay, use of standard area diagrams, and continuing interaction with experienced raterse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“we recommend that new raters receive training that includes practical examples in this range of decay, use of standard area diagrams, and continuing interaction with experienced raters”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Experienced-rater agreement supports use of visual decay ratings.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- visual ratings can be successfully used for evaluations of decaye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Very high agreement among experienced raters indicate that visual ratings can be successfully used for evaluations of decay”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend multiple evaluation times until 42 days after processing and an AUDePS summary.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Outcome
- evaluating samples at multiple time points until 42 days after processinge0
- Qualifier
- area under the decay progress stairs (AUDePS) scoree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We recommend evaluating samples at multiple time points until 42 days after processing (about 80% decay on average) and then combining these individual ratings into the area under the decay progress stairs (AUDePS) score”
t0“lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
The recommended approach lets experienced evaluators distinguish lettuce accessions and identify cultivars with reduced decay.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae0
- Outcome
- detect difference among lettuce accessions and identify lettuce cultivars with reduced decaye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“experienced evaluators can accurately detect difference among lettuce accessions and identify lettuce cultivars with reduced decay”