Combined heterogeneous distribution of salt and aroma in food enhances salt perception

Abstract

Aroma-taste interactions and heterogeneous spatial distribution of tastants were used as strategies for taste enhancement. This study investigated the combination of these two strategies through the effect of heterogeneous salt and aroma distribution on saltiness enhancement and consumer liking for hot snacks. Four-layered cream-based products were designed with the same total amount of sodium and ham aroma but varied in their spatial distribution. Unflavoured products containing the same amount of salt and 35% more salt were used as references. A consumer panel (n = 82) rated the intensity of salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami tastes as well as ham and cheese aroma intensity for each product. The consumers also rated their liking for the products in a dedicated sensory session. The results showed that adding salt-associated aroma (ham) led to enhancement of salty taste perception regardless of the spatial distribution of salt and aroma. Moreover, products with a higher heterogeneity of salt distribution were perceived as saltier (p < 0.01), whereas heterogeneity of ham aroma distribution had only a marginal effect on both aroma and salty taste perception. Furthermore, heterogeneous products were well liked by consumers compared to the homogeneous products.

Exquisitely heterogeneous : Combining different food textures to boost palatability

“…There, we concluded that the perception of saltiness could be controlled by combining different food components varying in their flavour content. Such a conclusion is consistent with the results of previous studies on the inhomogeneous distribution of tastants or aroma compounds (Emorine et al, 2015;Mosca et al, 2010;Nakao et al, 2013). For instance, in layered cream-based snack foods that varied in salt distribution, Emorine and coworkers (2013) demonstrated that salt perception was mostly dependent on the salt concentration in the saltier layer.…”

“…Lévy et al (2006) suggested that consumer exposure to foods with multiple types of stimuli should lead to an increase in longterm liking. It was proposed that variations in texture and tastants can be used to provide a discontinuous stimulation and thus reduce adaptation of specific sensory perceptions (Emorine et al, 2014(Emorine et al, , 2015Funami et al, 2016;Mosca et al, 2010Mosca et al, , 2012.…”

“…As a result of the presence of different components in foods, the spatial distribution of flavour compounds can also differ, affecting perception. A heterogeneous distribution of sucrose or salt led to an increase in sweetness or saltiness intensity, which might be accompanied by an increase in liking (Emorine et al, 2013(Emorine et al, , 2014(Emorine et al, , 2015Mosca et al, 2010Mosca et al, , 2012Mosca et al, , 2015. Such effects are not limited to tastants, as a heterogeneous distribution of apple aroma in model gels also resulted in a higher perceived flavour intensity (Nakao et al, 2013).…”

“…Soup with pasta and vegetable pieces and yoghurt with granola or fruit pieces are examples of commonly consumed heterogeneous composite foods that are well appreciated by consumers. The presence of structural heterogeneities not only influences the dynamic sensory perception (Devezeaux de Emorine et al, 2014Emorine et al, , 2015Tanget al 2017;, but it also affects food oral processing behaviour and related satiation responses (Laguna & Sarkar, 2016;Larsen et al 2016aLarsen et al , 2016bTang et al, 2016;van Eck et al, 2019).…”

Adoptable Interventions, Human Health, and Food Safety Considerations for Reducing Sodium Content of Processed Food Products

“…Similar conclusions were obtained in studies of cream-based multi-layer savory pastries. Heterogeneous distribution of salt resulted in products with comparable sensory perceptions while containing 25% less sodium in formulation [ 65 ]. A similar study also showed up to a 42% reduction in sodium content of cereal- and cream-based multi-layer products by heterogeneous distribution of salt in the products [ 66 ].…”