Evaluation of the Monell Forced-Choice, Paired-Comparison Tracking Procedure for Determining Sweet Taste Preferences across the Lifespan

Mennella, Julie A.; Lukasewycz, Laura D.; Griffith, James W.; Beauchamp, Gary K.

doi:10.1093/chemse/bjq134

Cited by 125 publications

(173 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The food-liking scale was developed for use in adults (21) and may not be appropriate for young children, who like higher concentrations of saltiness relative to adults (35) and are still in the neophobic stage of food acceptance (36). Because children have a strong biological inclination toward sweet taste (37,38), it also is possible that the drive for sweet taste limited the ability to detect salt-related dietary effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The development of salty taste acceptance is related to dietary experience in human infants: a prospective study

Stein¹,

Cowart²,

Beauchamp³

2012

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

162

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Background: Sodium intake is related to hypertension and other diseases, but little is known about the early development of salty taste acceptance. Objective: The prospective study asked whether dietary experience with foods containing sodium is associated with development of infant salty taste preference. Design: Infants (n = 61) were tested at 2 and 6 mo to assess their response to 0.17 and 0.34 mol NaCl/L in water. Intake tests consisted of randomized double-blind 120-s exposure to salt solutions and water. Acceptance, calculated as solution intake relative to water, was examined as a function of exposure to starchy table food-a significant source of sodium. Dietary exposure (yes or no) was defined by maternal report. As a control, similar comparisons were based on exposure to fruit table food. A subset of 26 subjects returned at 36-48 mo for assessment of salty taste hedonics and preference. Results: Dietary experience was related to salt acceptance, with only those infants previously exposed to starchy table foods (n = 26) preferring the salty solutions at 6 mo (P = 0.007). Fruit exposure was not associated with sodium chloride acceptance. Infants eating starchy table foods at 6 mo were more likely to lick salt from the surface of foods at preschool age (P = 0.007) and tended to be more likely to eat plain salt (P = 0.08). Conclusions: The findings suggest an influential role of early dietary experience in shaping salty taste responses of infants and young children.Am J Clin Nutr 2012;94:123-9.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The development of salty taste acceptance is related to dietary experience in human infants: a prospective study

Stein¹,

Cowart²,

Beauchamp³

2012

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

162

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“…21,22 This method requires participants to taste pairs of sucrose solutions of varying concentrations (from 3% to 36%). After tasting each pair of solutions, the participants are asked to point to the solution they prefer.…”

Section: Choice Of Taste Stimuli For Use Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analyses confirmed that a single-series version of the task is sensitive to age effects, with children and adolescents demonstrating higher sucrose preferences than adults. 22 A single-series version of the assessment was thus selected as the NIH Toolbox gustation measure recommended for young children.…”

Section: Choice Of Taste Stimuli For Use Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gustation assessment using the NIH Toolbox

et al. 2013

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The NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIH Toolbox) is a set of brief measures for the assessment of cognitive function, emotional health, motor function, and sensory function for use in clinical trials and in epidemiologic and longitudinal studies. Gustatory perception is assessed as 1 of 6 areas of sensory function. A team of 11 scientists with expertise in taste perception selected 2 gustatory measures, 1 of which can be used in young pediatric populations. The measure selected for young pediatric populations assesses sucrose (sweet) taste preference and can also be used across the age span of 5 to 85 years. For adult populations, the selected measure is a regional test, which assesses variability in perceived intensity of quinine hydrochloride (bitter) when applied to the tongue tip as well as perceived with the whole mouth. The team also recommends the regional test for assessing other tastants, such as sodium chloride (salty). Validation studies have demonstrated that the measures modified for the NIH Toolbox correlate with more traditional assessments, and can identify known population differences in gustation. Neurology â 2013;80 (Suppl 3):S20-S24 DEFINITION OF GUSTATION Gustation consists of the perception of sensations that are usually described as having 1 or more basic taste qualities: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or umami (savory/brothy). These sensations facilitate consumption of nutrients (sweet, salty, umami) and contribute to rejection of toxins (bitter). The gustatory system's key function in guiding food intake makes it important to health and the prevention of chronic diseases and conditions. For example, individual differences in bitter taste perception are known to contribute to differences in food preferences and consumption of certain fruits and vegetables, thereby influencing health.1 Gustation arises from the cellular activation of taste receptors that are localized to the plasma membranes of modified epithelial cells. 2Along with supporting cells, these specialized cells form taste buds that are found inside papillae on the tongue surface or within the tissues of the soft palate and pharynx. Gustatory fibers in the facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagal cranial nerves innervate taste buds in the oral cavity. These fibers carry taste information from the oral cavity to the nucleus of the solitary tract in the brainstem.3 In primates, projections from the nucleus of the solitary tract carry taste information to the thalamus, which in turn projects to gustatory cortex. 3Psychophysical measures characterize different aspects of gustatory perception. These include the responsiveness of the system to taste stimuli as well as the hedonic value of the sensation. Measures of taste function include detection thresholds, just noticeable differences in taste perception, perceived intensity, and taste quality judgments. Measurements involving hedonic value usually consist of estimates of pleasantness, liking, or preference. For children younger than age 5, most ...

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“…children have innate preferences for high levels of sweet [53] and salt [54]) and some individuals may be more sensitive to bitter tastes due to genotype [55], there is an inherent plasticity in the development of these chemical senses that interact with early-life experiences to ensure that a child is not restricted to a narrow range of foodstuffs because of innate preferences for and aversions to certain tastes [see ref. [56,57] for review].…”

Section: Complementary Food Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary Foods and Flavor Experiences: Setting the Foundation

2012

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Increased fruit and vegetable consumption early in life may lead to life-long intake of fruits and vegetables, which in turn may be beneficial for weight control and other health outcomes in later life. Although health officials worldwide recommend delaying solid foods until 6 months of age, younger infants often receive solid food, which may affect later obesity rates. The timing of introduction to solid foods is important both nutritionally and developmentally and may affect acceptance of foods both in infancy and later in life. Infants can clearly discriminate the flavors of different fruits and vegetables. Repeated flavor experiences promote the willingness to eat a variety of foods: infants will consume more of foods that have a familiar flavor and are more accepting of novel flavors if they have experience with flavor variety. Many flavors that the mother either ingests or inhales are transmitted to her milk and/or amniotic fluid. Mothers can help the transition from a diet exclusively of milk or formula to a mixed diet by providing the infant familiar flavors in both milk or formula and solid foods. Exposure to a variety of flavors during and between meals appears to facilitate acceptance of novel foods. Providing novelty in the context of a familiar food might prove to be an optimal combination to progressively accustom infants to a diversity of novel foods. When repeatedly exposing infants to flavors of some vegetables that have bitter tastes, mothers should focus not on infants’ facial expressions but on their willingness to eat the food and should continue to provide repeated opportunities to taste the food. Introducing children repeatedly to individual as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables, both within and between meals, might help them be more accepting of fruits and vegetables, which is difficult to enhance beyond toddlerhood.

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Evaluation of the Monell Forced-Choice, Paired-Comparison Tracking Procedure for Determining Sweet Taste Preferences across the Lifespan

Cited by 125 publications

References 39 publications

The development of salty taste acceptance is related to dietary experience in human infants: a prospective study

The development of salty taste acceptance is related to dietary experience in human infants: a prospective study

Gustation assessment using the NIH Toolbox

Complementary Foods and Flavor Experiences: Setting the Foundation

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