NIZO Food Research, Booth 5250
Trend: Weight Management
Product: Aroma-taste interaction for naturally enhanced liking of reduced calorie foods
Commercialized: 2009
As a provider of technologies for innovations in food, NIZO food research has proven that aromas in beverages enhance sweet taste without extra addition of sugar or sweeteners. Although sensed via the nose, aromas acquire taste-like qualities if they are given in combination with a tastant. Repeated co-exposure of a given taste and a given aroma results in the formation of aroma-taste associations within the brain. These associations are powerful enough to evoke a sweet sensation when the aroma is given without the tastant. Typical examples of aromas that evoke a “sweet smell” are vanilla or strawberry, which are commonly experienced in sweet products (e.g., confectionery). In cooperation with the Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN), NIZO food research found that the simple addition of volatiles typically found in ripe apples (e.g., esters such as ethyl hexanoate) enhances sweet taste of apple juice by about 10–15%.
