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Mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) and/or flavors may improve palatability and intake in elderly people. Whether this improvement is related to a decline in chemosensory sensitivity is unclear. We examined the effect of flavor-enhanced tomato soup (1,200 mg/l MSG (0.12% MSG) + 3 g/l celery powder) versus non-enhanced soup on intake and liking in 120 older adults (72+/-6 years). Olfactory and gustatory performance was measured. For the whole group, no difference in intake (198 g vs. 203 g) (P =0.97), liking (6.6 vs. 6.7) (P =0.99) and strength (7.2 vs. 7.2) (P =0.76) between the soups was found. Intake (P =0.52), liking (P =0.90) and strength (P =1.00) between the soups were not different within the low olfactory/low gustatory group. Intake and liking of the flavor-enhanced soup was not increased within elderly with low chemosensory sensitivity. Enhancing flavors to increase intake and liking may not be a uniform approach due to the heterogeneity in chemosensory losses among elderly people.

No abstract

MSG (0.5% and 2%) does not guarantee a higher intake among elderly. The chemosensory heterogeneity of the elderly population requires more individual flavor enhancement to improve the dietary intake and sensory experience.

No abstract