SensoGram # 34: The Pangborn Symposium
The biennial Pangborn Symposium is the world forum for sensory scientists, bringing together academic and commercial researchers to present and discuss developments in the field. This is an important meeting for sensory professionals. At the recent meeting in Italy, SensoMetrics was represented by Research Director, Mark Stevens.
SensoMetrics chose not to present at this symposium, but we were pleased to see our data utilised by clients in no fewer than four oral presentations, as well as numerous posters. It was rewarding to see strong research built around, or incorporating, our data.
There was naturally a wide array of topics covered over the five days – more than can be reported on intelligently in a newsletter – but we’ll touch on a couple related to fundamental taste perception.
Salt Taste:
Salt intake is an area of concern for health bodies the world over. The average westerner’s sodium intake (3500mg/day) is much higher than the recommended upper level (2300mg/day: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council).
Of the basic tastes, salt taste is perhaps the least understood in terms of molecular biology. Current theories suggest that salt taste operates as an ion channel receptor. If this is the case, and research strongly suggests that it is, then it is unlikely that true salt taste can be evoked by compounds other than common salt (i.e. it is unlikely that salt can be ever be replaced by salt substitutes, as sugar can be replaced by artificial sweeteners).
As research continues to unravel the molecular mechanisms, understanding human behaviour towards salt is equally important. For example, research has shown that humans can habituate to a lower level of salt in their diet. Thus, a low salt diet can lead to a reduced desire for salty taste. This provides some encouragement for health authorities, although there are difficulties in achieving this in practice; will the food industry voluntarily reduce salt levels at the risk of also reducing acceptability?
Is Fat a Taste?
If the understanding of salty taste is in its adolescence, then surely our understanding of fat perception is in its infancy. While fat is not generally recognized as a basic taste, its vital role in food preference and nutrition is well established.
Research in the fields of molecular biology, psychophysiology, and behaviour are helping to understand the way fat is perceived and the role that fat perception plays in dietary choices.
While fat plays a crucial role in flavour perception – facilitating the release of fat-soluble molecules – it has been assumed until now that fat itself is a mouthfeel, not a taste. Now, however, research is emerging which suggests that fat should be recognized as a basic taste in its own right; that there are dedicated receptors in the mouth that respond to fat, in particular fatty acid.
This has implications for food manufacturers in their attempts to produce fat-free foods. If fat is also a taste – perceived via dedicated taste receptors – then replicating the mouthfeel of fat will not adequately replicate the total sensation of fat. This is an exciting topic in sensory research with massive implications for the food industry.
Salt and fat are critical factors in dietary choice and food acceptability, as well as key concerns for health. SensoMetrics is committed to remaining up to date with these and all other important topics in the field of sensory research.