Influence of food composition on taste perception

Abstract

Molecular interactions among food ingredients are hypothesized to have a big impact on flavor perception affecting the release of taste compounds. It is challenging to calculate how much of the added flavor in the food formulation is being perceived. This thesis investigates the molecular interactions of taste compounds with food ingredients in both fresh and aged food products. Chapter 1 includes a general introduction about food processing, definition of the problem and general objectives. Chapter 2 includes literature review about flavor perception, taste, tastants, taste receptors, taste qualities covered in this study such as saltiness, bitterness and sweetness. Also includes, the potential molecular interactions that can take place between macromolecules (carbohydrates, protein, lipids) with taste compounds and how those interactions could affect the final taste perception. Chapter 3 presents the evaluations of interactions of simple ingredients such as starch, protein with tastants such as salt (sodium) and bitter compound (pinellic acid); as well as interactions with actual food system, refined and whole wheat bread, and the subsequent taste release in model systems under storage conditions. Chapter 4 includes sensory Time Intensity evaluation, total chemical taste (sodium, pinellic acid, tryptophan, glucose and fructose) quantification in bread and saliva extracts after mastication after storage conditions and finally the correlation between sensory and chemical evaluation. Chapter 5 includes future work suggestions.