6533b86cfe1ef96bd12c7d9c

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Flavour release and perception

subject

description

Flavour perception is a complex combination of the olfactory, gustatory and trigeminal sensations perceived during eating. During this eating process, tastants must be dissolved into saliva to be transported to the taste bud receptor cell membranes and aroma compounds have to be released in the oral cavity then transferred to the nasal cavity to reach the olfactory receptors. This release highly depends on food composition and structure, on the molecular properties of the stimuli but also on physiological characteristics of individuals and mastication behaviour. However, interactions occur between texture, taste and aroma perception at different levels: physic-chemical interactions in the food product and during the chewing process, peripheral physiological interactions and cognitive interactions. Focusing on flavour release and perception in dairy products, this review will present the influence of food composition (fat, protein, salt) and structure, of the interindividual variability of the subjects (chewing behaviour, saliva, mouth coating, oral volumes), of the interaction between food products and subjects and of cognitive interactions.