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The Tongue and Taste Buds

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Inkjet-based surface structuring: amplifying sweetness perception through additive manufacturing in foods.

Johannes Burkard1,2, Lucas Kohler3, Tanja Berger3

  • 1Insitute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. johannes.burkard@hest.ethz.ch.

NPJ Science of Food
|August 18, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This study explores how inkjet-based surface structuring can enhance sweetness perception in chocolate. By applying sweetener-containing dots on chocolate surfaces, researchers found that concentrating sweetener on the surface amplified sweetness perception by up to 300%. The study tested different dot arrangements and found that surface proximity and spatial distribution of sweetener significantly influence taste perception. Traditional methods lack the precision of this additive manufacturing approach. The findings suggest that localized sweetener placement improves flavor intensity and allows for sensorial and visual customization of food products. This method could lead to innovative applications in food design and taste perception research.

Keywords:
food additive manufacturingsweetness perceptionsurface patterningtaste enhancement techniques

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Area of Science:

  • Food science and engineering
  • Additive manufacturing in consumer products
  • Sensory perception in food science

Background:

Prior research has shown that taste perception is influenced by physical and chemical properties of food surfaces. It was already known that spatial distribution of flavor compounds affects sensory experience. No prior work had resolved how surface structuring could specifically amplify sweetness perception. This gap motivated exploration of additive manufacturing techniques in food systems. Researchers have studied flavor release mechanisms, but not through inkjet-based patterning. The role of localized sweetener placement on taste responsiveness remained unclear. Traditional methods lack precision in controlling flavor delivery. This paper introduces a novel approach to modify taste perception using structured surfaces.

Purpose Of The Study:

The study aimed to investigate how inkjet-based surface patterning influences sweetness perception in chocolate. Researchers sought to determine if localized sweetener placement could enhance flavor intensity. The motivation was to develop a method for sensorial customization of food products. They focused on thaumatin as a model sweetener due to its high potency. The goal was to compare different dot arrangements on taste responsiveness. The study aimed to quantify the impact of surface proximity on flavor perception. Researchers wanted to test if concentrated sweetener placement amplifies sweetness. The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of additive manufacturing in food design.

Main Methods:

The research used an inkjet-based system to apply dot patterns on chocolate surfaces. Dots were made from cocoa butter with emulsified water droplets containing thaumatin. The sweetener concentration was kept constant across all samples. Dot arrangements varied from uniform to concentrated at the center or periphery. A sensory panel evaluated sweetness perception at three time points. The study maintained identical total thaumatin amounts per sample. Researchers tested different spatial distributions of the sweetener. The method involved controlled printing and sensory evaluation protocols.

Main Results:

The most significant finding was a 300% amplification of sweetness perception when thaumatin was concentrated on the surface. Uniform dot patterns showed higher sweetness than bulk-distributed samples. Concentration at the center reduced sweetness perception by 24%. Surface proximity of the sweetener strongly influenced taste responsiveness. The study found that spatial distribution governs flavor perception. No significant difference was observed between consumption time points. The method outperformed traditional manufacturing in flavor enhancement. The results suggest that localized delivery improves sensory experience.

Conclusions:

The authors concluded that surface proximity and spatial distribution of sweeteners influence taste perception. They proposed that inkjet-based patterning is more effective than traditional methods. The study suggests that localized sweetener placement enhances flavor intensity. The results support the idea that structured surfaces improve sensory experience. The researchers stated that this method allows for sensorial and visual customization. They emphasized the industrial relevance of additive manufacturing in food design. The findings open new avenues for studying taste formation during oral processing. The study highlights the potential of AM techniques in food innovation.

The study found that concentrating sweetener on the surface amplified sweetness perception by up to 300% compared to uniform distribution.

Thaumatin is a high-potency sweetener used to test how spatial distribution affects taste perception in chocolate samples.

Concentrating sweetener solely at the center reduced sweetness perception by 24% compared to surface distribution.

Dot arrangements govern spatial distribution of sweetener, which significantly influences taste responsiveness and perception.

A sensory panel evaluated sweetness perception at three consumption time points using standardized chocolate samples.

The authors propose that inkjet-based AM could enable sensorial and visual customization of food products in industrial settings.