Food Temperature and Taste Perception

According to food sensory research done by Belgium's Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, microscopic channels in our taste buds (which they’ve called TRPM5) are responsible for different taste perception at different temperatures. They’ve found that the reaction in our taste buds is much more intense when the temperature of food or fluid is increased, sending a stronger electrical signal to the brain and resulting in an enhanced taste.

This explains why warm beer tastes more bitter and melted ice cream tastes sweeter, as well as why people who enjoy the bitter taste of coffee and tea drink ingredients like it better when hot.

"Interestingly, because ice cream is consumed cold, ice cream makers need to add considerable amounts of sugars or sweeteners in order to endow the product with the much rewarding sweet taste, in detriment of our health," the researchers in the sensory research explained.

But according to lead author Dr Karel Talavera and his colleagues, their findings could allow for the modification of the taste channel in order to achieve required tastes that could improve foods impact on our health.

"Taste perception could be modulated by adding something to the food that could enhance or inhibit the work of the TRPM5 channel … or by changing the temperature of food," said Dr Talavera. "Bitter taste inhibitors could also help fulfill the nutritional requirements of sensitive sectors of the population, such as children…[f]or example, many children do not like salads because of their bitter taste.”

Whether this would involve the use of new chemical formulations or just the development of new warm salads, for example, is left up to food business professionals and consultants, but this research helps point to exciting new possibilities for your company.