Training of a Dutch and Malaysian sensory panel to assess intensities of basic tastes and fat sensation of commonly consumed foods

Dietary taste patterns and diet quality of female nurses around the night shift

PURPOSE

Night shift workers are at risk of making poor food choices: e.g. sleep deprivation may lead to higher food intake with innate preferred tastes, such as sweet, savoury and fatty foods. Therefore, better insight in dietary taste patterns of night shift workers may improve the understanding of their food choices.

METHODS

This observational study assessed dietary taste patterns of 120 female night shift working nurses and compared them to 307 women of a reference population. Dietary intake, assessed with 24-h dietary recalls, was combined with a taste intensity database, including taste profiles of 557 foods. The contribution to the daily intake of 6 taste clusters was assessed: fat, neutral, sweet/fat, sweet/sour, salt/umami/fat and bitter.

RESULTS

During night shifts, nurses consumed a significantly higher energy percentage (en%) of 'neutral' (5.9 en%), 'sweet/sour' (8.1 en%) and 'sweet/fat' (6.5 en%) tasting foods and a lower en% of 'fat' (- 17.1 en%) and 'bitter' (- 2.1 en%) tasting foods than outside the night shift. They consumed a larger en% from foods with a 'sweet/sour' (1.9 en%) taste and a lower en% from foods with a 'bitter' (- 2.1 en%) taste than the reference population, irrespective of age, BMI and smoking status. A higher en% and gram% of 'fat' tasting foods and a higher gram% 'fat/salt/umami' tasting foods were associated with lower diet quality.

CONCLUSION

Our results only partly support our hypothesis that nurses would select foods with more innate taste preferences. In addition, fat and savoury tasting foods were negatively associated with their diet quality.

Scoping Review and Evidence Map of the Relation between Exposure to Dietary Sweetness and Body Weight-Related Outcomes in Adults

Numerous governmental and health organizations recommend reduced intake of added sugars due to the health risks associated with excess intake, including the risk of obesity. Some organizations further recommend avoiding dietary sweetness, regardless of the source. A scoping review and evidence map were completed to characterize the research that investigated associations between dietary sweetness and body weight. The aim was to identify and map published studies that have investigated total dietary sweetness, sweet food/beverages, sugar, or sweetener intake, and body weight-related outcomes and/or energy intake. Using preregistered search terms (osf.io/my7pb), 36,779 publications (duplicates removed) were identified from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus and screened for inclusion. Eligible studies were clinical trials, longitudinal cohorts, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, and systematic reviews conducted among adults (age ≥18 y), which were performed to investigate associations between dietary sweetness, sweet foods/beverages, sugar, or sweetener (energetic or nonenergetic) intake and body weight, BMI, adiposity, and/or energy intake. A total of 833 eligible publications were identified, detailing 804 studies. Only 7 studies (0.9% of included studies; 2 clinical trials, 4 cross-sectional studies, and 1 with another design type) investigated associations between total dietary sweetness and body weight-related outcome and/or energy intake. An additional 608 (75.6%) studies investigated intakes of sweet foods/beverages, sugar, or sweetener, and body weight-related outcomes and/or energy intake, including 225 clinical trials, 81 longitudinal cohorts, 4 case-control studies, and 280 cross-sectional studies. Most studies (90.6%) did not measure the sweetness of the diet or individual foods consumed. Ninety-two (11.4%) publications reported data from studies on dietary patterns that included sweet foods/beverages alongside other dietary components and 97 (12.1%) systematic reviews addressed different but related research questions. Although there is a breadth of evidence from studies that have investigated associations between intakes of sweet foods and beverages, sugars, and sweeteners and body weight, there is a limited depth of evidence on the association between total dietary sweetness and body weight.

Influence of Sensory Properties in Moderating Eating Behaviors and Food Intake

Sensory properties inform likes and dislikes, but also play an important functional role in guiding food choice and intake behavior. Odors direct food choice and stimulate sensory-specific appetites and taste helps to anticipate calorie and nutrient content of food. Food textures moderate eating rate and the energy consumed to satiation and post-ingestive metabolism. We summarize how sensory cues moderate intake, and highlight opportunities to apply sensory approaches to improve dietary behavior. Salt, sweet and savory taste influence liking, but also influence energy intake to fullness, with higher taste intensity and duration linked to lower intake. Psycho-physical studies show it is relatively easy to rank taste intensities at different concentrations but more challenging to discriminate fat contents, and fat discrimination declines further when combined with high-taste intensity. Fat has low impact on sensory intensity, but makes significant contributions to energy content. Combinations of high taste and fat-content can promote passive energy over-consumption, and adding fat also increases energy intake rate (kcals/min), reducing opportunities to orally meter consumption. Consumers adapt their oral processing behaviors to a foods texture, which can influence the rate and extent of energy intake. Understanding how texture influences eating behaviors and bolus formation, affords new opportunities to impact eating rate, energy intake and metabolic response to food. Food formulation has traditionally focused on composition and sensory appeal. Future research needs to consider the role of sensory properties in moderating consumer interaction with their food environment, and how they influence calorie selection, and shape our eating behaviors and intake.

Effect of cross-cultural differences on thickness, firmness and sweetness sensitivity

Sensitivity of the somatosensory system may be influenced by multiple physiological parameters. Variations in oral physiology can arise from cross-cultural differences which may potentially affect sensory sensitivity. The aim of this case study was to quantify texture and taste sensitivity in Dutch (Caucasian) and Chinese (Asian) adults living in the Netherlands. Eighty-five healthy subjects were recruited including 44 Dutch (Caucasian) adults (29 females, 22.8 ± 2.3 yrs) and 41 Chinese (Asian) adults (30 females, 24.5 ± 2.1 yrs) living in the Netherlands for less than 1 year. Three sets of stimuli were used to quantify sensitivity of thickness (maltodextrin solutions differing in viscosity), firmness (agar gels differing in fracture stress) and sweetness (sucrose solutions differing in concentration). The 2-Alternative Forced Choice (2-AFC) ascending staircase method was used to determine texture and taste sensitivity. Unstimulated and stimulated saliva flow rate, fungiform papillae density (FPD), lingual tactile threshold and PROP taster status were determined and are referred to as physiological and sensory consumer characteristics. No significant differences were observed between Chinese and Dutch adults for thickness (Dutch 2.60 mPas, Chinese 2.19 mPas), firmness (Dutch 10.5 kPa, Chinese 10.3 kPa) and sweetness sensitivity (Dutch 0.012 g/mL, Chinese 0.017 g/mL). No significant differences were observed between Chinese and Dutch adults for saliva flow rate, lingual tactile threshold and PROP taster status. The relationships between the three sensory sensitivities (thickness, firmness, sweetness) and five physiological and sensory consumer characteristics (unstimulated and stimulated saliva flow rate, FPD, lingual tactile threshold, PROP taster status) were analyzed. Only one out of 15 relationships, firmness sensitivity and FPD, was significantly and weakly related suggesting that inter-individual variation in these consumer characteristics is almost unrelated to sensory sensitivity. We conclude that in this case study thickness, firmness and sweetness sensitivities do not differ between Dutch and Chinese adults living in the Netherlands. Saliva flow rate, fungiform papillae density, lingual tactile threshold and PROP taster status do not explain inter-individual variation in sensory sensitivity between these consumers.

Taste of Modern Diets: The Impact of Food Processing on Nutrient Sensing and Dietary Energy Intake

BACKGROUND

Both fresh and processed foods are available in the modern food environment where taste can signal presence of nutrients. However, whether these taste-nutrient relationships are maintained across different degrees of food processing is not well understood, and less is known about the relative contribution of different taste qualities to population energy intakes.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between perceived intensity of 6 taste modalities and a food's nutrient content in the context of food processing and to further examine the relative contribution of different taste clusters to total energy intakes, stratified by weight status.

METHODS

Diet and lifestyle data from the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Cohort Phase 2 (N = 7011; aged 21-75 y) were collected through interviewer-administrated questionnaires. Taste and nutrient profiles for each of the 269 Singaporean foods were derived using a published taste database and food composition table. Each food was then categorized into the NOVA food-processing classification (unprocessed, processed, ultra-processed) to compare the strength of taste-nutrient relationships. Multivariable-adjusted models were used to examine associations between relative consumption of foods from different taste clusters and processing categories, energy intake, and BMI (in kg/m2) within a population cohort.

RESULTS

Sweet taste and mono- and disaccharide content of foods were significantly associated across all processing categories, although this association was weaker among ultra-processed foods (UPFs) (r = 0.42) than among unprocessed foods (r = 0.72). In contrast, associations between fat sensation and fat content (r = 0.74), as well as salt taste and sodium content (r = 0.84), were stronger for UPFs. Individuals who had higher energy intakes or were overweight (BMI >23) derived significantly greater percentage of energy from processed foods rather than UPFs, and this energy was higher from "savory-fatty" and lower from "neutral" tasting foods than those with lower energy intakes and normal weight (all P < 0.001). Eighty percent of individuals' dietary energy was from both "savory-fatty" and "neutral" foods, independent of differences in total energy intake and weight status.

CONCLUSIONS

Taste-nutrient relationships are maintained across different degrees of food processing. Greater consumption of foods that have a high "savory-fatty" taste was associated with increased energy intakes and overweight in the Asian population.

Review on characteristics of trained sensory panels in food science

Sensory analysis has been, is, and will be one of the most important methods in judging food quality. As such, it is an evaluation tool involving human subjects with specific skills to conduct assigned series of tests. This review outlines main characteristics of 179 trained panels published in 16 selected scientific journals in the last 12 months, as well as training methods used for panelists, and type of sensory studies employed. The results reveal that two thirds of the panels have between eight and twelve members, with gender data provided in half of the papers. Overall duration of their initial training is presented only in around 20% of reviewed publications. When provided, duration was below 2 hr per session involving up to 10 sessions. One third of papers confirmed to have conducted training of the panel for methods employed, while almost half used experienced human subjects with no further data. Around 12% of all manuscripts have validated training of their sensory panel, while 20% of papers covered at least one criterion for assessment of their panels' performance. The majority of papers (80%) used descriptive methods, mainly with intensity scales. It is of note that 15% of papers used hedonic tests typical for consumer studies. Almost half of the scholars conducted their research in triplicates (41.3%) while almost one quarter (24%) provided no data on this subject. Type of food analyzed has no effects on the quality of data provided regarding panels, training, sensory methods, and replications.

Understanding sweet-liking phenotypes and their implications for obesity: Narrative review and future directions

Building on a series of recent studies that challenge the universality of sweet liking, here we review the evidence for multiple sweet-liking phenotypes which strongly suggest, humans fall into three hedonic response patterns: extreme sweet likers (ESL), where liking increases with sweetness, moderate sweet likers (MSL), who like moderate but not intense sweetness, and sweet dislikers (SD), who show increasing aversion as sweetness increases. This review contrasts how these phenotypes differ in body size and composition, dietary intake and behavioural measures to test the widely held view that sweet liking may be a key driver of obesity. Apart from increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in ESL, we found no clear evidence that sweet liking was associated with obesity and actually found some evidence that SD, rather than ESL, may have slightly higher body fat. We conclude that ESL may have heightened awareness of internal appetite cues that could protect against overconsumption and increased sensitivity to wider reward. We note many gaps in knowledge and the need for future studies to contrast these phenotypes in terms of genetics, neural processing of reward and broader measures of behaviour. There is also the need for more extensive longitudinal studies to determine the extent to which these phenotypes are modified by exposure to sweet stimuli in the context of the obesogenic environment.

Perspective: Measuring Sweetness in Foods, Beverages, and Diets: Toward Understanding the Role of Sweetness in Health

Various global public health agencies recommend minimizing exposure to sweet-tasting foods or beverages. The underlying rationale is that reducing exposure to the perception of sweet tastes, without regard to the source of sweetness, may reduce preferences for sweetness, added sugar intake, caloric intake, and body weight. However, the veracity of this sequence of outcomes has yet to be documented, as revealed by findings from recent systematic reviews on the topic. Efforts to examine and document the effects of sweetness exposure are needed to support evidence-based recommendations. They require a generally agreed-upon methodology for measuring sweetness in foods, beverages, and the overall diet. Although well-established sensory evaluation techniques exist for individual foods in laboratory settings, they are expensive and time-consuming, and agreement on the optimal approach for measuring the sweetness of the total diet is lacking. If such a measure could be developed, it would permit researchers to combine data from different studies and populations and facilitate the design and conduct of new studies to address unresolved research questions about dietary sweetness. This narrative review includes an overview of available sensory techniques, their strengths and limitations, recent efforts to measure the sweetness of foods and diets across countries and cultures, and a proposed future direction for improving methods for measuring sweetness toward developing the data required to support evidence-based recommendations around dietary sweetness.

Dietary taste patterns in early childhood: the Generation R Study

BACKGROUND

Taste preference is an important determinant of dietary intake and is influenced by taste exposure in early life. However, data on dietary taste patterns in early childhood are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate dietary taste patterns in early childhood, to examine their tracking between the ages of 1 and 2 y, and to examine their associations with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

METHODS

Dietary intake of children participating in a population-based cohort was assessed with a 211-item age-specific FFQ at the ages of 1 y ( n = 3629) and 2 y (n = 844) (2003-2007). Taste intensity values of FFQ food items were calculated based on a food taste database that had been previously constructed and evaluated using a trained adult sensory panel. Cluster analysis based on taste values identified 5 taste clusters that we named: "neutral," "sweet and sour," "sweet and fat," "fat," and "salt, umami and fat." Linear regression models were used to examine associations of percentage energy (E%) intake from these taste clusters with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

At the age of 1 y, 64% ± 13% (mean ± SD) of energy intake was obtained from the "neutral" cluster, whereas at age 2 y, this was 42% ± 8%. At age 2 y, children had higher energy intakes from the "sweet and fat" (18% ± 7%), "fat" (11% ± 4%), and "salt, umami, and fat" (18% ± 6%) clusters than at age 1 y (7% ± 6%, 6% ± 4%, and 11% ± 6%, respectively). In multivariable models, older maternal age, longer breastfeeding duration, and later introduction of complementary feeding were associated with more energy from the "neutral" cluster (e.g., β: 0.31 E%; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.43 E% per 1 mo longer breastfeeding). Higher child BMI was associated with more energy from the "salt, umami, and fat" cluster (β: 0.22 E%; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.38 E% per BMI standard deviation score).

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary taste patterns in this Dutch cohort were more varied and intense in taste at age 2 y than at 1 y, reaching a level similar to that previously observed in Dutch adults. Important factors related to dietary taste patterns of young children are maternal sociodemographic factors and feeding practices.This trial was registered at trialregister.nl as NL6484.

Associations between Psycho-Hedonic Responses to Sweet and Savoury Tastes with Diet and Body Composition in a Sample of Asian Females

Taste preferences guide food choices and dietary behaviours, yet few studies have shown a relationship between sweet and savoury taste preference and differences in dietary intakes or energy consumed from different "taste clusters". We investigated differences in psycho-hedonic responses to sweet and savoury tastes and their association with energy intake, proportion of energy from macronutrients and energy intake from different "taste clusters". In addition, we evaluated correspondence between two methods to classify "sweet-liker" status and the overlap between sweet and savoury taste preferences. Psycho-hedonic responses to sweet and savoury tastes of female participants (n = 66) were captured via staircase paired preference and the "sweet-liker phenotype" classification method. Quantitative dietary energy and macronutrient intakes were measured using three-day food diary, and the relative contributions of specific taste clusters to energy intake were derived for each participant. All participants completed anthropometric assessments measuring body mass index (BMI) and adiposity. Results showed no association between sweet and savoury preferences with dietary energy or macronutrient intakes, though there was a trend towards higher sweet food consumption among "sweet-likers". A higher preference for savouriness was not associated with differences in daily energy intake, energy intake from protein, BMI or adiposity levels. There was little overlap in sweet and savoury preferences, suggesting a bi-modal split in taste preferences. "Sweet-likers" preferred a higher mean sucrose concentration than sweet "dislikers" (p < 0.001) indicating agreement between the two approaches. Future studies should consider comparing taste-liker differences using food choice tasks to address the current gap between taste preference measures and actual dietary behaviours.

Dietary taste patterns by sex and weight status in the Netherlands

Taste is a key driver of food choice and intake. Taste preferences are widely studied, unlike the diet's taste profile. This study assessed dietary taste patterns in the Netherlands by sex, BMI, age and education. A taste database, containing 476 foods' taste values, was combined with 2-d 24-h recalls in two study populations. The percentage of energy intake from six taste clusters was assessed in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (DNFCS 2007-2010; n 1351) and in an independent observational study: the Nutrition Questionnaires plus (NQplus) study (2011-2013; n 944). Dietary taste patterns were similar across study populations. Men consumed relatively more energy from 'salt, umami and fat' (DNFCS; 24 % energy, NQplus study; 23 %)- and 'bitter' (7 %)-tasting foods compared with women (21 %, P<0·001, 22 %, P=0·005; 3 %, P<0·001, 4 %, P<0·001, respectively). Women consumed more % energy from 'sweet and fat' (15 %)- and 'sweet and sour' (13 %, 12 %, respectively)-tasting foods compared with men (12 %, P<0·001, 13 %, P=0·001; 10 %, P<0·001). Obese individuals consumed more % energy from 'salt, umami and fat'- and less from 'sweet and fat'-tasting foods than normal-weight individuals ('salt, umami and fat', men; obese both studies 26 %, normal-weight DNFCS 23 %, P=0·037, NQplus 22 %, P=0·001, women; obese 23 %, 24 %, normal weight 20 %, P=0·004, P=0·011, respectively, 'sweet and fat', men; obese 11 %, 10 %, normal weight 13 %, P<0·05, 14 %, P<0·01, women; obese 14 %, 15 %, normal weight 16 %, P=0·12, P=0·99). In conclusion, our taste database can be used to deepen our understanding of the role of taste in dietary intake in the Netherlands by sex, BMI, age and education.

Evaluation of dietary taste patterns as assessed by FFQ against 24-h recalls and biomarkers of exposure

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Taste is of key importance in food choice and dietary patterns, but studies on taste profiles are limited. We previously assessed dietary taste patterns by 24 h recalls (24hR), but for epidemiological studies food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) may also be suitable. This study compared dietary taste patterns based on FFQ against 24hR and biomarkers of exposure.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

A taste database including 467 foods' sweet, sour, bitter, salt, umami and fat sensation values was combined with food intake data to assess dietary taste patterns: the contribution to energy intake of 6 taste clusters. The FFQ's reliability was assessed against 3-d 24hR and urinary biomarkers for sodium (Na) and protein intake (N) in Dutch men (n = 449) and women (n = 397) from the NQplus validation study (mean age 53 ± 11 y, BMI 26 ± 4 kg/m²).

RESULTS

Correlations of dietary taste patterns ranged from 0.39-0.68 between FFQ and 24hR (p < 0.05). Urinary Na levels, but not N levels, were positively associated with % energy intake from 'salt, umami & fat' tasting foods (Na; FFQ, r = 0.24, 24hR, r = 0.23, p < 0.001, N; FFQ, r = 0.08, p = 0.1394, 24hR, r = 0.05, p = 0.3427).

CONCLUSIONS

The FFQ's reliability against 24hR was acceptable to good for ranking of adults' dietary taste patterns. Associations between dietary taste patterns and urinary Na and N were similar for FFQ and 24hR. These findings suggests that both FFQ and 24hR can be used in combination with our taste database, to investigate potential relationships between dietary taste patterns and subgroups at risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.