Food scientists are working to block or mask bitter taste in foods in hopes of making them more palatable for consumers who are genetically sensitive to that taste.
Some people are genetically determined to be more sensitive to bitter tastes than others, an Institute of Food Technologists news release reported.
"Many factors go into why we eat what we do," John Hayes, PhD, assistant professor of food science and director of the Sensory Evaluation Center at Pennsylvania State University, said in the news release.
"There's a huge variability in how much bitterness people taste. If something is bitter you like it less and you eat it less," Hayes said.
Foods such as such as "broccoli, spinach, asparagus, kale, Brussels sprouts, grapefruit, tea, soy and caffeine," are often considered bitter and can set off bitter-sensitive individuals.; people with a high sensitivity to bitterness eat about 25 percent fewer vegetables, the news release reported.
Humans have 25-known bitter receptor genes and how one perceives a bitter tasting food item is "very complex."
"It's also not destiny. Learning can override innate aversions. You can learn to like things," Hayes said.
The craze for products with specific nutrients and ingredients is growing, but this team is working to mask bitter tastes to encourage bitter-sensitive individuals to eat more vegetables and other healthy products.
"There's an increasing market opportunity to attenuate bitterness perception and improve palatability and preference among consumers," Robert Sobel, PhD, vice president of research and innovation at FONA International said in the news release.
People who drink energy drinks are looking for a high dose of caffeine, but it has a very bitter taste. In order to combat this manufacturers often add "high-intensity" sweetener to the beverages. The researchers found "phantom aromas" such as vanilla or citrus could help distract the brain from the bitter taste. The researchers can also use an allosteric modulator, which can change a food's protein structure, reducing the amount of bitter signals that are sent to the brain.
