The effect of temperature and menthol on carbonation bite

Area of Science:

• Sensory science
• Chemosensation
• Physiology

Background:

• Temperature and chemesthesis interactions are crucial for understanding sensory perception.
• Previous research indicated that cooling carbon dioxide (CO2) solutions enhances oral pungency.
• The effects of warming CO2 solutions on perceived bite intensity remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of varying temperatures on the oral pungency of carbon dioxide (CO2) solutions.
• To examine the effect of warming CO2 solutions above tongue temperature.
• To compare the effects of physical cooling versus menthol cooling on carbonation sensation.

Main Methods:

• Subjects sampled CO2 solutions across a range of concentrations and temperatures.
• Participants rated the perceived bite intensity of the solutions.
• Experiments included varying solution temperatures, pre-treatment with menthol, and analysis of potential heat pain confusion.

Main Results:

• Cooling CO2 solutions below tongue temperature enhanced perceived bite intensity.
• Warming CO2 solutions above tongue temperature did not consistently affect ratings, except at very high temperatures (48.2°C) where mild heat pain may have been confused with carbonation.
• Menthol cooling showed little to no effect on carbonation-induced bite, unlike physical cooling.

Conclusions:

• The temperature of CO2 solutions significantly modulates oral pungency, with cooling enhancing sensation.
• Warming effects are less pronounced and may be confounded by thermal pain at extreme temperatures.
• Candidate transduction mechanisms for carbonation sensation need to account for temperature-dependent interactions and differentiate between physical and chemical cooling effects.