Episode 6 with Ioana Ungureanu: Understanding sweetness perception
Introduction by Ioana Ungureanu
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Hi, I’m Ioana Ungureanu, Senior Research Investigator. Today we’ll explore together how physiological processes affect our perceptions of sweetness.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Sweeteners’ perception in the oral cavity
- How to tackle bitterness
- Understanding slow onset and lingering
- How to improve mouthfeel
Watch the episode
Sweeteners’ perception in the oral cavity
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Sweeteners’ perception in the oral cavity
A number of physiological processes affect our perceptions of sweetness.
Here are the most important – from the most well-known to emergent ones.
The sweet
receptor
How tightly sweeteners bind to the sweet receptors is believed to have an impact on the level and duration of sweetness.
Osmotic
pressure
We tend to like beverages with osmotic pressure equal to or higher than 200 milliosmoles.
Mechano-
receptors
These play an important role in the perception of mouthfeel.
Saliva, mucosa
& mucins
The interplay between mucins and food molecules can also impact taste.
High intensity and low intensity sweeteners
High intensity sweeteners bind tightly to the sweetness receptor, so only small amounts are needed. Other sweeteners are weak binders so you need spoonfuls to make a beverage taste sweet. But which are which?
High intensity
sweetener
High intensity
sweetener
Low intensity
sweetener
Low intensity
sweetener
Find out more in Season, episode 1
How binding strength impacts sweetness
A 5% sucrose sweetened beverage has the same sweetness as 90 ppm of sucralose. How many more particles do we need to elicit the same level of sweetness?
600x
more particles
How to tackle bitterness
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How to tackle bitterness
Many consumers find the bitterness of non-caloric sweeteners off-putting. Reactions tends to vary depending on genetics.
Bitter receptors can be triggered by non-caloric sweeteners
Many non-caloric sweeteners activate bitter receptors.
A commercial bitterness blocker patented by Givaudan
We can counteract bitterness with bitterness blockers, like this one developed by Givaudan.
Understanding slow onset and lingering
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Understanding slow onset and lingering
Slow onset and long lastingness are negative aspects often associated with non-caloric sweeteners. This is impacted by physiological effects.
Temporal profile plays a key role here. Humans tend to like sweetness with a quick onset and offset.
How to improve mouthfeel
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How to improve mouthfeel
Research has shown that the wellbeing of mucins – large molecules found in the oral cavity – is a key factor in developing a pleasant mouthfeel.
Mucins structure
Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, Volume 11, Issues 2-3, June 2006, Pages 164-170
How do mucins work?
Mucins often interact with other molecules in the oral cavity. These interactions can impact mouthfeel and taste perception in the following ways:
Did you know?
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Did you know?