ABSTRACT

Sensory properties such as taste, aroma, texture, and appearance are important determinants of the consumer’s acceptance and liking of food products. These properties are assessed by looking at, sniffing at, or tasting the product. As the eyes judge the appearance, the taste buds in the tongue perceive the taste, the olfactory region in the nose “smells” the aroma, and the tongue and jaw muscles register the mouth feel (or perceived texture). Interactions on a psychological level among these senses are well known, for instance, the effect of color on aroma [1, 2] and the interactions between taste and aroma [3-5]. An interesting example of interaction between taste and aroma was found for chewing gum. The temporal perception of mint was shown to be determined by sucrose release, rather than by menthone release, suggesting perceptual interaction between volatiles and nonvolatiles [6].