Aroma–taste interactions between a model cheese aroma and five basic tastes in solution

The flavour perception of cheese results from complex sensory interactions between tastes and aromas. Using a model cheese solution, this study investigated perceived interactions between each of five basic tastes and a cheese aroma mixture containing ten volatile compounds commonly found in cheese. The five tastes – sucrose (sweetness), sodium chloride (NaCl) (saltiness), monosodium glutamate (MSG) (umami), lactic acid (sourness), and caffeine (bitterness) – were individually mixed with cheese aroma in water using a 5 taste level (0.2 log series) by 3 aroma level (0.5 log series) design. Aroma controls with no added taste were also included. This resulted in 18 samples for each single taste–aroma combination. An additional 18 samples were produced using a mixture of all 5 tastes with the 3 aroma levels. A panel of trained assessors (n = 10) evaluated cheese flavour intensity and taste intensity using 100 point line scales. Evaluation was carried out in duplicate, with samples grouped by taste type; 1 evaluation session per taste per replicate. Within type, order of presentation was balanced, and taste type order was randomised between replicates. Cheese flavour intensity was enhanced by sucrose and NaCl, while being suppressed by lactic acid. NaCl enhanced cheese flavour intensity the most at high aroma level, while lactic acid suppressed the most at low aroma level. When MSG level was increased, cheese flavour intensity was enhanced at both low and medium aroma levels, but was suppressed at the high aroma level. The greatest enhancement of cheese flavour intensity was found with the mixture of 5 tastes. Aroma significantly enhanced umami and bitterness, but did not enhance sweetness, saltiness, or sourness. This study showed that the perceived interaction between taste and cheese aroma depended on taste type and on the concentration levels of both taste type and aroma. The mixture of tastes was more effective at enhancing cheese flavour intensity than single tastes. This study provides knowledge that will underpin further study of taste–aroma interactions in a model cheese that aims to optimise cheese flavour intensity and character.     

Factors affecting detection of a bimodal sour-savory mixture and inter-individual umami taste perception

While basic taste interactions have been the subject of many research studies, there is one combination where data is limited in the literature: sour and umami. This combination is universal in culinary preparations and of key interest to the food industry. Therefore, the primary goal of the present study is to assess how increasing concentrations of acidity (citric acid) affect, if at all, the intensity of a constant concentration of umami (monosodium glutamate, MSG). The secondary goal is to investigate other possible factors in umami taste perception. Here, a crowdsourced cohort of 734 individuals (age range 8–81) tasted and rated the intensity of 50 mM MSG alone, and in combination with citric acid at varying concentrations (1.25 mM, 6.25 mM, 31.25 mM). Participants were also genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphism rs34160967 in the TAS1R1 gene. The results show a significant decrease in the intensity perception of umami as sour concentration increases (low: p = 0.005, medium: p < 0.001, high: p < 0.001). Situational factors such as participant hunger level and time since last eating also have a significant effect on umami intensity perception. Neither the biological factors of sex, age, and ancestry appear to play a role in umami perception, nor does variation in gene TAS1R1 at rs34160967. These new data contribute to the growing field of taste and sensory interaction by giving evidence that sour suppresses umami taste perception in bi-model samples.     

Cheddar cheese taste can be reconstructed in solution using basic tastes

The taste of cheese contributes to flavour character directly and by cross-modal interactions with aroma. However, the relative contribution of specific tastes, i.e., sweet, salt, umami, sour, and bitter, is not well understood. Twelve cheeses were profiled by a trained sensory panel and the five tastes shown to significantly differ in intensity. Sucrose, NaCl, monosodium glutamate, lactic acid, and caffeine were mixed in water and adjusted using a 2^5-1 fractional factorial design (FFD) to reconstruct cheese taste; the optimised construct was compared with a Cheddar cheese to measure similarity for each taste type. The FFD provided knowledge of taste–taste interactions and aided the reconstruction of the taste profile of Cheddar cheese in solution. The reconstructed cheese solution did not significantly differ in overall intensity, saltiness, sourness, umami, and bitterness from the Cheddar cheese based on chi-squared tests. Sweetness was a difficult attribute to adjust due to its relatively low intensity.     

A salt substitute with low sodium content from plant aqueous extracts

The perception of the salty taste, obtained in humans by using sodium chloride (NaCl), is one of the most important attributes of the human sensory system. However, extra intake of sodium present in salt might lead to conditions such as hypertension. To develop a salt substitute with low sodium content, 13 plants were extracted with water, and their sensory perception was analyzed. After the sensory evaluation, 3 plant aqueous extracts (PAEs), representing salty and umami tastes, were selected using principal component analysis (PCA). They were powdered using a spray dryer, mixed, and subsequently referred to as plant salt substitute (PSS). The relative saltiness of PSS to NaCl was shown to be 0.65. When the degree of saltiness between PSS and NaCl is the same, PSS contains 43% less sodium than NaCl. Therefore, PSS can be used in food to reduce an individual's sodium intake while retaining the salty taste of NaCl.     

Fatty Acid Compositions of Oil Species Affect the 5 Basic Taste Perceptions

ABSTRACT: To elucidate the effects of oils, particularly tuna oil, on taste perception, we conducted sensory analysis employing an oil-in-water emulsion prepared with basic taste substances and 3 oil species. Each type of oil extended perception retention, and did not affect sweetness or saltiness, but suppressed sourness and bitterness. Bitterness suppression was highest in tuna oil. Tuna oil also enhanced umami intensity. The results of individual fatty acid addition test were in good agreement with these effects of tuna oil. Thus, we proposed that tuna oil's specific fatty acid composition resulted in the specific taste effects of tuna oil.     

Molecular insights into human taste perception and umami tastants: A review

Understanding taste is key for optimizing the palatability of seaweeds and other non-animal-based foods rich in protein. The lingual papillae in the mouth hold taste buds with taste receptors for the five gustatory taste qualities. Each taste bud contains three distinct cell types, of which Type II cells carry various G protein-coupled receptors that can detect sweet, bitter, or umami tastants, while type III cells detect sour, and likely salty stimuli. Upon ligand binding, receptor-linked intracellular heterotrimeric G proteins initiate a cascade of downstream events which activate the afferent nerve fibers for taste perception in the brain. The taste of amino acids depends on the hydrophobicity, size, charge, isoelectric point, chirality of the alpha carbon, and the functional groups on their side chains. The principal umami ingredient monosodium l -glutamate, broadly known as MSG, loses umami taste upon acetylation, esterification, or methylation, but is able to form flat configurations that bind well to the umami taste receptor. Ribonucleotides such as guanosine monophosphate and inosine monophosphate strongly enhance umami taste when l -glutamate is present. Ribonucleotides bind to the outer section of the venus flytrap domain of the receptor dimer and stabilize the closed conformation. Concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, arginate, and other compounds in food products may enhance saltiness and overall flavor. Umami ingredients may help to reduce the consumption of salts and fats in the general population and increase food consumption in the elderly.     

Saltiness Enhancement by the Characteristic Flavor of Dried Bonito Stock

ABSTRACT:  There is a pressing need for the development of ways of preparing palatable salt-reduced foods to reduce the salt intake of the Japanese population. The salt-reducing effect of the characteristic flavors other than umami of dried bonito stock, which is widely used in everyday Japanese food, was examined by sensory evaluation. In the 1st sensory evaluation, the effect was evaluated in a model solution. The saltiness of 0.80% NaCl solution was equivalent to that of 0.12% monosodium glutamate (MSG) solution containing 0.81% NaCl and dried bonito stock containing 0.68% NaCl. Saltiness enhancement could not be found when MSG solution was used, but was found with 6% dried bonito stock. The 2nd evaluation examined whether the effect was valid for 2 everyday Japanese foods—traditional Japanese clear soup ( sumashi-jiru ) and steamed egg custard ( tamagodoufu ). Although enhancement of saltiness by dried bonito stock could not be clearly demonstrated in the soup, a change in NaCl concentration within 15% did not affect the palatability of the soup. However, dried bonito stock not only enhanced the saltiness but also improved the palatability of steamed egg custard. These findings are expected to be useful for improving the palatability of salt-reduced food.     

Sensory study of different sodium chloride substitutes in aqueous solution

The reduction of salt (sodium chloride) in food is one of the major challenges facing the food industry today and is motivated by the positive association between dietary salt intake and some diseases. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the equivalent amount of different sodium chloride replacements required to promote the same degree of ideal saltiness in aqueous solution and to study the sensory profile of sodium chloride and its substitutes using temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) analysis. The relative potencies of potassium chloride, monosodium glutamate, potassium phosphate, calcium lactate and potassium lactate compared to an aqueous solution with 0.75% sodium chloride were 74.75%, 59.52%, 60.48%, 11.40% and 4.96%, respectively. An evaluation of the sensory profiles of potassium chloride, potassium phosphate, calcium lactate and monosodium glutamate revealed saltiness as well as other tastes, including bitterness, sourness, umami and an unidentified undesirable taste as being dominant. The potassium chloride was the only one which showed temporal sensory profile similar to sodium chloride.     

谷朊粉发酵液中鲜味肽的分离、鉴定与呈味分析

鲜味是五种基本味感之一,它在人们选择食品中扮演了越来越重要的角色,肽是氨基酸组成的混合物,具有多种味道,是主要的呈味物质,利用蛋白酶解可以获得具有较强鲜味的肽段。本实验采用感官评价结合超滤(UF)、凝胶层析(GPC)和反相高效液相色谱(RP-HPLC)等技术从以盐酸脱酰胺面筋蛋白为原料的发酵液中分离纯化得到一种鲜味肽,同时采用MALDI-TOF-MS串联质谱鉴定该鲜味肽的氨基酸序列及其分子质量;目标定向固相合成鉴别出的鲜味肽,并测定了其鲜味阈值及鲜味相乘效应。结果发现:该鲜味肽的氨基酸序列为Asp-Cys-Gly(DCG),分子质量为293.15 Da,固相合成该鲜味肽后采用滋味稀释法评价发现该鲜味肽的鲜味阈值为100 mg/m L,是MSG阈值的1/3,该鲜味肽对浓度为200 mg/L的I+G溶液具有鲜味增强作用,对MSG没有鲜味增强作用。     

“厚味”γ-谷氨酰-缬氨酸增味作用差异性机制

γ-谷氨酰-缬氨酸（γ-Glu-Val）具有多变的呈味特性,在水溶液中呈现涩味,可以增强基本味觉物质的味感强度,赋予奶酪、鸡汤、酱油等食物厚味味感。目前对于γ-Glu-Val呈味特性的机理研究甚少,尤其是鲜见它对于味觉增强效果的差异性机制的研究。本实验利用感官实验和分子模拟对γ-Glu-Val增味作用的差异性机制进行研究。感官实验结果显示,γ-Glu-Val对于基本味感（鲜味、甜味、咸味和酸味）均有一定的提升作用,而对于鲜味的提升效果最为明显。分子模拟实验的结果表明,γ-Glu-Val对基本味感受体（T1R1、T1R2和T1R3）均有一定的亲和力,其中对于鲜味受体T1R1的亲和力最强、结合自由能最高,与此相反,γ-Glu-Val对甜味受体T1R2的亲和力最弱、结合自由能最低,暗示其增鲜作用强于增甜作用。分子动力学结果显示,在味精存在的前提下,γ-Glu-Val可通过氢键和疏水键与鲜味受体T1R1上的氨基酸残基（Phe-274、Ser-275、Ser-300、Trp-303、Ala-147、Ala-170）相互作用,激活鲜味受体,以实现其增鲜作用。本实验解析了γ-Glu-Val增味作用差异性分子机制,为进一步验证其呈味机理提供理论支撑;同时为小分子物质的增味作用研究提供了思路。     

不同鲜味物质对干腌马鲛鱼鲜味的贡献与比较分析

以8?种市售干腌马鲛鱼为研究对象,通过比较不同产品中鲜味物质成分和含量差异,并结合其滋味强度值和味精当量的分析计算,以确定对干腌马鲛鱼鲜味贡献最大的物质。结果表明：干腌马鲛鱼具有突出的咸、鲜味和浓厚味感,而其鲜味主要是由谷氨酸、鲜味肽等鲜味物质和乳酸等增鲜物质赋予。在其鲜味物质中,谷氨酸的滋味强度值大于1（除3、5、7号样品）,显示出它对干腌马鲛鱼鲜味的突出贡献,超滤组分的感官分析和肽分子质量分布测定结果表明,分子质量小于1?000?Da的小分子肽对样品的鲜味具有重要贡献。此外,长时间的风干可能会促进乳酸和鲜味肽的生成,但随着水分的流失,其苦味和咸味也增高;而辅料蔗糖和白酒的添加将抑制乳酸的产生,且蔗糖能在一定程度上促进谷氨酸的生成。值得强调的是,8?种样品的核苷酸均已降解为肌苷（inosine,HxR）和次黄嘌呤（hypoxanthine,Hx）等苦味物质,且长时间的风干可能会促进HxR和Hx的积累。     

The ability of 10–11-year-old children to identify basic tastes and their liking towards unfamiliar foods

The involvement of children in sensory evaluation and consumer research continues to increase and has become crucial in the food industry, as children sensory perceptions differ from adults. Research on basic taste sensitivity in children provides contradictory results, with most of the studies not considering the familiarity aspect of the food samples. Familiarity can lead children to memories of the food which are able to influence their taste perception and liking. This study aims to investigate the ability of 10 to 11-year old children in identifying sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness in unfamiliar food samples. The taste identification data was collected from 98 children using 19 food samples representing the four basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. For each food sample, the children evaluated their familiarity, the basic taste(s) they perceived using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method and scored their liking. Their basic taste identification ability was investigated by comparing their results to trained panellists as a reference. The food samples were unfamiliar to most of the children (never tasted by 85% of the children on average). Correspondence Analysis (CA) showed that children were able to identify the basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter in the unfamiliar foods, with a high congruency to the trained panellists. However, children’s identification ability was lower when combinations of dominant basic tastes occurred. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated a positive correlation between the presence of sweet taste and the children’s liking while sour and bitter tastes showed the opposite.     

调味品减盐增鲜的研究进展

调味品是食品调味过程中的必需品,同时也是人体摄入盐分的主要来源。盐摄入过多会带来健康隐患,但减盐会降低食品的咸味和鲜味,从而降低食品品质。本文综述在减盐同时保证咸味、鲜味及其协调性的技术手段。减盐技术包含减少钠盐添加量、非钠盐替代物及增强咸味感知等方法,增鲜技术包含添加酵母抽提物、鲜味肽及鲜味氨基酸和肽的衍生物等方法。此外,乳酸菌、美拉德反应中间体、增味剂、呈味肽等的应用亦可达到减盐增鲜的双重效果。减盐增鲜技术的应用能够促进调味品行业的发展,但这些技术尚存在基础研究不足、实际应用较少、应用范围较窄、生产成本高等问题,解决这些问题是当前所面临的主要困难。本文详细阐述调味品减盐增鲜技术的基本原理、特点、目前研究存在的不足等,提出未来可能的发展方向,以期为调味品的减盐增鲜研究提供参考。     

Improving the Palatability of Salt-Reduced Food Using Dried Bonito Stock

ABSTRACT:  The characteristic flavors, with the exception of umami, of dried bonito stock not only enhanced saltiness but also improved palatability, namely the acceptability, of salt-reduced foods. However, the respective effects of odorants and tastants of dried bonito stock on palatability have yet to be fully explained. Thus, the effect of dried bonito stock aroma on saltiness enhancement and palatability improvement in salt-reduced food was evaluated by sensory assessment. Probit analysis indicated that aromas of the stocks,  arabushi  and  karebushi , did not affect the intensity of saltiness. However, the test sample with aromas of dried bonito stocks was significantly more palatable than the reference sample. The effects of the taste of dried bonito stock were also evaluated. Probit analysis indicated that enhanced saltiness was not observed in the MSG solution but was observed with the dried bonito stocks, when controlled for aroma. These results suggest that saltiness enhancement by dried bonito stock was caused by the characteristic taste (excluding umami) of dried bonito stock, while its characteristic aroma and umami were involved in preventing the loss of palatability of a low-salt diet. Moreover, it was found that using a combination of  karebushi  and dried kelp, as material for making stock, could contribute effectively to the preparation of palatable salt-reduced foods in Japan. Invention of new seasonings for improving the palatability of salt-reduced foods could exploit these findings.     

气味与滋味间相互作用对食品风味感知影响研究进展

食品风味是影响消费者购买欲的重要因素,而风味感知的形成受嗅觉、味觉等多种感官的共同影响,利用气味与滋味间感知交互作用改善食品风味已成为最受关注的食品风味调控新方向之一。基于此,本文首先从神经生物学角度分析嗅觉与味觉间跨模态感知交互作用的主要形成通路及机制,然后从静态感官分析和动态感官分析两个方面总结跨模态感知交互作用的主要研究方法,最后结合相关文献案例分别综述气味物质对味觉感知（甜、咸、苦、鲜和酸）以及滋味物质对嗅觉感知的影响,旨在为食品加工过程风味品质的调控提供新思路。     

Umami Taste Enhancement of MSG/NaCl Mixtures by Subthreshold L-α-Aromatic Amino Acids

l ‐Phenylalanine (l ‐Phe) and l ‐tyrosine (l ‐Tyr) are L‐α‐aromatic amino acids that have recently been discovered to be important components of the savory fractions of soy sauce in addition to l ‐glutamate. Their effects are evaluated on the umami or savory taste of monosodium L‐glutamate (MSG), with or without sodium chloride (NaCl). Because l ‐Phe at subthreshold concentration (1.0 mM) significantly enhances an umami taste of a MSG/NaCl mixture (P= 0.000), combinations of 4 subthreshold concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.5, and 5.0 mM) of l ‐Phe with a weakly suprathreshold MSG (4.0 mM) and NaCl (80 mM) mixture were then rated for salty and umami intensities relative to those of standard solutions. L‐Phe was found to significantly enhance the umami tastes of the MSG/NaCl mixtures when it was added in a concentration range of 0.5 to 5.0 mM (P= 0.000). However, neither the umami taste of MSG alone nor the salty taste of NaCl alone was intensified. In a further experiment, l ‐Tyr at the 3 subthreshold concentrations (0, 0.5, and 1.5 mM) studied was shown to have the same activity as L‐Phe. The phenomenon of umami or savory enhancement by subthreshold aromatic amino acids in the soy sauce system has been established.     

Using Fish Sauce as a Substitute for Sodium Chloride in Culinary Sauces and Effects on Sensory Properties

Historically, fish sauce has been a standard condiment and ingredient in various Southeast Asian cuisines. Moreover, fish sauce imparts umami taste, which may enhance perceived saltiness in food. This quality suggests that fish sauce may be used as a partial substitute for sodium chloride (NaCl) in food preparation, which may present a valuable option for health‐conscious and salt‐restricted consumers. However, the degree to which NaCl can be decreased in food products without compromising taste and consumer acceptance has not been determined. We hypothesized that NaCl content in food may be reduced by partial replacement with fish sauce without diminishing palatability and consumer acceptance. Preparations of 3 types of food were assessed to test this hypothesis: chicken broth (n = 72); tomato sauce (n = 73); and coconut curry (n = 70). In the first session, the percentage of NaCl that could be replaced with fish sauce without a significant change in overall taste intensity was determined for each type of food using the 2‐Alternative Forced Choice method. In the second session, subjects rated 5 samples for each food with varying NaCl and/or fish sauce content on 3 sensory attributes: deliciousness; taste intensity; and saltiness. Our results demonstrate that NaCl reduction was possible in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and coconut curry at 25%, 16%, and 10%, respectively, without a significant loss (P < 0.05) in deliciousness and overall taste intensity. These results suggest that it is possible to replace NaCl in foods with fish sauce without reducing overall taste intensity and consumer acceptance.