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Burkard J, Kohler L, Caciagli S, Herren N, Kozamernik M, Mantovani S, Windhab EJ, Denkel C. Exploring the effects of structure and melting on sweetness in additively manufactured chocolate. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8261. [PMID: 38589622 PMCID: PMC11372135 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58838-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In view of the health concerns associated with high sugar intake, this study investigates methods to enhance sweetness perception in chocolate without increasing its sugar content. Using additive manufacturing, chocolate structures were created from masses with varying sugar and fat compositions, where hazelnut oil served as a partial cocoa butter replacement. The study found that while variations in sugar content minimally affected the physical properties of the chocolate masses, hazelnut oil significantly modified melting behavior and consumption time. Chocolate masses with higher hazelnut oil content but similar sugar content exhibited a 24% increase in sweetness perception, likely due to accelerated tastant (i.e., sucrose) release into saliva. Multiphase structures, designated as layered, cube-in-cube, and sandwich structures, exhibited less sensory differences compared to the homogeneous control. Nonetheless, structures with hazelnut oil-rich outer layers resulted in an 11% increase in sweetness perception, even without sugar gradients. This suggests that tastant release plays a more critical role than structural complexity in modifying sweetness perception. This research highlights the efficacy of simpler multiphase structures, such as sandwich designs, which offer sensory enhancements comparable to those of more complex designs but with reduced manufacturing effort, thus providing viable options for industrial-scale production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Burkard
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL, Food Science and Management, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
| | - Lucas Kohler
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sophia Caciagli
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Herren
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mark Kozamernik
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL, Food Science and Management, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Saskia Mantovani
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL, Food Science and Management, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Erich J Windhab
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Denkel
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL, Food Science and Management, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
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Abstract
Abstract
We sense fat by its texture and smell, but it is still unknown whether we also taste fat despite evidence of both candidate receptors and distinct fat taste sensations. One major reason fat is still not recognized as a basic taste quality is that we first need to demonstrate its underlying neural activity. To investigate such neural fat taste activation, we recorded evoked responses to commercial cow milk products with 0.1%, 4%, and 38 % fat via high-density electroencephalography (EEG) from 24 human participants. The experimental design ensured that the products would only be discriminable via their potential fat taste; all stimuli were carefully controlled for differences in viscosity, lubrication, odor, temperature, and confounding tastes (sweetness, acidity, and “off-taste”) and were delivered directly onto the tongue using a set of computer-controlled syringe pumps. Advanced topographical pattern analysis revealed different neural activation to the milk products 85–134 ms after stimulus onset, which, as expected, best discriminated the two milk fat extremes (0.1% and 38% fat). Notably, this time period has previously been shown to also encode basic taste qualities, such as sweet or salty. By adding to the evidence of cortical fat taste processing in response to staple food, our finding not only substantiates that we taste fat but also highlights its potential relevance during our everyday lives with possible large-scale impacts on motivational eating behavior to explain overconsumption of energy-dense foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Arndal Andersen
- Division of Technology and Innovation, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, Brabrand, Denmark
- Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Line Nielsen
- Division of Technology and Innovation, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, Brabrand, Denmark
| | - Stine Møller
- Division of Technology and Innovation, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, Brabrand, Denmark
| | - Preben Kidmose
- Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
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Heinze JM, Preissl H, Fritsche A, Frank S. Controversies in fat perception. Physiol Behav 2015; 152:479-93. [PMID: 26340857 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional fat is one of the most controversial topics in nutritional research, particularly against the background of obesity. Studies investigating fat taste perception have revealed several associations with sensory, genetic, and personal factors (e.g. BMI). However, neuronal activation patterns, which are known to be highly sensitive to different tastes as well as to BMI differences, have not yet been included in the scheme of fat taste perception. We will therefore provide a comprehensive survey of the sensory, genetic, and personal factors associated with fat taste perception and highlight the benefits of applying neuroimaging research. We will also give a critical overview of studies investigating sensory fat perception and the challenges resulting from multifaceted methodological approaches. In conclusion, we will discuss a multifactorial approach to fat perception to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause varying fat sensitivity which could be responsible for overeating. Such knowledge might be beneficial in new treatment strategies for obesity and overweight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaana M Heinze
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology/fMEG Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hubert Preissl
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Fritsche
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Frank
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology/fMEG Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Imaging methodologies and applications for nutrition research: what can functional MRI offer? Proc Nutr Soc 2014; 74:89-98. [DOI: 10.1017/s0029665114001530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Food intake is influenced by a complex regulatory system involving the integration of a wide variety of sensory inputs across multiple brain areas. Over the past decade, advances in neuroimaging using functional MRI (fMRI) have provided valuable insight into these pathways in the human brain. This review provides an outline of the methodology of fMRI, introducing the widely used blood oxygenation level-dependent contrast for fMRI and direct measures of cerebral blood flow using arterial spin labelling. A review of fMRI studies of the brain's response to taste, aroma and oral somatosensation, and how fat is sensed and mapped in the brain in relation to the pleasantness of food, and appetite control is given. The influence of phenotype on individual variability in cortical responses is addressed, and an overview of fMRI studies investigating hormonal influences (e.g. peptide YY, cholecystokinin and ghrelin) on appetite-related brain processes provided. Finally, recent developments in MR technology at ultra-high field (7 T) are introduced, highlighting the advances this can provide for fMRI studies to investigate the neural underpinnings in nutrition research. In conclusion, neuroimaging methods provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of flavour perception and appetite behaviour.
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Frank S, Linder K, Kullmann S, Heni M, Ketterer C, Cavusoglu M, Krzeminski A, Fritsche A, Häring HU, Preissl H, Hinrichs J, Veit R. Fat intake modulates cerebral blood flow in homeostatic and gustatory brain areas in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 95:1342-9. [PMID: 22572644 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.111.031492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamus is the central homeostatic control region of the brain and, therefore, highly influenced by nutrients such as glucose and fat. Immediate and prolonged homeostatic effects of glucose ingestion have been well characterized. However, studies that used stimulation with fat have mainly investigated immediate perceptional processes. Besides homeostatic processes, the gustatory cortex, including parts of the insular cortex, is crucial for the processing of food items. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high- compared with low-fat meals on the hypothalamus and the insular cortex. DESIGN Eleven healthy men participated in a single-blinded, functional MRI study of high- and low-fat meals on 2 measurement days. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured before and 30 and 120 min after intake of high- and low-fat yogurts. Hunger was rated and blood samples were taken before each CBF measurement. RESULTS High-fat yogurt induced a pronounced decrease in CBF in the hypothalamus, and the corresponding CBF change correlated positively with the insulin change. Furthermore, insular activity increased after 120 min in the low-fat condition only. The CBF change in both regions correlated positively in the high-fat condition. CONCLUSIONS The decrease in hypothalamic activity and the interaction with the insular cortex elicited by fat may contribute to an efficient energy homeostasis. Therefore, fat might be a modulator of homeostatic and gustatory brain regions and their interaction. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01516021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Frank
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Eldeghaidy S, Marciani L, McGlone F, Hollowood T, Hort J, Head K, Taylor AJ, Busch J, Spiller RC, Gowland PA, Francis ST. The cortical response to the oral perception of fat emulsions and the effect of taster status. J Neurophysiol 2011; 105:2572-81. [PMID: 21389303 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00927.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The rewarding attributes of foods containing fat are associated with the increase in fat consumption, but little is known of how the complex physical and chemical properties of orally ingested fats are represented and decoded in the brain nor how this impacts feeding behavior within the population. Here, functional MRI (fMRI) is used to assess the brain response to isoviscous, isosweet fat emulsions of increasing fat concentration and to investigate the correlation of behavioral and neuroimaging responses with taster status (TS). Cortical areas activated in response to fat, and those areas positively correlated with fat concentration, were identified. Significant responses that positively correlated with increasing fat concentration were found in the anterior insula, frontal operculum and secondary somatosensory cortex (SII), anterior cingulate cortex, and amygdala. Assessing the effect of TS revealed a strong correlation with self-reported preference of the samples and with cortical response in somatosensory areas [primary somatosensory cortex (SI), SII, and midinsula] and the primary taste area (anterior insula) and a trend in reward areas (amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex). This finding of a strong correlation with TS in somatosensory areas supports the theory of increased mechanosensory trigeminal innervation in high 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PROP) tasters and has been linked to a higher risk of obesity. The interindividual differences in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) amplitude with TS indicates that segmenting populations by TS will reduce the heterogeneity of BOLD responses, improving signal detection power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Eldeghaidy
- Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
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