9B - Errors of taste Flashcards
Factors that influence errors of taste
- Supertasters
- Miraculin
- Judgement of flavours
Gustatory perception may be biassed by:
- Our expectations (arising from factors such as the colour or texture of the food)
- The number of taste buds we have (as we see with supertasters)
- May even change our perception of taste by using a taste modifier such as miraculin that changes the way the food interacts with our taste buds
The fallibility of gustatory perception
- Errors can occur because of biological reasons. For example, genetic factors or having a blocked nose
- Errors can also occur because of psychological and cultural reasons, such as misinterpretations of the stimuli due to the influence of perceptual set
Supertasters definition
individuals who have significantly low thresholds for taste stimuli and an unusually high number of taste buds
Supertasters have relatively more …
intense flavour perceptions than the average person because they have more taste buds
Supertasters
- tend to express strong taste preferences and dislikes, and are often ‘fussy eaters’
- tend to display a lower preference for foods such as coffee, chocolate, grapefruit juice, mushrooms, hot and spicy foods and tequila
- more likely to withhold from alcohol use and smoking which is positive for health
- often consume excess salt, as salt can counteract the perceived bitterness in their food. This consumption of excess salt can lead to negative health impacts over a prolonged period of time
Miraculin definition
a type of protein extracted from the ‘miracle berry’ which alters taste perception in humans
- has the ability to make sour food taste sweet
Miraculin
- Miraculin isnt sweet to the taste, but after it has been consumed, it binds to the taste receptors responsible for detecting sweetness and activates them when an acidic environment is created in the mouth
- This changes the perception of foods, which would normally be considered sour, such as a lemon wedge, to be perceived as sweet
Judgement of flavours
The judgement of flavour is affected by our other senses
- The smell is crucial to the interpretation of flavour
- The texture and temperature of the food is also important
- Each individual’s interpretation of flavour is also biassed by perceptual set
Flavour definition
a perception/interpretation created by the brain
Influences on flavour
- Perceptual set (expectations, past experience)
- Colour intensity
- Texture
Influences on flavour - Perceptual set (expectations, past experience)
- Flavour interpretation can be manipulated if a food is coloured differently from how we expect.
- For example, if I gave you coke that was pink, you may feel confused about what you are drinking.
- a perceptual set can influence taste perception through factors, such as your past experience with a brand or belief about a type of food
Influences on flavour - Colour intensity
- The intensity of colour can distort your perception of flavour. Generally, food that is more intensely coloured leads us to perceive it to have a stronger flavour, even when this is not the case.
- For example, when strawberries are bright red we think they taste better.
- food producers manipulate our flavour perception by adding more colour to foods to make us think they taste better!
Influences on flavour - Texture
The property of food or beverage that is felt in the mouth and contributes to flavour.
- What we like and dislike about the texture of our food, we will often alter our perception of the flavour as well to match
- Texture can be crunchy, oily, chewy, grainy, lumpy, smooth, rich, fizzy, etc.
- The amount of surface area coming into contact with the taste buds on the tongue can influence the experience of flavour.
- for example there will be a change in the intensity of flavour when food is chopped, grated, or blended
