Taste

The WHO’s new global sodium reduction benchmarks provide actionable targets to improve sustainable nutrition. Learn about the new guidelines, challenges of reducing sodium in foods, and opportunities for the future.

Author(s): Nicolas Barthes, BSc

Upcoming EU regulations will change which types of natural flavouring sources are acceptable in organic products. Nicolas Barthes, BSc walks through the legislation, how extracts are made, and how to decide which type of extracts are appropriate for different foods and beverages.

Addressing sustainable nutrition is top-of-mind globally, but optimising for nutrition and sustainability can impact taste of foods and beverages. Learn about the role of taste science in tackling challenges that come with sustainable nutrition initiatives like sugar reduction and plant-based eating.

New research, led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone – it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception. The team published their findings in Chemical Senses. Research has shown over the… Read more »

Author(s): Nancy Rawson, PhD

Umami is one the primary tastes, but unfortunately the way many people have learned about it is through the negative perception of monosodium glutamate (MSG), the prototypical stimulus of umami taste. The questions ‘what does MSG do to your body?’ and ‘why is MSG bad for your health’ top the list of MSG-related internet searches,… Read more »

Read a webinar summary in the article “Calorie reduction to become a “critical component” of future food design“. Consumers are often unaware of the energy density of the foods they consume, making them vulnerable to excess calorie consumption.  As a result, initiatives to reduce the number of calories in foods and beverages are emerging globally, either voluntarily… Read more »

A new study in the Journal of Nutrition found that carbohydrate taste sensitivity is associated with starch intake and waist circumference in adults. Individual differences in taste sensitivity and the role of taste in  promoting intake of specific foods or ingredients associated with obesity have long been investigated but results are mixed.  Results from this new… Read more »

A new study shows that sensory impairment (loss of taste and smell perception) is associated with frailty in aging populations, which can lead to increased risk of fractures and loss of quality of life. Loss of appetite and/or reduced food intake associated with ageing, has been suggested as a risk factor for frailty. Impairments of… Read more »