Caffeine as a flavor additive in soft-drinks.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Caffeine is present in over 60% of US soft drinks, often as a flavor additive.
• Its psychoactive properties are known to induce desire for consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if caffeine possesses flavor activity in a cola soft drink.
• To assess caffeine's detection thresholds in sweeteners and a cola beverage.

Main Methods:

• Forced-choice triangle discrimination methodology was employed.
• Trained tasters (n=30) completed over 1600 discrimination tests.
• Detection thresholds for caffeine were measured in sucrose, aspartame, and sucralose solutions.

Main Results:

• Mean detection thresholds for caffeine in sweeteners were below concentrations found in common cola beverages.
• Subjects could distinguish caffeinated from non-caffeinated sweeteners (p<0.001).
• Subjects could not distinguish caffeinated from non-caffeinated cola beverages (p=1.0).

Conclusions:

• Caffeine does not contribute to the flavor of soft drinks.
• Caffeine's presence in soft drinks may drive consumption through physiological and psychological desire, not flavor.