Application of electronic tongues in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of beers

Applicability of electrochemical sensors to the analysis of food and beverages seems established, as also their integration in electronic tongues (ETs). ETs are formed, apart from a proper chemometric data processing tool, by arrays of sensors that chiefly can be of potentiometric nature, or voltammetric. By using the two electrode types in different arrays, qualitative models to identify beer could be generated by using simple pattern recognition like linear discriminant analysis. Furthermore, in order to show also quantitative applications of ETs, beer alcohol content was predicted from the data generated with a potentiometric array employing an artificial neural network model; while in a more complex approach, using a BioET, permitted the resolution and quantitative determination of individual phenolic compounds in ternary mixtures.