Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample
In recent years, research on taste perception has increasingly focused on its influence on food consumption, preferences, and long-term health. While bitter and sweet tastes have been well-studied, less is known about salty and umami tastes and their effects on dietary habits. This study aimed to ad...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Current Research in Food Science |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927125000012 |
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| author | Camilla Cattaneo Sara Spinelli Caterina Dinnella Cristina Proserpio Erminio Monteleone Ella Pagliarini Monica Laureati |
| author_facet | Camilla Cattaneo Sara Spinelli Caterina Dinnella Cristina Proserpio Erminio Monteleone Ella Pagliarini Monica Laureati |
| author_sort | Camilla Cattaneo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, research on taste perception has increasingly focused on its influence on food consumption, preferences, and long-term health. While bitter and sweet tastes have been well-studied, less is known about salty and umami tastes and their effects on dietary habits. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring sensory-hedonic patterns for ‘savory’ stimuli, encompassing both umami and salty tastes, in a representative sample of Italian adults, with a focus on gender-specific differences. Associations among sensory-hedonic patterns, nutritional status, personality, and psycho-attitudinal traits, as well as food habits, were considered.Participants (n = 2878) rated their liking and intensity of salty, umami, and overall flavor sensations for bean purée with varying salt levels and provided anthropometric and food consumption data. K-means clustering identified specific sensory-hedonic patterns: ‘Dislikers’ and ‘Moderate Likers’ in women, and ‘Dislikers’ and ‘Likers’ in men. In both genders, the increased concentration of NaCl in the model food translated in opposite hedonic reactions, which was less evident in men with ‘Likers’ showing a higher preference for the saltiest sample. An overweight condition also characterized this latter group. Both 'Likers' clusters (regardless of gender) showed higher familiarity/consumption of less healthy foods, including high-calorie items, junk foods, meat, and fats (all p < 0.05). Gender-related differences were observed, with women preferring seafood and desserts, while men savory snacks and soft drinks. These results underscore taste's influence on dietary habits and the need to account for gender differences in personalized dietary interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ad2da5d6b4c64869b5dea41f790801b8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2665-9271 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Research in Food Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-ad2da5d6b4c64869b5dea41f790801b82025-01-12T05:25:44ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Food Science2665-92712025-01-0110100970Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sampleCamilla Cattaneo0Sara Spinelli1Caterina Dinnella2Cristina Proserpio3Erminio Monteleone4Ella Pagliarini5Monica Laureati6Sensory & Consumer Science Lab (SCS_Lab), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, Italy; Corresponding author. Sensory & Consumer Science Lab (SCS_Lab), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy.SensoryLab, Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, ItalySensoryLab, Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, ItalySensory & Consumer Science Lab (SCS_Lab), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, ItalySensoryLab, Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, ItalySensory & Consumer Science Lab (SCS_Lab), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, ItalySensory & Consumer Science Lab (SCS_Lab), Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, ItalyIn recent years, research on taste perception has increasingly focused on its influence on food consumption, preferences, and long-term health. While bitter and sweet tastes have been well-studied, less is known about salty and umami tastes and their effects on dietary habits. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring sensory-hedonic patterns for ‘savory’ stimuli, encompassing both umami and salty tastes, in a representative sample of Italian adults, with a focus on gender-specific differences. Associations among sensory-hedonic patterns, nutritional status, personality, and psycho-attitudinal traits, as well as food habits, were considered.Participants (n = 2878) rated their liking and intensity of salty, umami, and overall flavor sensations for bean purée with varying salt levels and provided anthropometric and food consumption data. K-means clustering identified specific sensory-hedonic patterns: ‘Dislikers’ and ‘Moderate Likers’ in women, and ‘Dislikers’ and ‘Likers’ in men. In both genders, the increased concentration of NaCl in the model food translated in opposite hedonic reactions, which was less evident in men with ‘Likers’ showing a higher preference for the saltiest sample. An overweight condition also characterized this latter group. Both 'Likers' clusters (regardless of gender) showed higher familiarity/consumption of less healthy foods, including high-calorie items, junk foods, meat, and fats (all p < 0.05). Gender-related differences were observed, with women preferring seafood and desserts, while men savory snacks and soft drinks. These results underscore taste's influence on dietary habits and the need to account for gender differences in personalized dietary interventions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927125000012UmamiSaltySavorySensory-liking segmentationBMIEating habits |
| spellingShingle | Camilla Cattaneo Sara Spinelli Caterina Dinnella Cristina Proserpio Erminio Monteleone Ella Pagliarini Monica Laureati Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample Current Research in Food Science Umami Salty Savory Sensory-liking segmentation BMI Eating habits |
| title | Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample |
| title_full | Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample |
| title_fullStr | Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample |
| title_short | Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample |
| title_sort | patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity consumption and nutritional status a gender based analysis from a large population sample |
| topic | Umami Salty Savory Sensory-liking segmentation BMI Eating habits |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927125000012 |
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