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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Strategies to enhance saltiness in food involving cross modal interactions

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A series of results is reported on cross modal odour-taste interactions as a mean to enhance salty taste in food. Salt-related odours can enhance salty taste in water solutions containing a low level of sodium chloride through odour-induced changes in taste perception. Odour-induced saltiness perception enhancement (OISE) depends on salt concentration (intensity). OISE was also found effective in low-salt content solid model cheese, but texture dependant. A significant saltiness perception enhancement induced by Comté cheese and sardine odours was observed for softer textures only. In ternary odour-sour-salty solutions, sourness enhances saltiness perception additively with salt-related odours. Finally, in cream-based food systems, a strategy combining OISE and heterogeneous distribution of stimuli was found to compensate for over 35% decrease in salt-content without significant loss of acceptability. However, variation of composition of the food matrix influences aroma and saltiness perception. Therefore, it could modulate the overall saltiness perception.