Endrizzi Isabella, Cliceri Danny, Menghi Leonardo, Aprea Eugenio, Charles Mathilde, Monteleone Erminio, Dinnella Caterina, Spinelli Sara, Pagliarini Ella, Laureati Monica, Torri Luisa, Bendini Alessandra, Toschi Tullia Gallina, Sinesio Fiorella, Predieri Stefano, Gasperi Flavia
Department of Food Quality and Nutrition, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy.
Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento/Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy.
Foods. 2021 Dec 21;11(1):5. doi: 10.3390/foods11010005.
This study, which was conducted as part of the Italian Taste project, was aimed at exploring the relationship between actual liking and sensory perception in four food models. Each food model was spiked with four levels of prototypical tastant (i.e., citric acid, sucrose, sodium chloride, capsaicin) to elicit a target sensation (TS) at an increasing perceived intensity. Participants (N = 2258; 59% women, aged 18-60) provided demographic information, a stated liking for 40 different foods/beverages, and their responsiveness to tastants in water. A food-specific Pearson's coefficient was calculated individually to estimate the relationship between actual liking and TS responsiveness. Considering the relationship magnitude, consumers were grouped into four food-specific clusters, depending on whether they showed a strong negative (SNC), a weak negative (WNC), a weak positive (WPC), or a strong positive correlation (SPC). Overall, the degree of liking raised in parallel with sweetness responsiveness, fell as sourness and pungency perception increased, and showed an inverted U-shape relationship with saltiness. The SNC clusters generally perceived TSs at higher intensities, except for sourness. Clusters were validated by associating the level of stated liking towards food/beverages; however, some unexpected indications emerged: adding sugar to coffee or preferring spicy foods differentiated those presenting positive correlations from those showing negative correlations. Our findings constitute a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of food preferences.
这项作为意大利口味项目一部分开展的研究，旨在探究四种食物模型中实际喜好与感官感知之间的关系。每种食物模型都添加了四种不同水平的典型呈味剂（即柠檬酸、蔗糖、氯化钠、辣椒素），以在逐渐增强的感知强度下引发目标感觉（TS）。参与者（N = 2258；59%为女性，年龄在18至60岁之间）提供了人口统计学信息、对40种不同食物/饮料的喜好程度，以及他们对水中呈味剂的反应。分别计算了特定食物的皮尔逊系数以估计实际喜好与TS反应之间的关系。根据关系强度，消费者被分为四个特定食物类别，取决于他们表现出强负相关（SNC）、弱负相关（WNC）、弱正相关（WPC）还是强正相关（SPC）。总体而言，喜好程度与甜味反应平行上升，随着酸味和辛辣味感知的增加而下降，与咸味呈倒U形关系。除酸味外，SNC类别通常在更高强度下感知TS。通过将对食物/饮料的喜好程度与类别相关联来验证这些类别；然而出现了一些意外情况：往咖啡中加糖或偏爱辛辣食物区分出了呈现正相关和负相关的人群。我们的研究结果是朝着更全面理解食物偏好迈出的一步。
