Bacteria that are naturally present in the mouth may delay the flavor response for some fruit, vegetables, and wines, according to a food research study from Swiss company, Firmenich.
They studied the effects of oral microflora on a series of sulfur-containing compounds found commonly in foods such as wine and fruit. They found that the compounds are transformed by the bacteria in the mouth, releasing a sulfuric odor that adds a second dimension to the flavor perception of food products.
Dr Starkenmann told FoodNavigator.com, “This is the first time we were able to prove that the mouth act[s] like a reactor and therefore we can modulate the odor perception. We are now able to make more authentic flavor systems, like in nature.”
The study also shows how critical saliva is, along with the enzymes, proteins, and bacteria it contains, and how important it is in taste and flavor perception.
“Saliva is produced in the mouth by three major glands, the parotid, sublingual, and submandibular, and by other minor glands,” explained the researchers. “Minor lingual saliva glands are crucial in taste perception because they irrigate taste buds. The role of saliva is to provide a coating on the mouth epithelium as a buffering system.”
The food research also has implications for halitosis, said Dr Starkenmann, a condition mainly due to the degradation of cysteine and methionine [both amino acids] coming from food proteins which stick between your teeth. He explained certain bacteria may produce bad odors, but now they know that these same bacteria also produce pleasant aromas.
How consumers sense food is crucial knowledge for a food industry constantly re-organizing the building blocks of food formulations.
Learn more at out website, check it out!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment