Sour taste perception in fluids: The impact of sweet tastant, fluid viscosity, and individual salivary properties

• Published in: Food chemistry 2025-01, Vol.463 (Pt 4), p.141492, Article 141492
• Main Authors: Chen, Ye, Pan, Jiangxing, Tan, Yuxuan, Chen, Jianshe, Wang, Xinmiao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Dynamic sensory evaluation; Female; food chemistry; Food oral processing; Humans; Hypromellose Derivatives - chemistry; Male; maltose; Maltose - analysis; Maltose - chemistry; Maltose - metabolism; mastication; methylcellulose; Saliva - chemistry; Sour taste perception; sourness; Sweet tastant; Sweetening Agents - chemistry; Taste; Taste Perception; taste sensitivity; Taste Threshold; Thickened fluids; Viscosity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141492

Binary taste perception is widely studied in aqueous solutions but less investigated in non-Newtonian fluid systems. In this study, the effect of sweet tastants on the dynamic sour taste perception in thickened fluids and its underpinning oral processing factors were investigated. Subjects were tested for taste thresholds and salivary biochemical properties. By using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as a thickening agent, subjects conducted sour taste evaluation, with and without maltose and/or HPMC, using descriptive sensory analyses. A simulated fluid shear elicited by fixed-frequency mastication was applied on thickened fluid sample oral processing during time-intensity sour taste evaluation. Results showed that adding maltose to fluid samples enhanced sour taste perception, and increasing fluid viscosity generally suppressed perceived maximum sour taste. Moreover, subjects with lower sour taste sensitivity and higher salivary buffering capacity reported overall lower sour taste intensity in most samples, validating the hypothesis that salivary properties importantly affect sour taste perception. •The addition of maltose to the fluid samples enhances sour taste perception.•Increased shear viscosity gradually suppresses dynamic sour taste perception.•Individual salivary properties have significant influence on sour taste perception.•Subjects with low sour taste sensitivity perceived lower sour taste intensity.•Higher salivary buffering capacity is associated with lower sour taste perception.