What type of inspection uses smell, sight, taste, or touch to evaluate food products quickly?

The correct choice is organoleptic examination, which refers to the assessment of food products using the senses of smell, sight, taste, and touch. This type of inspection is essential in evaluating food quality and safety, as it provides immediate sensory feedback about the product's characteristics.

In many food safety practices, organoleptic examination is a valuable tool for identifying potential spoilage, off-flavors, or other sensory abnormalities that may indicate contamination or degradation of food products. Evaluating food this way can often be much quicker than laboratory testing, making it a practical choice for food safety professionals conducting regular assessments.

While visual inspection focuses primarily on what can be seen, such as color and appearance, and a touch test would concentrate solely on texture, organoleptic examination integrates multiple sensory modalities, providing a more holistic understanding of the product's quality. Qualitative assessment typically refers to a broader category that includes various methods of evaluating characteristics but does not specifically emphasize sensory evaluation as organoleptic examination does.