6533b7d6fe1ef96bd1265937

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Interactions texture-flaveur : mécanismes physico-chimiques ou mécanismes cognitifs ? Application à un gel laitier onctueux

subject

description

Texture, taste and aroma are key components of the perceived quality of foodstuffs. Many studies showed that modifying one of thèse dimensions could modify the perception of another one. However it is not always clear whether thèse interactions could be attributed to physico-chemical or cognitive mechanisms. The présent work aimed at studying sensory interactions between texture, taste and aroma, in relation with the perception of creaminess, an indicator of food quality. A first step consisted in defining the creaminess concept using sensory and verbal approaches. This study highlighted three groups of consumers: creaminess was associated to texture for the first group, to texture and taste for the second and to texture and fatty dimension for the third group. The second step consisted in studying sensory interactions between texture, taste and aroma. For that purpose, a model food System in which thèse three dimensions were modified independently was developed. Binary interactions were then studied in a reciprocal way using a consumers'panel. In vivo and in vitro physico-chemical complementary studies were finally developed in an attempt to better understand the origin of the observed interactions. Thèse studies showed that perceived texture modified perceived taste and tended to modify aroma perception. Thèse interactions may be partly explained by the physico-chemical mechanisms related to the time needed by taste compound to reach taste receptors and by aroma compounds to reach the maximum intensity of release as suggested by APCI-MS study. Conversely, taste and aroma perception did not affect texture perception. Finally, a reciprocal taste - aroma interaction was observed. This interaction could not be explained by physico-chemical mechanisms, which provided contradictory results, but is probably due to cognitive mechanisms.