Abstract
The fifth basic taste called ‘umami’ was recently recognized by studies related to monosodium glutamate (MSG), and this has attracted attention for enhancing the flavor of foods and because it contains only one-third the sodium of table salt, being an important option for reducing sodium intake by the population. This study evaluated the holistic perception of consumers about the MSG through the modern sensory techniques Word Association and Cata (Check All That Apply). Also a paired comparison was applied to define the consumers’ gustatory perception. Two stimuli were applied on Word Association, one using the trademark Sazón/Ajinomoto and another containing only monosodium glutamate. In general, consumers associated MSG with salt, seasoning, meal and tasty. Age and stimuli caused different effects on the associations. Health-related terms were more related to older consumers. Cata results revealed the knowledge and consumption habits regarding MSG 79% of consumers perceived the umami flavor on the paired comparison.
Highlights
Salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami are the five basic tastes, perceived in different regions of the tongue by specialized nerve receptors
This study aimed to evaluate the consumer perception and habits about the monosodium glutamate (MSG) through the modern sensory techniques called Word Association and Check All That Apply (Cata)
The tests were applied at the Food Technology Laboratory, Federal University of Technology – state Paraná, Campus of Pato Branco, to 48 consumers aged between 15 and 50 years, 20 men and 28 women
Summary
Sweet, bitter, sour and umami are the five basic tastes, perceived in different regions of the tongue by specialized nerve receptors. Umami was discovered more recently (1908 and recognized scientifically in 2000), through studies with monosodium glutamate (MSG), considered a flavor enhancer (Bellisle, 1999; Kremer, Shimojo, Holthuysen, Köster, & Mojet, 2013; Dang, Gao, Ma, & Wu, 2015). ‘Umami’ is a Japanese concept that means delicious, tasty. It is naturally found in salty products such as meat, fish and mushrooms. Salt (sodium chloride) is considered an essential ingredient in the development of pleasant and safe sensory products - because of its preservative power - but a reduced intake has been stimulated and became global trend due to its relationship with hypertension problems (Weiss, Gibis, Schuh, & Salminen, 2010; Campagnol, Santos, Morgano, Terra, & Pollonio, 2011; Kremer et al, 2013)
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