Physicochemical and perceptual interactions between composition/texture, taste and aroma: A way to enhance saltiness in foods

Diplôme : Ph. D.Excessive salt in the human diet is a major risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. So, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advocates sodium reduction of foods as a cost-effective strategy to improve public health. Because of important functionalities of salt (NaCl) – salty taste and flavour enhancement, solutions are being sought to lower the salt content of processed foods without altering their taste. In this PhD work, the approach proposed was to use sensory interactions between the senses, especially composition/texture – saltiness interactions (i) and aroma-saltiness interactions (ii). The first part of this work aimed to investigate food composition and oral processing influence the sodium release and saltiness perception during the eating of different model food systems. Lipoproteic matrices (model cheese system) with different compositions (proteins, fat, pH and salt contents) were produced using an incomplete experimental design and characterised by both sensory profile and rheological analyses. Sodium concentrations in saliva, saltiness and oral parameters were monitored for each subject and each food model foods system. Texture, sodium release, saltiness perception were strongly affected by the lipoproteic matrices composition. The mechanisms of saltiness perception were complex and involved both composition and physiological factors. In the second part, we investigated odor-induced saltiness enhancement in water then in a solid model food (lipoproteic matrices varying in composition) with the aim of evaluating the influence of cross-modal interactions (odor-texture-taste) on saltiness perception. Several model foods, varying in texture, were flavored with three commercial tasteless aromas (comté cheese, sardine and carrot) differently associated with salty and cheesy food products. The results revealed a significant saltiness enhancement induced by the comté cheese and sardine odors (salt associated). However, the carrot odor, not salt-associated, did not enhance saltiness. These findings revealed that well-selected aromas could enhance saltiness in low-salt-content solid-food products of various textures. To conclude, we thus propose that cross-modal interactions could be a practical way to contribute to a counterbalancing of the decrease in saltiness and thus likely acceptability of foods with reduced salt levels. Such a strategy, possibly in association with other means, should help manufacturers to follow the recommendations of public health authorities while maintaining a good acceptability of food products for consumers

Physicochemical and perceptual interactions between composition/texture, taste and aroma: A way to enhance saltiness in foods

Diplôme : Ph. D.Excessive salt in the human diet is a major risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. So, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advocates sodium reduction of foods as a cost-effective strategy to improve public health. Because of important functionalities of salt (NaCl) – salty taste and flavour enhancement, solutions are being sought to lower the salt content of processed foods without altering their taste. In this PhD work, the approach proposed was to use sensory interactions between the senses, especially composition/texture – saltiness interactions (i) and aroma-saltiness interactions (ii). The first part of this work aimed to investigate food composition and oral processing influence the sodium release and saltiness perception during the eating of different model food systems. Lipoproteic matrices (model cheese system) with different compositions (proteins, fat, pH and salt contents) were produced using an incomplete experimental design and characterised by both sensory profile and rheological analyses. Sodium concentrations in saliva, saltiness and oral parameters were monitored for each subject and each food model foods system. Texture, sodium release, saltiness perception were strongly affected by the lipoproteic matrices composition. The mechanisms of saltiness perception were complex and involved both composition and physiological factors. In the second part, we investigated odor-induced saltiness enhancement in water then in a solid model food (lipoproteic matrices varying in composition) with the aim of evaluating the influence of cross-modal interactions (odor-texture-taste) on saltiness perception. Several model foods, varying in texture, were flavored with three commercial tasteless aromas (comté cheese, sardine and carrot) differently associated with salty and cheesy food products. The results revealed a significant saltiness enhancement induced by the comté cheese and sardine odors (salt associated). However, the carrot odor, not salt-associated, did not enhance saltiness. These findings revealed that well-selected aromas could enhance saltiness in low-salt-content solid-food products of various textures. To conclude, we thus propose that cross-modal interactions could be a practical way to contribute to a counterbalancing of the decrease in saltiness and thus likely acceptability of foods with reduced salt levels. Such a strategy, possibly in association with other means, should help manufacturers to follow the recommendations of public health authorities while maintaining a good acceptability of food products for consumers

High pressure inactivation of Escherichia coli and its giant spheroplast at subzero temperature

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Odour-taste interactions: a way to enhance saltiness in low-salt content solutions

International audienceThis study investigated odour–saltiness interactions in aqueous solutions. In a first experiment, 81 consumers indicated expected taste attributes for 86 labels of flavour related to common food items. Panellists were able to rate expected saltiness of food flavour evoked by food written items. Differences in expected saltiness were observed in relation to actual salt content of food. In experiment 2, we selected commercially available aromas corresponding to 14 of the salt-associated flavour labels found in experiment 1. Odour-induced saltiness enhancement was investigated for odours evoked by these aroma water solutions containing or not sodium chloride. Fifty-nine consumers rated odour and taste (bitterness, sourness, saltiness, and sweetness) intensity orthonasally and retronasally. Results showed that expected flavours could induce saltiness and enhance saltiness in solutions containing a low level of sodium chloride through odour-induced changes in taste perception. These results suggest that well selected odours could be used to compensate sodium chloride reduction in food

In vivo sodium release and saltiness perception in solid lipoprotein matrices. 2. Impact of oral parameters

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between sodium release, saltiness, and oral parameters during theeating of lipoprotein matrices (LPM). Sodium release and saltiness relative to 10 LPM were recorded during normal mastication by five subjects with differing oral parameters (chewing efficiency and salivary flow rate). The LPM samples varied in composition (dry matter, fat, salt, and pH levels) and represented a broad range of hardness. Mastication was recorded using electromyography simultaneously with sensory assessment. Differences in chewing behavior could explain most of the variability in sodium release and saltiness among subjects. Subjects with a higher chewing force and lower salivary flow rate experienced higher levels of sodium release and saltiness. In terms of the LPM, sodium release and saltiness were affected by either chewing behavior or food composition

Cross modal interactions: way to counterbalance salt reduction in solid foods?

International audienceFour model cheeses varying in texture (2 Dry Matter (DM) levels; 2 Fat/DM levels and 1 salt level) were designed and flavored with 3 commercial tasteless aromas (“Comté Cheese”, Sardine and Carrot) differently associated with salty and cheesy food products. Thirty untrained subjects were instructed to evaluate taste intensity (sourness, bitterness, saltiness and sweetness), aroma intensity, texture attributes (firmness, moistness and graininess), aroma congruency with the product and their hedonic appreciation of the 12 flavored and 4 unflavored model cheese samples. A comparison of the saltiness perception of the flavored and unflavored model cheeses revealed cross-modal interactions between odor and taste and no influence of texture on taste perception. The results showed a significant saltiness enhancement induced by “Comté Cheese” aroma which was associated with saltiness and judged as congruent with the model cheese. Sardine aroma (associated with saltiness) also induced a significant saltiness enhancement even if it was judged as less congruent with the food product. However, the Carrot aroma (not associated with saltiness and judged as not congruent with the food product) did not enhance saltiness. These findings revealed that well selected aromas could induce saltiness enhancement in solid food products of various textures. We thus propose that cross-modal odor-taste interactions could be a way to counterbalance the decrease in saltiness and acceptability of food with reduced salt level in line with recommendations of public health authorities

Using cross-modal interactions to counterbalance salt reduction in solid foods

International audienceWe investigated odour-induced saltiness enhancement (OISE) in a solid model cheese with the aim of evaluating the influence of cross-modal interactions (odour-texture-taste) on saltiness perception and assessing the efficacy of using OISE to counterbalance salt reduction. Four model cheeses, varying in texture, were flavoured with three commercial tasteless aromas (comte cheese, sardine and carrot) differently associated with salty and cheesy food products. Twenty-seven consumers evaluated taste intensity, aroma intensity and its congruence with the product flavour, and the overall pleasantness of 12 flavoured and four unflavoured samples. The comparison of the perceived saltiness in flavoured and unflavoured model cheeses with identical salt contents revealed a significant saltiness enhancement induced by the comte cheese and sardine odours. However, the carrot odour, not associated with saltiness, did not enhance saltiness. These findings revealed that well-selected aromas could enhance saltiness in low-salt-content solid-food products of various textures

Influence of composition and texture on in-mouth sodium release and saltiness perception during consumption of semi-hard cheeses

Sodium content in human diet being excessive in many industrialized country, health authorities recommended its progressive reduction in food products in order both to improve public health and to decrease health cost (1). Cheese is one of the most important sodium vectors. However, salt (NaCl) is not only responsible for saltiness but is also implied in other functionalities such as flavour enhancement, texture, preservation (2). Keeping a good acceptability of food by the consumer at lower sodium chloride concentration is a real challenge for cheese industry to avoid negative consequences. To reach this goal, it is necessary to understand the role of cheese structure and composition on the release and perception of salt. The objective of this study is to determine to what extent cheese composition and texture influence the release of sodium and the saltiness perception during eating, taking into account the oral behaviour of consumers. Semi-hard cheeses varying in composition (Fat in dry matter, water content in defatted cheese, calcium in defatted dry matter, salt content) were made according to an experimental design. The cheeses were characterized by a conventional sensory profile (taste, texture and global aroma intensity), composition parameters and rheological properties (uniaxial compression at constant displacement rate). Then, both temporal sodium release and temporal saltiness intensities were simultaneously evaluated for each cheese. Important differences were observed between cheeses for both rheological properties and sensory characteristics in term of saltiness and texture. Several significant effects were observed on the increasing phase and at the maximum of the sodium release and on saltiness time intensity curves according to cheese composition / texture. For example, the in-mouth maximum concentration of sodium and the maximum saltiness intensity decreased when fat content increased. These results will be discussed and compared to results obtained with the same approach on model lipoprotein matrices

In vivo sodium release related to salty perception during eating model cheeses of different textures

International audienceThe objective of this study was to determine to what extent the ratio of fat/water, fat/protein or water/protein concentrations and texture may influence the release of sodium, saltiness perception and chewing behaviour during eating food. Cheese models were manufactured with two levels of shear intensity and two different ratios of fat/water concentration. Sodium concentration in saliva, saltiness perception and masticatory parameters were evaluated for each subject and each product. The products made with high shear intensity released sodium more easily in the mouth during chewing, whilst high fat concentration contributed to reduce the release of sodium. Saltiness was only related to matrix composition (fat/water concentrations). Moreover, sodium release and saltiness perception were found to be correlated with several masticatory parameters. A model built with matrix composition variables showed that the water content influenced the sodium release and the fat content influenced saltiness, but with temporal differences during the chewing process