Jul 15 2010 --- NIZO scientist Harold Bult has developed a new methodology to identify physical properties of fat-containing foods that determine mouthfeel, from movements of the tongue during consumption. This approach, developed in the framework of TIFN research, adds an important tool to the development of ‘low’ food products that taste as good as the original foods.

Reducing the fat content of food products may help consumers to cut down on caloric intake. However, fats cannot be taken out without consequences. Fats contribute positively to a creamy mouthfeel, to aroma release and to the stability of certain foods. Thus, to create low-fat products that still taste nice, a comprehensive approach is needed that takes these aspects into account.

NIZO food research has recently developed various technologies to determine the difference in aroma release between high- and low-fat products during consumption. This has contributed significantly to improving the taste of low-fat foods. Previously, the contribution of fats to mouthfeel could only be determined by in vitro measurements. Now, for the first time, the role of tongue movements can be determined directly. Within the research programme Top Institute Food & Nutrition (TIFN), a methodology to obtain a real-time spatial profile of oral behavior based on movements of the tongue and cheeks during consumption has been developed at NIZO. The profile can be used to find out which product properties determine mouthfeel during consumption. This information provides insight into the pressures and shear forces that a food undergoes in the mouth. Differences in the observed mouthfeel of foods can thus be related to the way the food product reacts to pressure and shear.

“By combining this new methodology with existing in vivo measurements on aroma release, we now have an integral approach to determine the optimal aroma and texture properties based on conduct and perception of people during consumption,” explains senior scientist Harold Bult. Appreciation of a product is mostly determined by the complex interactions of taste, aroma and mouthfeel. Our comprehensive approach is an important tool in the development of low-fat products that have the same taste experience and reward as the current full-fat products. “Armed with the new knowledge provided by this methodology, we will also learn why promising fat replacers in the past didn’t meet expectations” concludes Bult.

This comprehensive approach allows a targeted search for ways to reduce fats and also tastants such as sugar and salt in everyday foods while retaining consumer appreciation.