Taste Identification Research Articles

Quality investigation of meat-and-vegetable chopped semi-products based on turkey meat and champignon mushrooms

The aim of the current work was to develop a recipe of meat-and-vegetablechopped semi-products of the new generation based on turkey meat and champignon mushrooms and to investigate its quality. The samples of turkey meat withthe addition of champignon mushroom mass were prepared and studied. Physicalchemical methods including determination of the mass fraction of moisture, water-retaining ability, weight losses during heat treatment, determination of maximum shear stress and the content of sodium chloride. The organoleptic analysiswas based on identification of taste, odor, consistence and view on the cut andwere used in order to characterize the quality of new semi-products from turkeymeat and champignon mushrooms. Studies have shown that the addition of mushroom mass to model minced meat from turkeys lead to an increase in the massfraction of moisture in the samples, as the moisture content of the mushroom isgreater than in turkey meat. The water-retaining ability in the model samples isreduced, which is associated with an increase in moisture in the specimens withadding of mushroom mass. The consistency of the specimens was determined bya penetrometer using a conic cone. It was determined that the consistency of themodel samples with the addition of mushroom mass become softer. The pH of thesample forcemeat significantly did not change. Analysis of the data that has beenobtained showed that the addition of mushroom mass leads to the destruction ofmeat parsley systems and reduce their functional and technological properties.Based on the results of the research, it was concluded that the most rational way isto replace up to 3 % of the turkey meat with the mass of champignon mushroomwithout the practical reduction of the organoleptic parameters in the formulationof the cut semi-finished products. Key words: turkey meat, mushroom, champignon, cutlets, semi-products,functional and technological properties.

Effects of acoustic fMRI-noise on taste identification, liking, and intensity

• First study to compare gustatory perception in a silent and fMRI-noise setting. • Participants underwent gustatory testing in a silent and fMRI-noise setting in randomised groups. • No significant effect of loud acoustic fMRI noise on taste perception (liking, intensity, or identification) was found. • fMRI noise does not seem to constitute a systematic confounder in gustatory research. • Further research should be conducted with regards to other potential confounders. In this paper, we investigated the possible effect of loud, acoustic noise produced by an fMRI-scanner on gustatory perception compared to a silent setting. The purpose was to assess whether the loud acoustic noise produced during fMRI acquisition could constitute a systematic confounder in most human gustatory research. To date, this issue has not yet been addressed. To evaluate this, fifty participants were tested in a randomised order in an fMRI-noise setting and a quiet setting, respectively. We found no significant effect of loud, acoustic fMRI noise on taste perception, including identification, certainty of identification, perceived intensity and hedonic rating. Thus, the profound acoustic commotion experienced by subjects undergoing an fMRI does not seem to constitute a systematic confounder in gustatory research.

Care need and dry mouth as risk indicators for impaired taste and smell

To identify whether reduced saliva secretion or xerostomia symptoms are risk indicators for impaired taste and smell, depending on age and care needs. This cross-sectional study evaluated taste and smell in patients categorized into different age groups (<65> years) and different care need, with and without dry mouth. Of the 185 patients included, 119 were classified as “dry mouth” and 66 as “without dry mouth”. Overall, 103 (55.7%) were female and 37 (20%) needed care. There was no difference between “dry mouth” and “without dry mouth” regarding identification of odors or tastes, but a difference in the number of correctly identified odors and tastes in favor of “without care need” patients (p < 0.05). The ability to identify smells and tastes was negatively influenced by age, number of medications, and number of comorbidities, but subjective dry mouth had no impact. According to our results, subjective dry mouth is not a risk factor for an impaired ability to recognize smells and tastes. However, care need representing age, the number of medications taken, and the number of chronic comorbidities is a risk indicator.

For Modern Children

For Modern Children

Effect of salinity and pH on growth, phycoerythrin, and non-volatile umami taste active compound concentration of Rhodomonas salina using a D-optimal design approach

The cryptophyte Rhodomonas salina is widely used in aquaculture due to its high nutritional profile. This study aims to investigate the effect of salinity and pH on the growth, phycoerythrin concentrations, and concentrations of non-volatile umami taste active compounds of R. salina, using a design of experiment approach. Rhodomonas salina was cultivated in a flat-panel photobioreactor in turbidostat mode in a range of salinity (20–40 ‰) and pH (6.5–8.5). The strain was able to grow steadily under all conditions, but the optimal productivity of 1.17 g dry weight L−1 day−1 was observed in salinity 30 ‰ and pH 7.5. The phycoerythrin concentration was inversely related to productivity, presenting higher values in conditions that were not optimal for the growth of R. salina, 7% of dry weight at salinity 40 ‰, and pH 8.5. The identification of the umami taste of R. salina was based on the synergistic effect of umami compounds 5′-nucleotides (adenosine 5′-monophosphate, guanosine 5′-monophosphate, inosine 5′-monophosphate) and free amino acids (glutamic and aspartic acids), using the equivalent umami concentration (EUC). The results indicated that an increase in pH induces the accumulation of 5′-nucleotides, resulting in an EUC of 234 mg MSG g−1 at a salinity of 40 and pH 8.5. The EUC values that were observed in R. salina were higher compared to other aquatic animals, a fact that makes R. salina promising for further research and application in the food and feed sectors.

Synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one from maltol and its taste identification

2,3-Dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (DDMP) exists in many foods, and its effect on taste is controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify whether DDMP has bitter taste or not. For this purpose, DDMP was synthesized from maltol instead of from glucose for the first time. In contrast, DDMP derived from glucose was also prepared and further purified. Their structures were identified by NMR and MS, and considered to be the same substance. The sensory analysis showed that DDMP derived from maltol was tasteless. Further studies indicated that some impurities in Maillard reaction made DDMP derived from glucose taste bitter.

COVID-19: Recovery from Chemosensory Dysfunction. A Multicentre study on Smell and Taste.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, chemosensory dysfunction are among the most prevalent symptoms. Most reports are subjective evaluations, which have been suggested to be unreliable. The objective is to test chemosensory dysfunction and recovery based on extensive psychophysical tests in COVID-19 during the course of the disease. Prospective cohort study. A total of 111 patients from four centers participated in the study. All tested positive for SARS-COV-2 with RT-PCR. They were tested within 3 days of diagnosis and 28 to 169 days after infection. Testing included extensive olfactory testing with the Sniffin' Sticks test for threshold, discrimination and identification abilities, and with the Taste Sprays and Taste Strips for gustatory function for quasi-threshold and taste identification abilities. There was a significant difference in olfactory function during and after infection. During infection 21% were anosmic, 49% hyposmic, and 30% normosmic. After infection only 1% were anosmic, 26% hyposmic, and 73% normosmic. For gustatory function, there was a difference for all taste qualities, but significantly in sour, bitter, and total score. Twenty-six percent had gustatory dysfunction during infection and 6.5% had gustatory dysfunction after infection. Combining all tests 22% had combined olfactory and gustatory dysfunction during infection. After infection no patients had combined dysfunction. Chemosensory dysfunction is very common in COVID-19, either as isolated smell or taste dysfunction or a combined dysfunction. Most people regain their chemosensory function within the first 28 days, but a quarter of the patients show persisting dysfunction, which should be referred to specialist smell and taste clinics for rehabilitation of chemosensory function. 3 Laryngoscope, 131:1095-1100, 2021.

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF KAPHA DOSHA IN THE MODERN PERSPECTIVE

In Ayurveda, health is a state where the Dosha, Agni, Dhatu, Mala, all the physiological processes of the body are in homeostatic state and soul, sense organ and mind are in a state of total wellbeing. The theory of Tridosha is unique to Ayurveda. The term Dosha in Sanskrit means the regulatory functional factors of the body. It is three Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are said to be responsible for maintenance of homeostasis in the body; and health is nothing but a state of equilibrium of these Tridosha. The Physiological function of Kapha are Sneha (unctuousness), Bandha (coherence), Sthiratwa (stability), Gaurava (heaviness), Balam (strength) etc. Kapha is five types and each type have its own functions. In human body a lot of proteins are presents in the form of glycoprotein and lipoprotein etc. their properties and functions are providing strength, immunity, flexibility, nutrition, lubrication as well as taste identification and helps in protecting and maintaining stability internal visceral organs. They play important role in maintaining the physiology of any living organism. This article is an attempt to correlate Kapha in terms of its properties and functions.

Contribution of ambient noise and hyperbaric atmosphere to olfactory and gustatory function.

IntroductionTaste and smell are important for occupational performance and quality of life. Previous studies suggested that the function of these senses might be influenced by ambient pressure and noise. This knowledge would be helpful for divers, submarine crews, or mine workers. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of noise and hyperbaric pressure on olfactory and gustatory functions.MethodsThis prospective controlled study included 16 healthy male divers. Inside a hyperbaric chamber, participants performed olfactory and gustatory function tests at sea level pressure and at 2 bar pressure. The olfaction threshold, and the discrimination and identification of odorants were measured with validated ´Sniffin sticks´. Taste identification and the gustation threshold scores were examined with validated filter paper strips. Tests were performed under two conditions: noise reduction (silence) and white noise stimulation presented at 70 dB sound pressure level.ResultsThe results showed that normobaric and hyperbaric ambient pressures did not significantly affect olfactory or gustatory function. Moreover, noise had no relevant impact on taste or odor sensation. The odor identification score was not influenced in hyperbaric conditions, and the odor threshold score was not influenced by ambient noise or both barometric conditions. The only taste modality affected by hyperbaric conditions was the sensitivity to salty taste, but it was not significant.ConclusionWe concluded that hyperbaric and noisy environments have no influence on gustatory and olfactory function. From a practical point of view, the influence of pressure in moderate hyperbaric occupations should be negligible.

Some Discovered Practices of Lay Coffee Drinkers

When lay coffee drinkers taste the coffee in their cups, the flavors they note are shaped by the local interaction that provides the context for the occasion. Three methods they use for identifying flavors are examined and described: clustering, or how flavor descriptors are articulated in ensembles during a collaborative process; objectivating, the concerted work of transforming tentative suggestions into objective findings; and calibrating, how drinkers align their practice of tasting in order to conform with—and make meaningful—the objectivated accounts. These microsocial practices continuously intrude upon tasting, and a serendipitously developed local order guides their taste identification. This does not mean that there is no real taste, only that the taste never stands apart from the social contingencies and the discursive practices that are developed to describe it.

Taste Identification and Quantitative Analysis of Cooking Wines Based on Electronic Tongue

Taste Identification and Quantitative Analysis of Cooking Wines Based on Electronic Tongue

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.

Association between salt taste sensitivity threshold and blood pressure in healthy individuals: a cross-sectional study.

Hypertension is an important public health problem. Overweight and high salt intake are risk factors for its development. To evaluate the association between salt taste sensitivity threshold (STST) and blood pressure (BP) in healthy adults. Cross-sectional study conducted in a private institution. 104 healthy adults (aged 18-59 years) were evaluated. Sociodemographic, clinical and dietary data were collected. Nutritional status and BP were assessed using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). STST was assessed using graded saline solutions with sodium chloride concentrations ranging from 0.228 to 58.44 g/l. Identification of salty taste in solutions ≥ 3.652 g/l was used as the cutoff point for high STST. Participants with high STST presented higher daily average intakes for energy (2017.4 ± 641.5 versus 1650.5 ± 357.7 kcal/day; P = 0.01) and sodium (3070.2 ± 1195.1 versus 2435.2 ± 963.6 mg/day; P = 0.01) and higher BMI (P = 0.008) and WC (P = 0.002). After adjustment for age, sex, sodium and potassium intake, WC and family history of hypertension, the averages for SBP and DBP in subjects with high STST were higher than in those with normal STST (SBP: 138.2 ± 1.7 versus 119.7 ± 0.9 mmHg; P < 0.001; DBP: 81.2 ± 1.9 versus 75.1 ± 1.0 mmHg; P = 0.008). High STST was associated with elevated blood pressure in healthy adults, regardless of other risk factors for hypertension.

Gustatory function in persons with cerebral palsy.

Gustatory function is closely related to chewing and swallowing; however, there are currently no reports regarding gustatory function in persons with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to compare the gustatory function between persons with CP and healthy controls. We investigated sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastes using the whole-mouth method and measured the electrogustometric thresholds in the chorda tympani nerve area. Twelve participants with CP (6 women and 6 men) for whom gustatory testing was possible at our facilities, and 17 age-matched controls (9 women and 8 men) were included. The mean age±standard deviation was 58.6±8.1years and 58.5±8.7years in subjects with CP and controls, respectively. Taste detection and identification were significantly worse in persons with CP compared with the controls. Taste identification was more impaired than taste detection. At the highest concentration, taste identification was impossible 11 times out of 48 (12 persons×4 kinds of tastes) in persons with CP but such a deficit was not observed in 68 attempts (17 persons×4 kinds of tastes) involving controls. The electrogustometric thresholds were not significantly different between the groups. Gustatory function associated with chewing and swallowing is worse in persons with CP compared to the controls.

The neuroscience of sugars in taste, gut-reward, feeding circuits, and obesity.

Throughout the animal kingdom sucrose is one of the most palatable and preferred tastants. From an evolutionary perspective, this is not surprising as it is a primary source of energy. However, its overconsumption can result in obesity and an associated cornucopia of maladies, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Here we describe three physiological levels of processing sucrose that are involved in the decision to ingest it: the tongue, gut, and brain. The first section describes the peripheral cellular and molecular mechanisms of sweet taste identification that project to higher brain centers. We argue that stimulation of the tongue with sucrose triggers the formation of three distinct pathways that convey sensory attributes about its quality, palatability, and intensity that results in a perception of sweet taste. We also discuss the coding of sucrose throughout the gustatory pathway. The second section reviews how sucrose, and other palatable foods, interact with the gut-brain axis either through the hepatoportal system and/or vagal pathways in a manner that encodes both the rewarding and of nutritional value of foods. The third section reviews the homeostatic, hedonic, and aversive brain circuits involved in the control of food intake. Finally, we discuss evidence that overconsumption of sugars (or high fat diets) blunts taste perception, the post-ingestive nutritional reward value, and the circuits that control feeding in a manner that can lead to the development of obesity.

Taste test using an edible taste film kit: a randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesWe developed an edible taste film test that can be stored easily as a kit. This study was conducted to confirm the agreement between the results of the edible taste...

Gustatory disturbances occur in patients with head and neck cancer who undergo radiotherapy not directed to the oral cavity

IntroductionEven the most modern radiation techniques still result in some degree of toxicity to adjacent normal tissues. Consequently, the radiotherapy treatment in head and neck neoplasms potentially leads to gustatory dysfunction even in cases when the treatment area is outside or adjacent to the oral cavity. In this study we quantitatively and qualitatively assessed gustatory function in patients with head and neck cancers who underwent radiotherapy inside and outside of the oral cavity. MethodsFifty-six patients with head and neck cancer responded to a specific questionnaire and had their gustatory function tested before, immediately after, and at 3 and 6 months following radiotherapy treatment. The irradiation field did not include the oral cavity in 29 patients and included it in 27 patients. ResultsAll patients suffered a severe loss of taste immediately after radiotherapy. The identification of sweet and bitter tastes decreased in both groups, but the sour decrement was exclusive to those who had the oral cavity irradiated. Fourteen percent of patients complained of qualitative changes of taste, namely taste distortions. No impact of xerostomia on the taste measures was apparent. ConclusionWe found that patients with head and neck neoplasms submitted to radiotherapy have disturbed taste even when irradiation does not include the oral cavity. This deficit is worse immediately after the end of radiotherapy. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that decreased salivary flow is the major cause for radiation-induced changes in taste function.

On the identification of changing tastes

In a dynamic choice environment, an agent's tastes may change over time (e.g., due to present bias, habit formation, or reference dependence). These changes are often systematic with important welfare and policy implications. In this paper, we propose a framework to identify an agent's anticipation about how her preferences change over time and provide a heuristic measure that can inform the design of economic policies. In particular, our method resolves identification issues arising in the previous literature by using the intuitive idea that, while tastes can change, rankings are often monotone with respect to a suitable dominance relation.

General Decrease of Taste Sensitivity Is Related to Increase of BMI: A Simple Method to Monitor Eating Behavior.

Background and Objectives The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between taste identification ability and body mass index (BMI) by studying the response to the administration of different taste stimuli to both sides of the tongue in three different groups of subjects. Subjects and Methods Thirty healthy normal-weight volunteers, 19 healthy overweight subjects, and 22 obese subjects were enrolled. For each subject, the lateralization Oldfield score, body weight, height, and blood pressure were determined. The taste test is based on filter paper strips soaked with 4 taste stimuli presented at different concentrations to evoke 4 basic taste qualities (salty, sour, sweet, and bitter); pure rapeseed oil and water were also administered to evoke fat and neutral taste qualities. The stimuli were applied to each side of the protruded tongue. Subjects were asked to identify the taste from a list of eight descriptions according to a multiple choice paradigm. Results The results showed a general lowering of taste sensitivity with the increase of BMI, except for the taste of fat with rapeseed oil as the stimulus. Other variables affecting taste sensitivity are age (negative association), gender (women generally show higher sensitivity), and taste stimuli concentration (positive association). Conclusions Our findings could provide important insights into how new therapies could be designed for weight loss and long-term weight maintenance and how diets could be planned combining the correct caloric and nutritional supply with individual taste preferences.

Gustatory Function of Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women in a Tertiary Health Institution.

Physiological changes in pregnancy may cause taste dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine and compare gustatory function of pregnant women with nonpregnant women and also to investigate the effect of pregnancy on gustatory function. It was a case-control study of consecutive 70 healthy pregnant women (cases) and 70 healthy nonpregnant women (control). Participants scored their taste perception on a visual analogue scale (1-10) and their gustatory function was assessed using "taste strips" impregnated with graded concentration of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter taste substances applied on tongue surfaces. Subjective mean gustatory score, correct identification of taste in the strips and total taste strip (TTS) score were compared between both groups and analysis was done using appropriate statistics. The mean age of pregnant women (30.5 [3.9]) and controls (28.5 [6.6]) were comparable. Twenty-one (30%) pregnant women changed their diet in first trimester due to change in taste sensation. Almost all cases developed craving for spicy and salty foods and, aversions to fish, beans, and vegetables. There was a significant difference in the subjective rating of taste perception between the 2 groups ( P = .037). About 2.9% of pregnant women have hypogeusia. There was a significant difference between pregnant and nonpregnant women in sour taste ( P = .006; 2.90 [0.71] vs 3.92 [0.82]) and TTS ( P = .02; 27.50 [3.48] vs 29.21 [2.69]) scores, respectively. In conclusion, gustatory function was reduced in pregnancy compared to nonpregnant women and this led to dietary change in some pregnant women.