PhD research unravels taste

A new study has brought new insights into the complex world of taste and flavor composition. The mouthfeel model has been confirmed as a valuable tool for measuring taste, according to the dissertation titled "Unraveling Mouthfeel. A novel approach to understanding taste" by Georgios Agorastos. 

The research sheds new light on the role of saliva in tasting, which has important implications for health promotion. The defense of the thesis will take place July 13 at 4 p.m. in the auditorium of Maastricht University.

The idea that taste can be classified based on mouthfeel and flavor intensity was first supported scientifically in Peter Klosse's dissertation entitled "The Concept of Flavor Styles to classify flavors" (Maastricht, 2004). With support from the Province of Limburg, the TASTE Foundation has conducted in-depth research in recent years to further explore this hypothesis.

The mouthfeel model combines the traditional sensory approach to taste with the molecular perspective of food technology. The model provides new insights into the construction of taste and its perception. During this research, physicochemical analyses were coupled with sensory observations from taste panels and key parameters of the mouthfeel model. These analyses took place in the university laboratories of Maastricht and Wageningen.

Tasteresearch.org